We took the brood out to dinner last night, and chose Chili’s. My son chose Chili’s, I don’t think I would have picked it.

Picture if you will:
We arrive at 6:30 (woulda been sooner but soccer practice went past 6). There are already enough people waiting to entirely fill the little couches inside, so we wisely nabbed an outside bench.

“How many in your party?”

“Four, and a high chair. How long is the wait?”

“Twenty minutes.”

At 7:20 we were finally taken to our table. Okay, so she misestimated. Okay, so people we watched drive up thirty minutes after us were already seated. Okay, so those people were at the exact same kind of booth we were in, only ours had an extremely hungry child in a high chair next to it kicking my shin.

Sigh. I’m not blaming the restaurant for any of these things (but I know they should have called our name much sooner, I think they screwed up the list, and yes I’ve worked as a host so I’m cutting them a lot of slack; they still screwed up). We should have fed the baby before we left. We should have had more snacks with us. But by the time we were seated it was a little late to play the game of “shoulda.” We shoulda eaten at home instead of going out.

Where am I going with all this ranting? Well, Chili’s ain’t what it used to be. When we were in high school we would go to Chili’s on Friday night – one order of french fries was too much for two famished teenagers to finish, and only cost a few dollars. The drinks were large and cold, the burgers hot and juicy. There was plenty of room between tables. They had one table that would seat fifteen and we filled that booth up, often.

Now everything costs a fortune, you don’t get as much food, and it isn’t nearly as tasty as it used to be. I guess things change.

I still remember the grand opening of Chili’s #2. Yes, the second Chili’s ever. Belt line road, in Addison, just outside of Dallas (#1 is on Greenville avenue. Neither store is in the same location anymore, I don’t think, when they expanded Greenville ave they had to move the original chili’s, which was a two-story affair). My sibs and I took shelter between the cigarette machine and jukebox, to try and not get stepped on by the grownups while we all waited in the bar for our table. Back then they served chili and burgers and fries and beer. No kids menu, no $9 margaritas in a souvineer cup (just like sea world but with alcohol in it), no funny “flying saucer” plates with the fake bottom to try and make it look like you are getting more food on your plate than you really are. No baby back ribs. The chili wasn’t engineered and frozen ahead of time at a corporate kitchen. It was good. I suppose it still is (still better then Bennigans), but it’s just not quite right.

Mood: melancholy.