It's "Off the List"! Disasters in Dining

It's "Off the List"!  Disasters in Dining

We've all had them, and I'm sure you've got stories to share.  You planned a special meal out, only to receive sub-par service, raw or cold food, sparring waiters, or cooking snafus.  We've all had our share of disappointing dinners and diners.

We've had enough disasters on Valentine's Day to keep THAT holiday a home-cooked meal EVERY year now.

However, a love of new food ideas, the ease of being waited on, or just being away from home and needing to eat keeps us coming back to the good ole American Restaurant.

We have a funny saying every time we dine.  There are no problems if the restaurant is superior.  In fact, I'm likely to blog about it, like our recent experience with The Cheesecake Factory - Tucson Mall. If a place is "mostly" good, we give them another chance. But...if a place is poor in two or more areas, they are "off the list" -- the list of Places to Eat Out in Tucson, AZ. 

We started it about ten years ago.  We've never actually written DOWN the list, but we've all got it memorized, and we know which restaurants are on, or off the list.  My grown sons LOVE to go out to eat with Mom, if only to see what's going to get messed up next.  In a table of ten, if one dinner is messed up, it tends to be mine. Honest. This was true until I married my husband.  Now it's just as likely that the clunker will be served to him.  So -- mealtime with Mom and my husband is always anticipatory for my kids.  Sigh.

So, we were back in Green Bay, WI a few weeks ago and went to a new little place on the corner after we left a local amusement area.  Everyone was served their dishes, and my daughter-in-law and I both ordered a bowl of Won-Ton Soup.  I had a little sip of the broth and was just casually stirring the won-ton when my eye was caught by a black blob.  On closer inspection - yep, it was a big ole fly.  My daughter was already several bites into her soup so our concern was - did this come out of one big pot?

Last night, we took a family drive out of town, and stopped at a new place (to us) way out in Vail.  We were pretty excited because it looked like a place with real character.  My mother was with us, and we settled down to ordering our various desires.  Eventually the food arrived and we tucked in with gusto.  My husband was about 3/4 the way through his meal when he nudged me and said in a deadpan voice, "Look at what's on my plate."  Believe me, I didn't want to look.  I was having flashbacks to my soggy fly and my stomach was already churning.  His meal had been garnished with a good, thick, 12 inch strand of course, black hair.  (It certainly didn't fit any of our hairdo's sitting round the table)

Well, that was it for the appetites.  We were all done there.

So, with a history of food poisoning hitting so fast I didn't make it out of the restaurant, getting yelled at by the manager on a romantic valentine's date (she mixed us up with another table), bugs, hairs, poor quality, poor cooking, and so on and so forth, I guess I'll be pulling the recipe books out for more home inspiration for the next while.

Go ahead and share - what's the worst you've had served up to you in a restaurant?  Ever see waiters duke it out?  Get yelled at by management over something you didn't do?  Have a pitcher of water poured down your back?  Share your stories!  My husband and I would love to hear we're not the only ones.  :)