Things you always order if you see it on a menu

Cafe Society
1

What are dishes that you always or almost always order when you see it on a menu?

Mine:

clam chowder - Everyone’s clam chowder is a little or a lot different, and I like trying them all.

fish tacos - I love them and they are generally a safe bet, there’s not that much there to mess up. Although once in Minneapolis I got fish tacos that were dressed like Taco Bell tacos rather than the usual cabbage and avocado, and it was a little bizarre, it just didn’t work.

chicken-fried steak - a diner classic. Pair it with eggs and toast, you’ve got breakfast. Pair it with mashed potatoes and a vegetable, you’ve got lunch or dinner.

And if I see all three on a menu, I’m getting one of them to go.

2

New England or Manhattan?

I have not seen Manhattan clam chowder in ages but I love it.

3

Most of my family does NOT like seafood so if I see it on the menu I will usually get it. My favorites being:

Fried shrimp. Fried clams. Fried oysters.

Shrimp Scampi.

Grilled Shrimp.

4

Whatever you got, I’m trying it!

5

I’ll usually get these too. I’ve only once met a shrimp I did not like.

6

Rabbit
Soft Shell Crabs
Turtle soup

7

Places that have a Reuben often also have a Reuben with some kind of twist, and I — go with the Reuben, because, c’mon: what are the odds that you’ve improved on perfection?

8

Grilled octopus.
Zuppa di pesce
Lebanese coffee
Sticky date pudding
Pavlova

9

breakfast is eggs bennie or variations thereof (salmon, spinach).

It’s hard to pass up a calamari or the superior Japanese gesso yaki

If it is a Japanese restaurant, the grilled eel must be tried.

10

Blackened Grouper sandwich
Trout Almondine

11

Mushy peas
Tortilla soup

12

Monte Cristo sandwiches. Fortunately, restaurants that still serve these are far and few between.

13

In general, at any decent restaurant the “appetizers” section of the menu always interests me most, and I’ll always order at least one, or sometimes several to share.

There’s one restaurant where I’ll always order the garlic shrimp appetizer. This is served in the style of escargot, but while I love the flavours around escargot I’m repulsed by the idea of eating snails, so this dish is perfect: served on an escargot plate, with shrimp immersed in garlic butter, covered with cheese, and broiled at high heat in a salamander.

14

I agree.

And, once upon a time, they were comparatively inexpensive to the mains.

Now they are expensive too so there is no bargain to be had to get something good at a moderate price. Many restaurants I go to now there is little distinction in price. May as well seel them all as mains. Even my local pizza place charges a stupid price for cheese sticks. Nothing fancy, almost certainly frozen and heated with a little jarred marinara. (just checked…$12 for six sticks…garlic bread is $12…madness.)

15

Chicken and Waffles
Duck
Chili Cheese Omelette

16

Patty melt. I’m a sucker for a patty melt.

17

Spaghetti Vongole

18

I’ll have the cheese-stuffed mushrooms appetizer, the swordfish steak entree and a bit of tiramisu after. Though, I have to admit, Chef Damon made an awesome duck egg creme brulee.

19

Whitebait (small whole fish - typically herring - floured and fried) are hard for me to resist.

20

Lasagna

Chili

French onion soup

Cobb salad, but only if it’s done the RIGHT way - grilled chicken, hardboiled egg, avocado, bleu cheese, tomato, green onion, and bacon on greens with red wine vinaigrette

Carne asada fries

T-bone breakfast - with eggs, hashbrowns, and toast