Vicarious Rocky

This post will reveal that I am a spoiled, overfed, ungrateful American, but I'm going to say it anyway. I think I'm "over" traditional fine dining. Here's the thing. I landed a good job out of college (which was sadly 15 years ago) and I have been on an expense account in the business world ever since. This means I end up at lovely restaurants like Johnny's in downtown Cleveland about once a month. I'll average that out to 120 meals like this in my lifetime thus far. For some reason, I continue to regard it as special and continue to order the same damn shit I know I love. Namely Fillet, Veal chop, Cream Risottos, and Steaky fish entrees. And I get the calamari appetizers or the Bruschetta with the vinaigrette stinky-cheese salad.

Last night I had another of those very nice meals, but this time it left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm over it. I am done willingly choosing the same restaurant with the same savory safe food. I suddenly "got" why restaurant critics pan so many places. Because their total consumption on these meals is way above the 120 mark. And you can only have so many Bearnaise and Au Pouive sauces over medium rare flesh next to an oven-something potato before you ask yourself, "Is this really all there is?"