Feasting With Genius

Thevictorians had a night out on Friday. Genius was passing through the metropolitan area on his way to an event for a college buddy on Saturday. We met for supper near the city, at Frankie Gianino's. I had not heard of this place. I was content to eat at Bandana's BBQ, our usual meeting place. Can you believe I was OUTVOTED??? For Italian food. Of which I am not a fan, except for pizza. I wanted my standard "terrible tater" and slaw. But who am I to demand that they all bow to my wishes?

I was thrilled when I looked up the menu Genius linked us, and saw that this place also has SLAW!!! I was fully committed to having a REUBEN and slaw. Or perhaps pizza. I was less than thrilled to see the prices, but it's not like we have supper with Genius every day. Once or twice a year, it's okay to splurge.

It's not like this is a fine dining establishment. It's a bar/restaurant in a strip mall. As the habit of most elderlies, we dined early. Of course, that had to do with Genius's arrival, and the rainy night for our 50-minute drive home. We met at 4:00, and were seated right away. When we left around 5:30, there were people waiting. I guess they were all meeting their sons coming in from Pittsburgh!

Anyhoo... we started with an appetizer of fried mushrooms. I love them, and used to have them at W.F. Cody's in Springfield, MO, during college. Hick and Genius chose them. I forgot to get a picture when they came out, and by the time I remembered, they were mostly devoured.

The mushrooms came with horseradish sauce. I guess there were 10-12 mushrooms. I had one. The Pony doesn't really like mushrooms, but tried two. Hick and Genius made sure they didn't go to waste.

Genius chose the Pollo Alfredo. The portions were HUGE!

It looks like the stuff I make at home! Only better, of course. It had fettuccini, chicken, mushrooms, and peas. I asked if the noodles tasted like they were made fresh, and Genius said he didn't think so.

Hick had the Fettuccini Alfredo.

After pushing away from the trough, Hick said he thought his had too much cheese. And he was disappointed, because he expected at least a couple piece of chicken. To which Genius and I stared at him, and said, "You should have gotten the POLLO Alfredo. THAT means CHICKEN!" 

The Pony had the Pesto Spaghetti.

The Pony said it was great. I tried a bite,  and regretted it! Apparently, I am not a fan of pesto! It was overwhelming to me. In fact, for a couple hours I regretted it. A burp made me feel like I had been grazing all afternoon in a 40-acre field. I guess it was the basil to which I object.

I switched my Reuben plan at the last moment, and ordered the Chicken Strip Dinner. 

That's because it came with fries AND slaw. Whereas the Reuben only gave me a choice of either. Yes. I felt like I was ordering off a child's menu. So basic. To go out and spend a fortune on chicken tenders and fries. It came with honey mustard sauce, and I had to ask for ketchup for the fries. Such a classy place, heh, heh, to not have a bottle of ketchup sitting on the tables. I ate three of the tenders, and gave one to The Pony (the smallest!). Plus I allowed The Pony as many fries as desired. The slaw was delicious. All for me!

We had an enjoyable visit. Each of us took at least half the meal home. Genius donated his to us, because he said he had no use for it in his hotel room. I would have sent it with The Pony, but the mushrooms and peas put the kibosh on that plan. So now Hick and I have leftovers for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Speaking of the leftovers... on the way home, Hick again groused about not having any chicken in his Fettuccini Alfredo.

"There was too much cheese."

"I don't have any pasta on hand to mix in with it, to thin out the cheese."

"Do you have any of that canned white meat chicken? That would be good in it."

"No. I don't have any. I can go to the store and get some."

"You don't have to do that. How about mushrooms? Do we have any mushrooms?"

"Yes. And I have peas in the freezer."

"That would be good. If you could put some mushrooms and peas in it."

"Okay. I have frozen chicken patties..."

"Yeah. That would work!"

"The coating will come off when I cut them up."

"That don't matter. That will be good!"

So now Hick has a container that almost won't close, with a can of mushrooms, three chicken patties, and a third of a bag of peas added to his leftover Fettuccini Alfredo. He says I can have Genius's leftover Pollo Alfredo. After tasting all three, I verify that it was the best of the pastas. But I have to get through those chicken tenders first. They were crispy and moist. I'll make some dipping sauce with garlic aioli, ground brown mustard, regular mustard, hot Chinese mustard, and horseradish.

We will feast on these leftovers, and then something simple for Tuesday and Wednesday, while I start preparing the Thanksgiving foods.