It’s Your Choice: Bland or Orgasmic

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We like to dine out. With a 9 month old and work and laundry and cleaning and getting Print Works Bistro Settingready for a new house and life, we like to dine out. It’s easy to say, “Darren I’ve been home all day. Let’s go out for something to eat.” But going out for dinner every other night of the week can be costly so we usually end up at fast food restaurants and eating unhealthy food, continuing the cycle of bland dining experiences. A chef recently said to me, “You can waste your money eating out regularly to fill the void or you can dine out once-and-awhile and make it an occasion. A celebration of food and life.” I liked that philosophy and I’ve been trying to incorporate it into our lives ever since. This past weekend we celebrated dining at Print Works Bistro. We ordered appetizers, entrees, and dessert; we had extraordinary flavors in a vibrant surrounding, making dining a true celebration.  

We began with an Artisanal Cheese & Charcuterie Board with bistro inspired accoutrements. The unique flavors were exploding from the plate. The mixture of cranberries, sauce, cheese, and breads provided a burst of flavor in every bite.

Cheese Board Print Works BistroThen came the entrees: Beef Short Ribs Bourguignonne, certified Angus Beef braised in a rich red wine mushroom-bacon sauce over creme fraiche mashed potatoes and French green beans. Can you taste the juicy ribs? So moist and well-prepared that they fall off the bone.

Print Works Bistro RibsDo you prefer Filet Mignon? The Certified Angus Beef with Diane sauce, 32 creme fraiche mashed potatoes and French green beans. It seems impossible to make something as simple as green beans taste orgasmic, but that it is.

Print Works Bistro Filet

Now for dessert, even though I felt like I was already there. CHOCOLATE & CARAMEL LAYER CAKE! Take my two favorite words, chocolate and caramel and put them together and it has to be good, but this was something else entirely. The caramel oozed from within the layers of chocolate like a river and the dark chocolate icing top was utter decadence.

Print Works Bistro DessertThe choice is ours to make – orgasmic or bland? We obviously chose the “farmer”.

94 thoughts on “It’s Your Choice: Bland or Orgasmic”

  1. I really enjoyed your post and loved the quote you posted. “You can waste your money eating out regularly to fill the void or you can dine out once-and-awhile and make it an occasion. A celebration of food and life.” So many besides myself does this, and what a way to look at breaking that habit. Thank you for sharing.

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  6. oh yum, that cake sounds divine! My mother used to always say there was no point eating out if what you were eating wasn’t better than what you could make at home… I know sometimes it is convenient not to have to cook, and clear up, but I am always disappointed if something I order out isn’t at least a bit special!

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  7. Eating is one of life’s necessary pleasures. You should never feel guilty about enjoying good food. I’m so glad that you have taken the time in this fast paced world to stop and taste the gravy.
    I adore food, and would talk about it all the time….oh wait….i do that already!
    I think about food more than is possibly healthy (see my post, “what was I thinking.”
    Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and happy discovery. Here’s to many more meal moments to remember.
    Gee

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  9. Good for you! The food looks delicious! And that cake looks absolutely amazing! I try to avoid fast food restaurants at all costs!!! 🙂 I’ve also discovered that I can make some pretty amazing food at home, now that I don’t have to worry about feeding two very picky kids! 🙂 I’m looking forward to reading about your next delicious meal!

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  10. We did something similar yesterday with our “let’s try a different restaurant on Sunday” friends. So, if you’re ever in Labadie MO – try the Hawthorne Inn! So full after the seafood stuffed chicken breast my husband and I didn’t split the coconut cream pie we brought home until 5 hours later.

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  11. I love to buy the highest quality local, fresh and organic as possible so that I nourish my body with energy and vitality! :~) Thank you for being so supportive to my blog HappinessHeals. I love your adventures!

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  14. Great advice! I find that we are usually feeling lazy at the end of a long day and do the same thing, opt for “going out” and that seriously can mean a $5 pizza. Talk about waste of money, and waste of experience! Everything in this post looks divine.

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  16. Ooh… Those dishes look delicious! And I love the quote “You can waste your money eating out regularly to fill the void or you can dine out once-and-awhile and make it an occasion. A celebration of food and life.” Hubby and I were eating out pretty regularly when we were both working, but we didn’t really enjoy the food. Like you, we were getting mostly takeaway or fast food. But now that I’m not working, I’m getting into the habit of staying in and cooking most days, and only eating out when we really want to eat out. Hopefully the habit continues when I start work again! Thanks for stopping by my blog! =)

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  21. Yum! I agree. We dine out a lot – even with our kids who are 16 and 12 – and a lot of times I find that we aren’t really appreciating the experience. I remember when I was little and we would only eat out for special occasions. It made everything seem so much more, well, special. I worry that I take my kids out too much and, while I’m happy that they enjoy eating food like Beef Short Ribs Bourguignonne or Mussels in white wine, I worry that they don’t really appreciate the food or the occasion (I know they don’t appreciate the cost!). I think this may be my new philosophy.

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  25. I like the chef’s comment – make it a celebration of food and life! Going out less often will definitely make it more special – and that way you can splurge on somewhere a bit nicer rather than the old takeaway! 🙂

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  26. *sigh* all right, make me drool on my keyboard!
    I just finished a book – Life, on the Line: A Chef’s Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat, by Grant Achatz , Nick Kokonas It was interesting to learn about someone who looks at food as a true art form. I can’t sit around and read either, but the audio version from audible.com was excellent.

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