A Pilgrim’s Digression

One of the great pleasures of travelling for work is being able to try new foods and new restaurants. I have to admit, “trying new foods” is something I do less of than trying new restaurants. But even so, it’s great fun to have some freedom to eat differently.

The past few days, I have been exploring the restaurants in a three or four block radius of my hotel, which is in the middle of downtown Minneapolis, off the Nicolete Mall.

I’ve had steak three times for dinner, so there goes the proof that I don’t necessarily try “different” foods. There is a Thai place and a Brazilian restaurant up the street, but I am doubtful I will try either. Exotic food is so hit or miss. I want a good dining experience; I don’t want to spend money on food I may not enjoy. At least with American food, there is a better than even chance I will like it.

So while I have not had sushi or anything else currently en vogue, I have also had some more or less local dishes for lunch. Tuesday, I had broiled walleye, which apparently is considered a delicacy in Minnesota.

My Grandpa goes walleye fishing routinely on the Ohio river, back home, so it is fish I have eaten many times over the course of my life. Walleye is a tasty fish, but I guess I just never considered it a delicacy to be served in the finest restaurants at a rate of $24.00 for a broiled filet.

This luncheon was at Murray’s, the kind of place you walk into and immediately wonder if you should leave because it has a real, honest to goodness maître d’ who asks if you have reservations. But when you tell him you don’t have reservations, he seats you anyway. And then you look at the menu and wonder, again, if you should leave.

I admit, I got the walleye because it was the cheapest thing on the menu. On the side I had an order of Murray’s au gratin potatoes, which are definitely not from a box.

I have also eaten at Ike’s this week. I ate dinner there Tuesday night, ordering a steak. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what else I had, besides a salad, because I was quite drunk by the end of the meal. I am sure I had a side dish of some kind, I just can’t recall it to mind.

I should preface that by saying I think the wine was unnaturally strong. I can drink two beers with lunch and not even get toasty. I don’t normally drink wine, but I had a taste for some red wine with my steak. Previous to dinner, I did have a cocktail (a Metroppolitan, and yes I know it’s a girl’s drink), which may have combined with the wine to make me blind.

I do remember asking the waiter to recommend a wine, and he suggested a “Spanish grenache,” which I chose. It was really good wine, too. If I hadn’t been so potted by the time I finished, I might have had another glass, but I was at least lucid enough to know that if I did, I would never make it back to the hotel.

I like the British word “tight” for drunkeness, but it doesn’t really describe the effect of inebriation, does it? Rather than feeling tight, or bound up, I feel all loose and muddy. I always know I am drunk, and so I have this self-conscious fear of making a fool of myself. I tend to get even quieter than usual, because I don’t want anyone to know, and I try to take special care not to drop anything that I might have to bend over and pick up, and thus end up rolling around on the floor.

In my inebriation, I imagine that I am keeping myself well under control, but even at the time I am thinking this, I have the suspicion that I am a sot.

I did somehow make it back to the hotel, where I proceeded to fall asleep in my clothes, on the bed, at eight o’clock. I felt pretty sick for a long while, even after sleeping and waking up at ten to go to the bathroom. I went back to sleep and woke up at 12:30, wide awake and dehydrated, though not especially ill. I played World of Warcraft until 3:00 AM, then went back to bed.

Even in the morning, I was as dehydrated as if I’d been to an all-night kegger. As a result, although I have been tempted, I have not had any more wine with my meals. I did have a beer with lunch yesterday (fish and chips at the Lyon’s pub), but otherwise I have been abstemious.

I should also note that on my first night, Monday, I had a Bison steak at the Firelake. I don’t recall that I have ever eaten buffalo before. It was quite good, though not significantly different than beef, in terms of taste or tenderness.

All in all, I feel sorry for vegetarians or vegans. It’s a hard world for people who don’t eat meat or fish. The very best foods come in rare, medium, and well-done.