The Magic of Eating Out

Part of the downside of living in the suburbs is that there is literally nothing to do during breaks. It makes it hard to find a nice place to catch up with friends that you don't get to see during he school year. There are only three options available  the movie theater (such a high school location!), the malls (too tempting to waste even more money than I already have), and going out to eat at the many restaurants located in Clear Lake and surrounding areas. Since the first two choices are definitively out for me, I spent Friday eating out for lunch and dinner. Of course, with my love for food it wasn't something I had to endure, but my poor jeans probably felt abused afterwards...

For lunch, my dad took me to this place downtown called Grand Lux Cafe to meet up with one of his college buddies. Its a typical American eatery owned by the same chain that owns Cheesecake Factory, which is why all lot of the menu looked very familiar to me. The inside of the restaurant is pretty fancy(it looks kind of like a medieval castle!) although the food was mostly casual and on the lower priced end. Their dishes included pasta, burgers, steak, sandwiches- nothing too out of the ordinary. I ordered the shrimp scampi (most of the time its out of my budget range, but since my dad was paying...) and it was delicious!

Such fancy architecture!

Shrimp Scampi

Inside of the restaurant

The very thick menu

For dinner I got to go on a big/ little date with my lovely sorority big sis! We went to Cafe Express, which surprisingly I have never been to. The food and surroundings are very casual, but there was a cute patio outside (sadly it was to cold for us to use). I ordered a roasted turkey sandwich with fries, which tasted like any other sandwich you make at home would taste. The best part of the dinner was spending time with my big- we haven't seen each other since last May!

Forgot to take a picture before eating lol!

the cafe!

Me and my big!

Throughout this day I've realized the power food can bring. Not just deliciousness of the dishes, but the fact that its a way to celebrate or be reunited with someone. Eating at a restaurant is another way of making a memory and creating cherished moments. The next time I eat out with my family or friends I will remember to look past the food and instead remind myself how lucky I am to share this moment with those I love.

Love, Kathleen