"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Our Favorite Restaurant

     I recently ran across an article online asking "Do You Spend More Time Planning for Vacation than Planning Your Finances?"

     I used to spend more time on my finances, back when I was working and supporting a family and saving to send my kids to college and hopefully put aside a little for retirement as well. But today, now that I'm retired, I must admit I spend more time planning our vacations.

     Most of my income now is automatic. I won't ever get any more raises or promotions. I'll just receive my Social Security, and an automatic withdrawal from my IRA. (Sorry, Tom . . . no pension for you.)

     Since there's nothing I can do about my finances, why spend a lot of time on them? But there's plenty to do about vacation . . . in part because I have more time to actually go on vacation. And even though we often go back to the same spots, we still have to figure out where we're going to stay, what we're going to do, where we're going to eat.

We pull into the parking lot ... anticipation!

     But when we arrive on Cape Cod, where we go for a week or two every summer, there's no question. The first night, we head straight to Kream N' Kone in Chatham, Mass.

Bellying up to the counter

     Now maybe your dream restaurant involves tablecloths and dimmed lighting and waiters and fancy embossed menus. Ours features picnic tables out in the parking lot, counter service, and a menu in large type displayed up on the wall.

Wide selection of refreshing drinks

     Maybe your dream restaurant features various steaks and chops, grilled salmon or swordfish, or gourmet variations on risotto or artichokes or asperges blanche.

Clam chowder ... or "chowdah" as they say here on Cape Cod

     Our favorite restaurant offers clam chowder, fried clams on a hot dog bun, piles of greasy onion rings, vats of creamy cole slaw. And for dessert . . . well, they have pretty good soft-serve ice cream at Kream N' Kone. But instead we plan to stop of at Sundae School on the way home, for the best ice cream cone you can ever find in New England . . . actually, on the whole East Coast . . . actually, probably in the whole United States.

Yes, there's a hot dog bun under there somewhere

     And the total cost? Well, let me tell you, the most I ever spent for a restaurant dinner was $328.00 for four of us. I got a gift certificate to this fancy restaurant for $100 and thought, B and I will never spend $100, even though the restaurant had tablecloths and dimmed lighting and waiters and fancy embossed menus. So we invited another couple to come along. "On us," we told them boldly.

     But the restaurant was a lot more expensive than we anticipated. And we didn't count on them having two glasses of wine. But we . . . well, we invited them out to dinner. So what could we do? At least we were out of pocket only $228 because of the gift certificate.

     But dinner at Kream N' Cone was $27.00.

     I have had cheaper dinners. But never a better one. Only problem: we were so full we couldn't even stop for ice cream. So we'll leave Sundae School for tomorrow.

15 comments:

Wisewebwoman said...

I'm a cheap and cheerful aficionado myself so would have joined you happily at this great place.

Enjoy your time by the ocean.

XO
WWW

Barb said...

In sure I would love this place. People are always asking me where the "nicest"restaurant to have seafood in the greater DC area is. I always tell them it may not be the nicest but the best place is a while in the wall with newspaper tablecloths and crab mallets.

gigi-hawaii said...

It's cheaper to invite folks to your home for lunch. And you don't have the waiters telling you to hurry up and leave.

Linda Myers said...

I completely relate on spending lots of time planning trips, even if they're short ones. It's always good to know I'm not the only one.

One of the best meals I've had is out of a taco truck!

Mage said...

Sounds absolutely perfect.

Retirement Confidential said...

Fried whole belly clams. I would get on a plane and fly there just to get some.

Anonymous said...

Sundae School is the best!!!! Enjoy!!

DJan said...

Your favorite restaurant looks like a winner to me! I love ice cream, but not the soft serve stuff so much. I hope you show us the Sundae School when you get there. :-)

David @iretiredyoung said...

I don't know that I have a favourite restaurant. This afternoon I'm heading down to our local, relatively cheap and cheerful coffee shop with my wife. A walk in the sunshine, a coffee, and hopefully I will resist a piece of cake (I just had a cookie, OK two cookies, so need to be good!) - today, this will be my favourite restaurant. Tomorrow, maybe there will be a different one.

Tabor said...

Like fine wine price does not always indicate the best.

Olga said...

That is summer vacation done to perfection.

Rian said...

I'm not sure I have a favorite restaurant. Certainly there are some that we frequent both here at home and when traveling (none are terribly expensive). I definitely have to go to Brocato's bakery in New Orleans whenever we're there. They are known for their wonderful Italian seed cookies, pastry, ice-cream, and coffee! And I have to say that the atmosphere as well as the people (and the coffee) are what brings me back each time.

Friko said...

Golly, looks like the easy way to heart disease.
I have a favourite restaurant too, it’s cheap, nourishing, tasty, but not deep fried. Come to think of it, they don’t have anything deep fried at all.

Barbara said...

I have left fancy restaurants behind since retirement. I think it might have been more of a need in a busy, work-a-day life but now I don't need or really even want that. Interesting. I also like to repeat vacation destinations. There are times I want to see something specific that warrants a different trip, but that is what retirement is about. Having the time to chose and enjoy.

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