Endless Love
After my experience at the Golden Corral, I thought I would never fall prey to the All You Can Eat seduction again. Time, however, seems to heal all wounds - gastric and otherwise - and last night in Sioux City, I found myself face to face with another irresistible opportunity.
We arrived at our hotel in Sioux City late yesterday
afternoon. Road conditions were such that going far for dinner wasn't an
attractive option. A few hundred yards away from the hotel, we stumbled upon a
Tony Roma's franchise. I figured that I would probably be able to get myself a
hearty salad and call it a meal.
Plans, however, are made to be broken, and my salad plan was thrust into jeopardy when I saw the sign next to the hostess stand that announced, "ENDLESS SLAB MONDAYS." The ground rules are simple: order a full slab of ribs, and upon its completion, they keep bringing you more, three ribs at a time, until you decide you've had enough.
To go to Tony Roma's and not try the ribs, I realized, would be like going to Baltimore and not trying the crabcakes. After much hemming and hawing, I decided to order the full slab of baby back ribs. Brian, seated to my right, opted for the St. Louis ribs. I reasoned to myself that I would be under no obligation whatsoever even to finish the order, let alone ask for more. I believed that I could stare the Endless Slab in the eye and, through determination and will, refuse to let it conquer me.
There's a good reason why Tony Roma's can claim to be "Famous For Ribs." The ribs are tender, and their different sauces are quite good. As far as chain restaurant ribs are concerned, I'm partial to Houston's. Roma's ribs might be a close second. I was nevertheless confident that, much as I enjoyed them, I would be able to resist the urge to eat beyond one full slab.
The song of the All You Can Eat Siren is sweet, though, and with each passing rib, the promise of seconds became more and more tantalizing. The inevitable moment arrived when we summoned Myndi, our server, and requested that she replenish our barren plates. She soon returned with a platter teeming with more pork, bone, and sauce; it was actually twice the amount of food we expected. She told us that, because the kitchen was busy, she took the liberty of doubling the order. Myndi apparently expected great things from us.
I am somewhat proud to say that I only took the portion I had requested. If pressed, I'm sure I could have eaten more, but after the Golden Corral, I'm trying to exercise a little moderation from time to time. Brian ended up eating the remainder of what was brought to us. My "endless slab" turned out to be about 1.33 slabs, while Brian's tally probably approached an even two.
It's important that I stop eating every meal as if it's my last, because it's clear that there is always more food on hand in the land of the bottomless soda and the endless slab. I don't need to see another barbecued rib for a long time.
Plans, however, are made to be broken, and my salad plan was thrust into jeopardy when I saw the sign next to the hostess stand that announced, "ENDLESS SLAB MONDAYS." The ground rules are simple: order a full slab of ribs, and upon its completion, they keep bringing you more, three ribs at a time, until you decide you've had enough.
To go to Tony Roma's and not try the ribs, I realized, would be like going to Baltimore and not trying the crabcakes. After much hemming and hawing, I decided to order the full slab of baby back ribs. Brian, seated to my right, opted for the St. Louis ribs. I reasoned to myself that I would be under no obligation whatsoever even to finish the order, let alone ask for more. I believed that I could stare the Endless Slab in the eye and, through determination and will, refuse to let it conquer me.
There's a good reason why Tony Roma's can claim to be "Famous For Ribs." The ribs are tender, and their different sauces are quite good. As far as chain restaurant ribs are concerned, I'm partial to Houston's. Roma's ribs might be a close second. I was nevertheless confident that, much as I enjoyed them, I would be able to resist the urge to eat beyond one full slab.
The song of the All You Can Eat Siren is sweet, though, and with each passing rib, the promise of seconds became more and more tantalizing. The inevitable moment arrived when we summoned Myndi, our server, and requested that she replenish our barren plates. She soon returned with a platter teeming with more pork, bone, and sauce; it was actually twice the amount of food we expected. She told us that, because the kitchen was busy, she took the liberty of doubling the order. Myndi apparently expected great things from us.
I am somewhat proud to say that I only took the portion I had requested. If pressed, I'm sure I could have eaten more, but after the Golden Corral, I'm trying to exercise a little moderation from time to time. Brian ended up eating the remainder of what was brought to us. My "endless slab" turned out to be about 1.33 slabs, while Brian's tally probably approached an even two.
It's important that I stop eating every meal as if it's my last, because it's clear that there is always more food on hand in the land of the bottomless soda and the endless slab. I don't need to see another barbecued rib for a long time.
Posted: Tue - February 22, 2005 at 04:30 PM
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Published On: Mar 23, 2005 10:43 PM
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Published On: Mar 23, 2005 10:43 PM