Like Father Like Daughter??

I found the Ruby Tuesday in Chandigarh! And it was a GENUINE, American Ruby Tuesday, right down to all the old junk and pictures on the wall, the bar with colorful liquor bottles, and stained-glass lamp shades. It ended up being the single most expensive meal, I've had here; it was pretty ridiculous actually. It was over 1/4 of my monthly rent, but then I did order the most expensive item on the menu... At a mall in a Le Cobusier or Corbu-eque building in the suburbs of Chandigarh. They were having some kind of Indian Idol singing competition when I went in, so half of my meal I could still hear the horrible singing going on downstairs. The other half someone must have complained, because they turned the music up louder in the restaurant.

Between yesterday's restaurant experience and today, the only problem was deciding what to order with all the western choices. And yes, I know, I coming home soon. DON'T CARE! I'll have it again when I come home, but the novelty of this stuff in India is too great. Most of it was American stuff on the menu, but there were also some Indian junk thrown in, too. There were a few curries and a biriyani, I guess for that family member who just wouldn't eat that foreign stuff.

There were lots of typical appetizers, quesadillas, eggrolls, artichoke dip. Pav Bhaji for the Indians - kind of like chili with diced vegetables eaten with hawaiian rolls. I was amused by this addition. Buffalo wings and nachos. For the main courses, there were 'burgers' chicken of course. Chicken parmisean, big, real lettuce salads, new orleans fish and shrimp. So many choices.

Finally I thought Guacamole sounded too good to pass up, so ordered that as an appetizer. I almost decided on a burger, they looked so good in the pictures, but I kept reminding myself that it just wouldn't be as good with chicken. Finally I decided to go with the Ribs, Shrimp, and Buffalo Wings platter. Yes, taking after my dad, the meat-a-saurus, I decided the ribs just sounded so good.

Now, I should have known it wouldn't be as expected, but for "American" food it was decent. However I immediately knew when the brought out the guac it wasn't gonna be good. The texture looked more like lumpy, instant mashed potatoes or something. It didn't really taste like avacado, it just tasted like tomato. But the chips were good, and the tiny dish of salsa with it was good, so whatever. Then they brought out my meat extravaganza! With as much meat as this had - pork, shrimp, and chicken (in the land of veggies) and with it being the most expensive on the menu, I can't imagine it gets ordered very often.

The shrimp was breaded and fried...but not to a crunchy friedness, but a soggyness. The mix of steamed cauliflower, beans, carrots, and broccoli was nice. Nice to have some vegetables that aren't a.) cooked beyond recognition in a curry sauce or b.) raw slices of cucumber, onion, and dried up carrots. And there was a baked potato with sour cream! The buffalo wings were ok, not too great and must have come from the scrawniest chickens ever! But whatever, I'm not complaining...too much. The ribs were the best though. But I will admit, the sauce covering them at first frightened me a little. It was a very thick dark sauce. It kind of reminded me of some gloopy crude oil scum dredged off a oil spill. But it tasted good, and I made a mess of myself, but that's what ribs are for right?

So being a bit embarrassed by ordering so much for myself, I declined dessert. Even though there was Italian Wedding Cake for dessert, and this is my FAVORITE. How many times have I asked for this for my birthday? Or the one time I made it without using all-purpose flour and it was flat as a pancake. But I refrained. As I write this at 1:30 in the morning, making myself hungry, maybe I should have had it...

But maybe I'll go have a "BoxMaster" at KFC tomorrow instead...