Friday, April 4, 2008

Way better than a token...

So last night the hubbie and I had the following conversation:
Me: " What do you want for dinner?"
K:"Um, I don't know, what sounds good to you?"

To many of you, this may seem familiar. Perhaps this is even a nightly discussion in your home. In any case, this conversation is not as friendly, accepting and inclusive as it may seem from the outside. Oh no. People have agendas in these sorts of conversations and I will be the first to admit that I am no different. I want Mexican food. But I can't just come out and say I want Mexican food. I have to somehow jedi mind-trick my husband into believing that he wants Mexican food and that, being the loving and accommodating wife I am, I will succumb to his wishes.

He on the other hand, wants Vietnamese or Thai. Don't get me wrong. I love Vietnamese pho and Thai food is just plumb addictive. Have you had the Thai beef salad with the sticky rice at Belknap Thai ? It's delicious. But last night, I wanted Mexican food and Thai, ain't Mexican! So we bantered back and forth tossing out ideas for cuisine that neither of us really wanted and finally I said it, I want Mexican food". He went along with it for a moment before he showed his hand, "How bout Thai?".

So, we were heading to Angelos BBQ (yes I know, neither Mexican nor Thai) when the sky went omninously gray and I turned to Kirk and said " so, Angelos is pretty far away and the storm is getting bad. Maybe we should just get Thai". But, that isn't how our game is played. He felt too guilty to allow himself Thai when we had already agreed to eat what neither of us wanted. Any minute now, he would suggest Taco Cabana. I was sure of it, but he surprised me. "Nah, let's check out Haltom City and see what we find." Well, I am always up for an adventure, but that isn't the only reason I went along with it. Number one, we had been on this adventure before and the only thing we found was Oscars, an amazing Mexican food restaurant on old Denton Highway.

It was looking more and more like things were turning in my favor. As Kirk turned onto Denton Hwy, I became virtually twitterpated by the thought of those crispy, salty chips and tangy salsa that would greet me at the table. But much like the record needle that scratches across the record and snaps you back into a cold, cruel reality, it happened. Oscars had moved (only next door into a nice big building with a patio) and in its stead, was a new restaurant called, Wooden Nickel. You could tell from the street that this restaurant promised the one thing that can lure Kirk blindfolded from 40 paces; gravy.

Long story short (too late, I know), The Wooden Nickel is a family style restaurant in which you select a decadent home-style entree (not a dieter's place) such as: chicken fried steak, brisket (that was so tender I couldn't pick it up with my fork), rosemary baked chicken with carrots, catfish and more. Kirk had the rosemary chicken and I, of course, had the brisket. The really fun part is the homestyle service. You get all-you-can-eat of freshly baked rolls, green beans cooked with bacon, ears of corn, salad and mashed potatoes and gravy. It was almost as good as my mother's home cooking and that is saying a lot (she is from Minor Hill, Tennessee and I bet she could give Paula Deen a fair opponent in a cook-off).

Anyway, the moral of this long-winded story is this: if you can't decide or agree upon what to eat and you happen to be on the East Side of Fort Worth, The Wooden Nickel is way better than a token restaurant and for a very modest price will give your soul the comfort it requires.


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