I have the palate of a seven year old. Adventure is not a word in my dining vocabulary, sophistication is not my strong suit, and spices are not welcome in my kitchen cabinets. Give me Kraft mac and cheese and I’m a happy camper. Don’t try to sneak capers and weirdo herbs into my meals–I will spy or sniff them out instantly. I don’t eat meat with the exception of turkey and chicken and don’t eat any seafood at all.
And this brings us to the crux of tonight’s problem. Later this month, I am going out with a bunch of friends to help celebrate an upcoming wedding. The bride lives on the west coast, so she’s coming east for a hurrah in NYC. She’s exotic and brainy and I’ve blogged about her (and her bridal registries) ad nausea. Her little sis put together a terrific itinerary that includes a leisurely brunch, a visit to a museum, several spa treatments in the village, dinner, and to cap off the evening, drinks and music at a bar.
Dinner is the problem. The restaurant, LeSouk, features belly dancing and NORTH AFRICAN cuisine. The music on the website puts fear into my heart. The menu reads like a horror novel to me. The menu highlights include:
Quail Bastilla
Baked Quail Pie made of thin layers of fillo pastry
Ras El Hanut Spices, Stuffed with cabbage, Dried Fruits
Khodra Mahshey
Oven Roasted Vegetables Stuffed with Ground Lamb,
Basmati Rice, Herbs, Pine Nuts
What the sam hill am I going to do? Dear readers, I can hear your collective sighs and groans from here. I know! I know! I should broaden my horizons but I’m AFRAID and am VERY PICKY (ironic considering the size of my behind). As there’s no threat in my imminent death from starvation from missing one meal, I know I’ll survive not eating–but the aroma of my companions’ dinners might slay me. Time will tell.
But what I really want to know is, what would YOU order???
Hi! Here’s what I’d do – load up on mac & cheese prior to dinner, have a few drinks and belly-dance your heart out while others eat! Good luck! *grin* Linda
CWG says: i hope they give me those little finger cymbals!!!! it will all be worth it if they let me keep them as a parting gift.
I have to admit that everything on the LeSouk menu looks pretty delicious…but then I have actually eaten pickled crickets in NYC and lived to tell the tale.
(FYI: For those having trouble getting there, the correct link for the restaurant is http://www.lesoukny.com ) CWG says: I was in such a froth about eating here that I put the wrong link up! It’s all fixed now thanks to jimsmuse.
I would order the Quail Pie and Berber Stew and eat my face off, but if I were you I would go with:
“I’m sorry but I have food allergies. Can I please have some steamed vegetables and plain cous cous?”
CWG says: what’s a cous cous anyway? i’ve heard about it, in that urban legend type way, but have never seen it in real life…or never on my plate.
Linda is right – eat as much as possible before dinner, so you will be full and can drink and enjoy yourself. It sounds like you’ll be out all day long, so just pig out when you can and supplement with soft pretzels or tastykakes from the street vendors as you’re out & about. And Jimsmuse is right too – ask for NON spicy, plain veggies, bread, couscous. They’ll be happy to provide it I’m sure. I am always having to ask about salt, don’t worry. It sounds AWESOME!! I hope you all have a blast.
CWG says: i sure wish everyone would stop tossing this ‘cous cous’ word around. i have no clue what it is and can only hope and pray that it’s similar to PASTA. now THAT i can recognize.
I love the allergies angle! Rice/bread/veggies should fill you up.
CWG says: oh yes, i’ll scarf down the bread–think it will be Wonder?
Yep, make some mac & cheese and eat before you go. Seriously, quail is a TINY dish…
CWG says: dear god…i was considering the quail thing because it had the word PIE in it–but it transpires that quail is some pygmy BIRD! i suppose i’ll have to distract my friends with my belly dancing attempts. i haven’t figured out if WE have to belly dance or if people will be dancing for us. just one more thing to worry about.
I’m not the right person to ask (since I enjoyed a fried bee AND spicy pig brains while in China last year)!
CWG’s 2 cents: a BEE? as in bumble? i can’t even imagine how many bees a person would have to eat to sate his/her hunger. and pig brains? i won’t even go there. not only did you eat pig brains, but you ate SPICY pig brains. oh, the humanity.
Better yet, just let me know when you’ll be there — I’ll sit at the next table, you order the quail pie like a true food adventurer and impress all your friends — and then I’ll swap you under the table for a grilled cheese sandwich when no one’s looking….
Yes, my family is from Kentucky. Quail. Me likey!
CWG shrieks: good lord! i just googled ‘quail’ and it’s a TEENY TINY bird. how sicko! i’m fainting. where will this insanity stop? and i’ve been to kentucky and my aunt made me try a vile specimen known as a ’shush puppy’, a southern fried corn cob or something. it was horrid and i still have nightmares about it 20 years later.
I love you Curly, but it makes me sad that you only yearn for Cracker Barrel fare. There is so much DELICIOUSNESS out there.
That’s ok. More chicken tikka masala for me!
CWG says: exasperating, aren’t I?
I believe cous cous is some kind of wheat dish that resembles rice.
It’s not lethal.
You and my husband are the same way. I had him eat a tiny piece of sweet potato on Easter and he looked at me with such, “HOW COULD YOU!” that I had to respond with, “It’s a sweet potato. It is not going to grow tentacles and suck off your face.”
The key is to get Husbanito to hide questionable food in your regular food. Not a lot mind you… sprinkle of onion powder here, some pepper there. If it’s done right, you’ll have no idea that you’re eating something that you would normally push away.
Or, you can get the Chicken Abu Nawash and just ask for no goat cheese.
You may be surprised. Like you were with the Milky Way Latte… (blasphemy)
CWG says: SWEET POTATOES? those dasdardly orange root vegetables that my sister tried to get me to eat? she smothered them in butter, brown sugar and marshmallows, but i still didn’t take the bait.
I too am a freaketarian. I honestly would avoid such a restaurant at all cost, but that’s me. Perhaps you could just go with some bread and a salad (if you eat salad, I don’t). The grilled cheese under the table sounded pretty good.
MmmMmm, grilled cheese.
I just recently had my first Cracker Barrel experience, and was surprised at how bland (in a good way) their food was. I’m surprised at how many rave reviews the place gets from regular eaters.
Good luck.
[...] so bear with me. I’ll start with our dinner, which I had been dreading for 3 weeks. (For more on this see: I’m a Freakatarian.) I have a strong aversion flavors and spices other than ketchup and salt, so the mere thought [...]