You won't be picking the restaurant again.

A couple of lessons were learned tonight here in the Den.  After an epic struggle that lasted nearly two hours to mow the lawn, lesson #1 was learned.  Don't put off mowing the lawn one more day.  It's amazing how much it can grow in 24 hours.  I swear I mowed down more than one 'Audrey' from "Little Shop of Horrors" this afternoon cutting through the over-grown grass.  Part two of the first lesson - consider a lawn service.

Lesson #2 came courtesy of my reason for being - the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML.  After the Great Lawn Mowing Smackdown of 2011, we decided to go out to dinner.  Faced with the usual quandry of where to go, SML suggested we go to a restaurant one of her patients recommended.  Without thinking, I concurred.  This was the wrong, wrong, wrong thing to do.  Why?  Consider this - SML's average patient is 900 years old.  Methusaleh would feel right at home at her practice, assuming of course he still had his teeth.  Sad experience has taught me that people of that age like to A) eat at 4:30pm and B) like places like this:

No good can come from this, except for a powerful, yet unwelcome, intestinal cleansing.

Throwing caution to the wind, we headed to the place her patient had recommended.  Caution should not have been tossed aside so carelessly.  The exterior of the place suggested "cafeteria."  The interior did not.  The interior, an homage to late 60's/early 70's interpretation of an English pub, suggested, no, screamed, Mike Brady and Sons Architecture.  An abundance of wood paneling.  Lots and lots of English family crests on the wall.  Chain mail dividing the bar from the restaurant.  Naugahyde-covered booths.  And can I just tell you, these booths had seen better days.  I sat down and plunged into a crevasse created by more than forty years of overweight hind ends and let me tell you, there would be no getting out. 

The place was packed with locals, many of whom were going wild as it was a bit past the usual 4:30pm dining hour.  Maybe because it was all you can eat Friday Fish Fry.  I opted for the loin burger.  Yes, loin.  I think it was prepped with loving care with these ingredients:

Based on CAL's reaction to her meal and SML's to hers, I actually did OK with mine.  Suffice to say, we laughed a lot.  It was a lot of fun.  We bounced our way out of the booth, paid dearly, for our meal and off we went.  We did determine the following:  SML is taking a time-out from restaurant selection for the time-being.

So I think that tomorrow we'll head into the city to hit the Food Truck Social.  One last hurrah in the city before CAL heads to university.  It's supposed to be beautiful tomorrow too.  At least we're not putting up with this Irene nag.  If you're anywhere near her path, get out the way!