Let's be honest: you either have eaten at a restaurant based on a recommendation from the Food Network, or you have thought about it. It may be a restaurant in the city where you live, or you could make it a stop on vacation.
But while things on television always seem perfect, real life has a way of messing things up.
I confess I marked down Tee Off Bar & Grill on my list in San Francisco -- based on its appearance on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives -- but didn't remember what their specialties were. But on a Saturday afternoon, the bar/restaurant was on the way to the beach, so lunchtime seemed to be a good place to start.
The place is affectionately a hole in the wall and you wouldn't think much of it unless you knew what you were trying to find.
As I walked in, I was told by the bartender Curtis that they were out of the specials, the Food Network specials. No pulled pork sandwich, no mac and cheese with pancetta and 5 different kinds of cheese, no double pork chop with achiote and apricot relish, and no beer battered mushrooms. Did I still want to eat there?
I didn't feel like turning at that point; I figured that something else on the menu would be worthwhile, plus I didn't want to be obvious as to why I was there.
The people who subsequently came into the bar weren't as shy as I was as to why they were there. Curtis explained to people as they came in that the Food Network had shown the segment 4 times in the last month (and the Golf Channel was there as well). So there was a rush on the dishes and it was possible that the heralded plates would be available for dinner. There were no guarantees.
The burger and fries were on the menu and available, so I went with that option. There were two TVs on in the bar -- one had the hated rival Dodgers in Washington. The sets were SD, probably the same sets that were there 10-15 years ago.
The place was a dive. The people were entertaining as was the decor, though the place was dimly lit, and the light was coming from a sunny afternoon near the water in northwestern San Francisco.
The burger was overdone -- I asked for medium rare -- but the fries were good. Curtis helped me out, he even switched the other TV to Nashville-Chicago NHL playoff action for me.
The three women from Sacramento were my favorite. This was one of their destinations in San Francisco, but they had been there before, which was more than I could say for myself. They were originally from New York state, and had been out in California for quite a while. They followed the Grateful Dead, a San Francisco area band, and Dead soundalikes.
They were disappointed about the lack of spotlighted dishes, but they stayed anyway and had other items off the menu. I told them I was headed for the beach, and they said they might join me. I didn't see them but they seemed happy with what they got, even if the specials weren't there.
The place on television seemed fun, as Guy Fieri makes every place sounds good. And I had a fun time, even if the food didn't live up to the hype.
I have found a couple of Diners et al. places in my travels and enjoyed them, whether it be Triple X in West Lafayette, Indiana or Bartley's Burger Cottage in Cambridge. You come to these places for the food and ambience. At Tee Off Bar & Grill, I made not have had the food the way it was on TV, but the experience was still worthwhile.
Traveling and food never offers guarantees. But if you relax, and appreciate what comes to you, the trip will somehow work out. Especially when you realize that television is not real life.
Comments