Reevaluating Restaurants

Yesterday I had one of those days that just worked perfectly.  I was up and going early enough in the morning to make myself a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, which is always a great way to start off.  I was busy all day with work and errands, but I still managed to fit in two leisurely meals with family and friends.  That means all I put into my belly that I made in my kitchen was one delicious glass of OJ.

I adore eating out.  Good food, good company, and I don't have to cook or clean - what else could be better?  The only thing I don't love is when I see the mouthwatering descriptions of the dishes on the menu, I wind up wanting one of everything and eating more unhealthy food than I intended.  I swear that the bread basket in front of me is the devil in carbohydrate form.  

To avoid the inevitable guilt and an extra hour on the treadmill the next day, when I make plans to meet someone for a meal, I look at the menu online before I go to the restaurant.  What would I do without modern technology?  Reading through the the menu prior to the meal allows me to evaluate the nutritional value of the dishes instead of simply giving into my weak willpower.  My best friend is leaving tomorrow for a summer internship in LA, so we met for the Last Brunch at a restaurant I never tried before, Peach Valley.

I chose the California Omelet as an egg white omelet with broccoli instead of red onions and asked for them to put some fresh avocado on top.  Instead of ordering the bread option and breakfast potatoes that come with all omelets, I chose a cup of fruit instead.  I am most definitely one of those customers all servers despise because I can never order the dish as it is described on the menu.  However, the omelet my way was delicious, and I was very happy with my choice of seasonal fruit instead of the tempting fried goodness when I went dress shopping after brunch.  

California Omelet with some minor changes, Peach Valley

For dinner I met my mom and grandmother at Mildred's Big City Food, one of my grandma's favorite restaurants.  Mildred's is one of those lovely establishments with white tablecloths and cloth napkins - not exactly the kind I frequent while away at college, so it was a welcome change.  As usual I looked at the menu the night before and chose the salad I wanted, but when I was in the restaurant I decided to add an order of strawberry gazpacho soup, which was cool, light, and spiced to perfection.  Gazpacho is a family favorite, but I never tried it with a strawberry base before, and I highly recommend it.  You can find Martha Stewart's recipe for strawberry gazpacho here.  You're in for a treat!

Strawberry Gazpacho, Mildred's Big City Food

Bleu Cheese Salad (with spiced walnuts and dried fruit), Mildred's Big City Food

I hope you and yours have a wonderful weekend!  If eating out is on your schedule, try looking at the menu before you go to the restaurant, and you'll thank yourself (and me!) later.