It was that time again, the time that we usually look forward to, the ritual we have with friends that make us feel connected, the dining out.
I don't know about you but I'm the type of person who thinks about what they are going to have for dinner while eating breakfast! I look forward to eating, I love it actually.
So last night was my night to go out with a friend for a belated birthday dinner. We usually get together every two months and go to the same restaurant, order the same wine, the same entree right down to the same sides and dessert! Did I mention we've been doing this for years? Sound boring? Nope, that was our thing, up until last night!
As I was contemplating the menu looking for my "vegan" options I realized there were none..on the menu at least. I though for sure I was going to give in and just have some crab legs and a side of steamed veg, that used to be one of my favourites, so that I didn't cause a fuss.
My friend announced that she was going to enjoy our usual: Beef tenderloin with frites, stilton demi glaze on the side ( minus the shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad to start ).
I asked the waiter what he would suggest for a vegetarian and he said he had no clue but would check with the kitchen. He came back with the option of a vegetable curry or a pasta prima vera. I chose the latter. I'm sure the staff were looking at me funny knowing how long I've been going to this restaurant enjoying all it had to offer now looking for vegetarian options? It didn't bother me in the least.
We were enjoying our conversation and wine when the dinner arrived. It looked and smelt fantastic. I dug in with great anticipation and came up with a greasy mouthful. I looked at my friend and thought for sure it must look like I had wiped Vaseline all around my mouth!! Did it taste delicious, yes. Did I eat it all, no. I did however eat every bit of veg that was in the dish, thinking this would be great without all the oil!
This was the first time we didn't have dessert and coffee and guess what, we had our usual great time.
I honestly didn't miss the food I once enjoyed and I learned that I'm worth it, worth it to make healthier decisions when dining out. So next time I go to a restaurant I'm going to tell them what I'd like to have rather than them giving me options and see what they can do. I think I should say that I'm allergic to dairy so I don't get any butter snuck in there!
I've learned that I'm going to plan ahead before eating out!
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