Day 11 -- EATING OUT

Breakfast (and dinner, as it turned out) was the Tropical Smoothie. I didn’t have the passion fruit puree that the recipe calls for so I used the pineapple substitute as the book suggested. Just as soon as that was assembled and consumed I was out the door to visit my friend who lives across the bridge in NJ. That trip is the reason for my foraying back into the dining out world.
As soon as I realized I’d have to pick out a detox-friendly meal from a restaurant menu I thought, “Well, crap”. (I may have just misquoted myself for the sake of keeping this blog truly clean.) My friend was kind enough to let me choose the place, and I tried to pick one where I could order some protein, veggies and grains sans buttery/creamy/cheesy sauces. Bertucci’s was the winner. You’re probably thinking that that was a dumb choice, what with Bertucci’s being known for brick-oven pizzas and pasta dishes. You would be mostly right. But the only other options were The Olive Garden or a diner.
I ordered the Pollo Sanremo without the side of pasta and of course the waiter prompted me to choose a substitute side. Most of the sides were veggies, granted, but all of them were prepared in a butter/cream/cheese sauce. Terrific. Mashed red potatoes were the only other option and potatoes are on the naughty list. Apart from that, I was sure they were prepared with loads of butter and/or cream. I asked the waiter, just out of curiosity, and he assured me they weren’t. “Just red potatoes”, he said and lor’ bless ‘im (as a character from Dickens might say) I didn’t believe that for a second.
The book tells you that you should ask the waiter to take away your wine glass and not bring bread to the table. Wine was no temptation for me at lunch when I’d be driving later, anyway. I couldn’t mention the bread without slighting my friend, so I sat on my hands and tried to breathe through my mouth while I waited for my entree. The dish I ordered consisted of grilled chicken breasts in a lemon and caper sauce with asparagus and black olives. It was delicious, but there was a smattering of parmesan cheese over the asparagus when it arrived on the table. Also I’m pretty sure the lemon sauce had met with a bit o’ butter at some point in its existence. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the meal almost as well as the company.
On an extra happy note, my stomach did not retaliate after that meal. It did, however, feel quite full and I was obliged to take a walk after lunch. (A good idea, in terms of aiding digestion, no matter how much you’ve eaten.)
Would I confidently eat out during the detox again? Absolutely not. Why? I don’t believe in ordering something in a restaurant that I could easily--and much more cheaply--make for myself at home. Those two chicken breasts, dolled up with capers and lemon slices and neighboring a few skinny sticks of greenery and olives, cost me $15. Even if I weren’t on a budget, which I certainly am, I would think that a stupidly high price for such a meal. If I’m going to dine out I want to be able to order something I would find indulgent or elaborate. Nothing you can eat on the detox really fits those categories, as far as I’m concerned.