Home and it’s been a long day, and at the same time it’s been a great time. My dad, Deidre and I have Tuesday night dinners together and honestly it’s wonderful. Occasionally I get to cook and clean up for someone other than me and then we watch the biggest looser together.
My day often starts at 3:30am and on these nights it doesn’t end until much too late to get a decent amount of sleep and it’s all worth it. After work I have been going back to the gym to get more cardio in and then heading over to pops to cook dinner. I think some sort of family dinner is a mainstay in my life. Growing up it was manditory, in college I found family with various groups and would often sit and share a meal with them. And now it’s back to the original, we look different and we aren’t fighting over who sits where and I’m no longer made to eat peas (yuck) our sourkraut (yeesh) and no longer am I made to put meat on my pasta… (thank you vegetarianism) but it’s home.
And regardless, if I remain here or eventually move again (not planning too anytime soon people, but it could happen) I think hope that family dinner’s will remain in my life. There is something comfortable about sitting and sharing a meal together and for a little while calling a group of people home.
Today I met for lunch with a few friends at Chef’s Market a cute and quick lunch stop on Conference Drive in the Rivergate Area. I love the fact that it’s already prepared lunch and salad items and then a few quickly prepared sandwiches and salads to choose from and the main selling point are the high quality meat and three offerings. Back in my meat-eating days they had some of the best pot roast ever. The line service makes is so much easier to get quality time in with people you really want to visit with. And for some reason its set up is not hurried but efficient and I don’t feel as though I’m in a cafeteria.
Also super friendly staff and customer service. Case in point I grabbed lunch last week from there and was given a chicken sandwich as a mistake and unfortunately discoverd the mistake once back at the office - they cheerfully and apoligetically remade my food and refunded my money for my time wasted.
I remember back in the day when I would go with my mom to Chef’s market and it was the same set up. I thought it was so high class because there was french phrasing along the wall and in my world view that was cool for middle Tennessee. There was also more of a market area to it that I miss, but they have taken the store type section away for the most part to enable larger group meetings and more seating.
I digress, I love Chef’s Market because we were all 3 able to get something totally different. Justin – a total meat eater and big appetite was full after his club wrap and side. Rachel – an eclectic eater had chicken and sides once of which was a delish looking squash dish. Me – the vegetarian – it’s one of the few places I can do and actually eat off the menu and not have to settle for sides, but today I had a salad plate of three sides – Corn and Avocado salad, Sweet Potato casserole and my guilty pleasure – White Chocolate Banana pudding. Only Justin was able to clean his plate, Rach and I still had some bites left before we were miserable and all that goodness was under $32.00 with drinks.
Check em out sometime, they are hitting the social media scene now as well and if you follow them on twitter or facebook you can get freebies every now and then AND free dessert on your birthday month.
