On A Scale of One to Ten — Medium

Sometimes I can only conclude that I am half a bubble off from everybody else.  Take yesterday, for instance.  Nyel and I had occasion to go across the river on an errand and, since it was approaching lunchtime, we decided to try out a “new” restaurant.  We’ve heard about this particular place from several sources lately and with rave reviews.  It sounded familiar to us but we thought we must be wrong because the place we had been to wasn’t all that new nor all that great.

However,  two reliable sources, unknown to one another, had not only recommended this place but had sung its praises in no uncertain terms.  So, we figured we were mistaken or, at the very worst, needed to be more open-minded.  We went.  Sad to say, it was the same lame place.  We ordered.  It was the same lame food.  We ate and felt inadequate.  We obviously don’t know good food when we taste it.  And it wasn’t all that cheap either.

Beginnings of the California Wine Industry?

It’s not the first time that’s happened to me.  I’m often out of step – especially with the fad foods and beverages.  Take wine… I think it was about the time that the dot-comers discovered Silicone Valley that California’s vineyards went funny on us.  I grew up in California.  All my life there have been grape growers and vintners there.  In fact, as early as 1779 Franciscan missionaries under the direction of Father Junipero Serra planted California’s first sustained vineyard at Mission San Diego de Acalá.  I can’t claim to remember that but I do clearly remember the “Sonapa-Noma” commercials for the wines of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino Counties in the 1960s.  That was the beginning of the California Wine Country hype.

Fresh from Our Free Range Hens!

But in those days no one was talking about the aroma and balance and body and bouquet, let alone the nose or how oaky or robust.  That train of puffery came along later and I just couldn’t bring myself to hop on board.  And speaking of hops – today it’s all about beer.  And then there are the designer breads and cheeses and…  To tell you the truth, I can’t really taste the difference between the eggs from our free-ranging chickens (Sh!  Don’t tell them!) and the store-bought variety.  Yes, the color is richer and the yolks stand right up to be counted but taste-wise?  Not so much.

And so it was with today’s restaurant experience.  The food was just medium – in all ways.  It wasn’t even very hot (temperature-wise) or spicy-wise either, for that matter.  I feel a bit guilty (at not being able to agree with my enthusiastic friends) and out (way out) of yet another loop – probably the way that kid felt when he pointed out the naked emperor.  But… he was right.  And I think I might be, too.