Chain Chain Chain

*see Aretha for this allusion



With our family plans out of the way from the weekend, Leslie and I enjoyed our Labor day morning, eating pancakes, drinking coffee - and best of all - lying around. The afternoon, however, was a time to catch up on all our errands, and soon it was time for dinner.

Still without any food in the fridge, we decided to give Lily's a try, but it was Monday and a holiday. Instead of driving around from place to place, we decided that we needed a place that exploited workers on holidays - a chain. We'd been to Chevy's once before, and it seemed decent, so we decided to make a return. Would it be okay?

I'll start by saying that we usually avoid chains like the plague. For me, it's a combination of things: a million people in one restaurant, standing outside with beepers to get mediocre pre-fab food, babies crying, and lousy service. Being a vegetarian doesn't help either at these places.

We went in. It was crowded, but no beeper for us (not that I would have waited anyway) We were seated right away. Soon a big bowl of salsa was in front of us, and good salsa it was. I could be wrong, but the ingredients seem fresh and fire roasted. The drinks and the waiter took a while to arrive however. As we waited, another bowl of salsa came. Not bad!

For dinner I got some spinach artichoke enchilada thing and Leslie got a soup and salad thing. It didn't take long to come.

My meal was good overall. They offer a variety of flavors with the beans, rice, polenta, and entree. The beans had a good flavor, but a little bit of an aftertaste. It made me wonder if it was some sort of chemical preservative that made it taste that way. Still, I can't complain about the meal - it was well put together - but it seemed to be missing some sort of soul. I can't explain it, but it felt like a clone, something dreamed up by a person with talent and copied again and again, and mastered for efficiency. And all of this in a setting of a cloned interior, crammed with people and crying babies, and the three times we had to hear the Chevy's birthday song. Plus I got a diet Coke the second time around *bleckh*, and the waiter was not to be seen again for a while.

I can't say it's bad, but I don't think we'll be back anytime soon. Maybe because the food will taste the same every time, or the dining experience will be hurried and noisy, but this was enough for me for a while.


So my question for you is: What's your chain food guilty pleasure? Personally, I'd have to say that my Chevy's experience was decent, but the place I would say I like the most is Macaroni Grill. It's cheap, I like the free bread, a $2.50 salad that is good, and pasta that is edible. If we do go there, we usually go about 3:00 on a Saturday to avoid the rush. Another place I like is Maggiano's, especially for the Family Meal Deal. You get so much food, and you get to take a whole sack of food home with you. The food's decent and the place is always crowded. We don't go often, but it's a nice option to have.


On a side note, Neal will be happy to know that I went shopping today, so our dining experiences will be limited to the weekend once again.