We've all been there...  Travelling across country or even out of the country...  We have to eat. 

There are two basic choices.  Do we experiment and try something local?  Maybe hit up a "Mom & Pop" place with purely local fare...  Or there is the chain...  We know what they serve, we have their menus memorized. 

No matter where you go, the #2 at McDonald's is a Double Cheeseburger.  If it isn't #2, it is still nearby.  And no matter where you go, NO food critic is going to drop out of the sky and think that his #2 is the most exceptional thing EVER.  If it is perfect, it is ok...  Just ok.  And I like a Double Cheeseburger with a few McDonalad's fries... 

But what about the Court of Two Sisters in NOLA?  Or the Country Pump somewhere in rural MN?  Moab Brewery in Moab, UT?  Fat Matt's Rib Shack in Atlanta, GA?  Cioffi's in Lilburn, GA?  Chances are that you don't know their menu.  Chances are that you don't know what to expect when you walk in the door the first time.  Chances are that you haven't been to all of these places... unless you are stalking me. 

Four of them have incredible food.  The other isn't much different that microwaving something storebrand... and they even serve you Coke in the can...  They DO pop the top, though. 

Not just food...

We do it with many things...  We opt for the tried and true.  It might not be that great, but it is a known commodity.  It takes guts to step out of the "known" and try new things and new places.  It can also take research...  Whether that means asking friends or surfing the net... 

But it is worth the effort.  Every once in a while there is a "FAIL"... but there are rewards, too.  Chances are that the manager at Burger King isn't going to know your name and what you like to eat... but the ladies at Cossetta's Italian Market might... 

And sometimes even real estate agents that don't have red, white and blue balloons or gold jackets have pretty good ideas...  ;^ )