By Java and Dune

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Familiarity Breeds -- Repeat Customers

I was in Virginia Beach this week for a family get together and stayed at the bustling Town Center complex surrounded by upscale chain restaurants. In my quest for discovering new dining experiences however, I didn't want to dine somewhere I'd eaten before. Even though my experiences with all the chains at the Town Center were positive, we set our sites on a chain that was new to us. My husband is a beer brewer and rarely gets to choose where we eat, so I suggested the brew pub chain around the corner from our hotel called, Gordon Biersch. We braved the cold, blustery night to get there and sans our son we embarked on "date night." He ordered the Winterbock beer and enjoyed it very much. Not being a big beer drinker, I ordered an appetizer to share. The calimari arrived cooked just right (no rubber bands) but the seasoning was minimal and the sauces not that good. I took the waitress's advice and ordered the chicken pot pie and my husband ordered the meatloaf. The thought of yummy comfort food allowed me to excuse the less than stellar appetizer. The waitress said our entree choices were very good. Even made a point of saying there were only 3 pot pies left. In this case, the urgency for warm food drove my decision. When the food arrived though, I was disappointed. I found the pie filling flat and lack luster and could easily describe the pastry crust as such too. My husband liked his choice and I agreed it was ok. I wished for a do over at one of the chains I knew. The next morning, I spotted a Panera Bread across the street and immediately thought, "hazelnut coffee." Even though I've been trying to break the chain habit and there was an interesting chain called the "Daily Grind" (new to me) close in proximity to our hotel, I made my way to familiar flavors. The minute I walked in the door, it just felt right. The warm earthy colors welcomed me on that cold morning and I knew immediately what to order. People looked a little different with all the trappings of a cold day in tow, but the coffee was delicious and most everything else felt like home. Writing this blog sometimes feels daunting because I'm obligated to try new things regularly. In the last two months I've learned that sometimes it's best to go with what you know.

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