I’m not really that fond of eating out. I love good food and good company- I just have this paranoia. Too many visions of what really goes on in the kitchen + memories of a couple of bad experiences. Eating out is not something I just spontaneously suggest as a dinner option. However, when you are on the road there aren’t many other choices.
We carried snacks- nuts, fruit, water, juice, chips, crackers- and ate those while driving. Those “100 calorie” packages are great! We bought supplies and made sandwiches for dinner once, but it turned out to be expensive and wasteful. So…restaurants were our main source of food while on the road.
Breakfast was easy. Motels offer “continental” breakfast bars which usually include cereal, muffins, bagels, waffles, coffee, and juice. I’ve already mentioned that our stay in Amarillo included a full breakfast. The worst offering was soggy doughnuts at one motel. I think they had been frozen and thawed. My biggest gripe about motel breakfasts is the milk! Please do not offer me milk in a pitcher. I just can’t bring myself to do that. What’s wrong with little sanitary cartons like schools buy?
I’m sad to say that most of our lunches were at fast food diners. It is a fact of life that the five most familiar signs are everywhere! They are always just off the freeway and have easy access. Their prices are predictable. The food is predictable. The only real surprise was a DQ in Henrietta, TX. It actually has a Mexican menu and a Sunday special. The place was packed and after eating the food I understood why!
For dinner I like to use a fork! No fast food. No sandwiches. My husband has an affinity for Chinese buffets, so we found two of those along the way. I can’t say that Chinese food is any different in Texas than it is in Utah. The buffet has become the food equivalent of the shopping mall. Can’t tell where you are, and don’t really care. We found some great Mexican food, and also ate pizza one night. In Nevada I put away an enormous chicken fried steak. I should be ashamed, but I won’t lie to you, it was great!
Our real dining experiences didn’t take place until we reached California. We were taken to some great places by friends and family! We ate at The Elephant Bar Restaurant, Phil's Fish Market , and Bubba Gump's , among others. We also had some great home cooking! My daughter, Karen, is an excellent cook. So is my friend Marilyn. Then we went on to Utah to enjoy my niece Megan’s homemade treats!
Needless to say, we are now back to reality and dieting. Eighteen days of “eating out” has me craving raw vegetables and fruit. That’s a good thing in this heat!
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