Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Enemy Strikes

Plan: 4x 9'minute intervals at 95-105% FTP with 5'min recovery between. On the recovery, unclip and pedal lightly with high cadence with one leg until fatigue and swap.

Result: Nothing. I got screwed into an afterwork dinner, that I neither planned nor agreed to attend. I hate eating out in swanky places. My preference is simple, yet high quality food. Not what this place offered.

As I look over the menu there is literally *nothing* I want to eat. Nor should eat. Everything... From salad to steak to fish to crab had some sort of high fat adder. The menu called them "enhancers". Bacon where it didn't belong, cream sauce, butter sauce, oil basted, sesame encrusting, you name it. There was no escaping it. And all of it seemed designed to cover poor quality food, rather than "enhance".

With much persuasion of the waitress I ordered a 5oz filet steak with nothing added. NO! I don't want the lump crap meat and cream sauce on top. NO! I don't want the butter glazed (undoubtedly chinese) crawfish topping.

It came with two tablespoons of mashed potatoes. And nothing else for $38. Still it was curiously rich. I was left with a strong aftertaste of clarified butter. Not sure if that was from slathering the steak in butter, inclusion in the potatoes, or soaked into the $13 -i wish i were joking- side order of broccoli (consisting of 3 whole stalks!! about 12 cents worth) I ordered a la carte in attempt to make a somewhat complete meal. Despite my best effort... Somewhere somehow my food got "enhanced".

The best part... As soon as the dinner plates were cleared, the room seemed to get brighter. Startled, I looked around. But it wasn't the whole room. Just our table. I looked up at the ceiling above the table... they had a spot light above it shining brightly. (all the other tables had a similar light fixture, but where unlit) Just like a bar at closing time... Like clockwork, as soon as the cheque arrives... the light comes on encouraging you to leave. Sneaky bassturds! I felt like cattle. I also told the waitress to knock it off. She wasn't amused when I used the word "mooooo".

Most would say "you ate for free at one of the best known Houston restaurants". I'd have preferred to have ridden my bicycle and had a satisfying post ride PB&J. That's just how I roll.

The rest of the week is in jeopardy. All of the chores I needed to get done tonight, didn't get done. I've missed a key ride for the week. I'll be lucky to be caught up and on the bike by Friday. Crap. This was one expensive "free" dinner.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh man the same thing, or close at least, happened to me yesterday. Got sucked into an after work "reception." It was the one free night I had this week so I too had planned a bike ride. Oh well, one more week with no exercise.

-Chris
aka Sly

Dave said...

It's amazing how one day interrupt so much. Time is a precious commodity for me. Can't imagine what it's like with a tyke at home. Take care man!