It's All Over

i only made one promise to myself for 2004, and that was to avoid franchise eateries at dinnertime. in most cases, no problem, i don't often get a craving for the exotic cuisine of applebee's or a romantic meal at my local tgi friday. but my achille's heel - the pothole in my road to fresh, flavorful, locally-prepared menus - has been the lure of the red robin just down the block from my house. if you really care about why i love red robin, click more (below).

anyway, the point is, it's all over. no more red robin for me. not even tempted.

i had never heard of red robin until i moved to pennsylvania. there are about 200 of them nationwide, but they are mostly concentrated on the west coast and in the mid-atlantic states. the important thing, though, is that there is one located approximately one block from my house. they have those huge plastic menus that you have to hold with both hands, with stuff printed on both sides. it has to be so big because they don't specialize in any particular thing - you can get any sort of food you want there. well, that's not fair, i think their specialty is burgers. but if you don't feel like a burger, not to worry, they have italian food, mexican food, asian food, seafood, BBQ, salads, and vegetarian/health food - all with the red robin touch. i know, that's horrible. but almost everything i've had there has been good. if you really want extensive commentary on this, aspect of red robin, i will detail my experience at the end. anyway, it's a pretty standard big franchise place. exactly the kind of place i was trying to avoid at the beginning of the year when i said i wasn't going to go to any. so why can't i stay away? red robin! none of the other franchises have cool mascots like that. they are boring. but at red robin there is a big bird riding on a motorcycle. and he has arms instead of wings. now that is wacky. a bird in a leather jacket. sometimes red robin is there personally, and i get to hug him. going to red robin makes me very happy. also, they have *excellent* drinks.

ok, if you are ordering at red robin, use your head. don't get too creative. the cheeseburger is good, obviously. also, i have had the BBQ sandwich, buffalo chicken strips, crispy chicken salad, fajitas. DON't order things that you should just be going to other places to get. for example: clamstrips, clam chowder, chicken parmigiana, chicken ensenada. my friend had the asian bowl thing though and it was pretty good. the apple dessert thing: bad. hot fudge sundae: good. they always have special theme drinks and they are pretty much always good. it's not a good place to take a date, unless you have known her a long time and you are on your way to the bowling alley. and that's my red robin report.

Friday 05-Mar-04