Yaaawwwwnnnnn, Pt. Deaux - The Saga Continues...

Alright, so last night was a little rough for me.

In a weak moment, I went to Chili's last night with a friend. I usually try to avoid the place like the plague because 90% of what is served is drenched in a cocoon of grease and fat and also because it bothers me to think that the same type of meal that I am currently eating has been ordered and eaten at thousands of locations across the country/world.

I dig on unique dining because it's been my general experience that people who own a local place are more inclined to serve good food and provide good service because if they don't, they're history in a short period of time. This isn't a guarantee and I've been burned by some local eateries, sure, but overall I'd say that my theory is justified.

I do reserve judgement on a few chains, especially since there aren't a ton of moderately priced restaurants near where I work. When it's lunchtime, Chipotle hasn't steered me wrong yet, nor has Zen. I dig a good In-N-Out, Steak & Shake or Carl's Jr. burger when I can get them. Apart from that I am at a loss to find a good chain restaurant that either tastes like mass-produced fare or results in a long, stomach-pain-fueled night spent catching up on my reading.

When I go out for dinner, I always choose the local place over the chain unless I am with others who overrule me. It's just how I roll.

I was speaking with a college chum of mine who still lives near the campus. He informed me that the Joe's Crab Shack next to the University was going out of business.

I was most amused because I hated the fact that Joe's took over the location from a locally owned restaurant that had been on hard times thanks to the building of several theme chain eateries along the Interstate. This place was cheap, the food was pretty decent and they were right next to the University, so it was easy to get to.

Joe's (owned by Landry's) offered a goodly sum to the local owners and they quietly made their exit to make way for yet another chain location. That, my friends, made me a very sad panda.

Quite honestly, the food at Joe's was rather meh when I've eaten there. It's pretty much a pre-manufactured experience. Lots of decor, waitstaff dressed like buffoons with obnoxious t-shirts that look like they were leftover from the reject pile at a Bob Marley festival. The pricing for this experience? Rather steepish.

I was pleased when my pal first related the news. Could it be that someone would decide to open a local eatery in the place again?

Nope. Scuttlebutt is that the place is going to be a Saltgrass in the near future.

Saltgrass. As in another chain location of a rather not so moderately priced steakhouse. Now WHY they think that placing a pricey establishment next to a goddamned UNIVERSITY was a good idea escapes me.

Lord knows that students who rarely tip the pizza guy will just be oh so happy to drop $40 for dinner, right?

It is a sad state of affairs in these modern times that we Americans, lovers of all things food and fat grams, queue up for the homogenized dining experience far and above supporting our local eateries. Our society is trending towards forgoing the true experience and enjoyment of food and gravitating towards the comfort of familiar signs, similar decoration and uniform menus that the chains offer us.

There was a visitor from another country I spoke with many years ago about their first impressions of America. He jokingly observed that the first thing he noticed was that there was a McDonalds at nearly every exit off the freeway. He finished by saying that "our cultural identity will be one of the strip mall, our legacy will be the Big Mac."

Was he so far off?