Well Preserved

I spend a lot of time around food – and just as much time away from it thinking about it, talking about it, writing about it, reading about it, and so forth.  It’s been a lifelong passion that’s really become that much more consuming in recent years as things like the slow movement grow, the local food scene becomes more local, so many friends are doing so many exciting things and so forth.

Technology has also played a big role in all of this.  Social networks show me plates of food that friends are about to consume (from around the world, in real time), I read about the local offerings at farmers markets from across the city, the country and the world.  We used it to discover New York and, melded with recommendations of people we’ve mostly met through technology, we had a rare 8 days of eating in one of the more exciting food scenes in the world.

Technology has been an enabler of learning and exploration.  It’s also eliminated one of the delightful ingredients of a great meal: the surprise.

On Friday night we launched our way to the west end of the city in an area we haven’t been for a long time.  We were heading to see a friends band and decided to go a bit early to find a bite to eat in some spot unknown.  The area is not particularly trendy and we quickly abandoned much research as it unveiled a slew of pho and noodle houses.

Our first stop was a 1950′s-themed biker bar.  They pointed us to a restaurant across the street that looked like an abandoned sports bar.  It was unassuming (to say the least) and we wandered in to a warm smile and request for reservations.  When we admitted we had none we were gladly accommodated and we sat down for a quick meal.  We left the restaurant more than two hours later, smiling and somewhat stunned.

A separate review will follow after a future visit to The Atlantic (the menu on their site is a sample, somewhat out of date) but we were enthralled.  We had a wonderful selection of chef and staff-chosen Tapas which ranged in taste from unsettling to simply fantastic and all were paired with friendly service and tongue-in-cheek decor.  We are already making plans to return.

There was a strong lesson and reminder to us that I really want to focus on sharing here; sometimes research can actually limit the enjoyment of a meal.  It was delightful entering a restaurant where we knew very little about it and were surprised with each twist of the menu and the surprise of the progression of taste.

The evening was a good reminder that sometimes the best search engine to find a wonderful meal is often your eyes, ears, feet and a spot of luck.