Course Corrections
In our very rural area, there are few options for dining out. While we have a couple of unique restaurants near us, mostly we have fast food. The choices are limited to McDonalds and Subway. I always appreciate experiencing a new venue for eating out and try to take advantage of it.
I recently had the opportunity to visit the “Mighty Oak Barrel Restaurant” in Oakmont, PA. I needed to travel to Pittsburgh to pick up my daughter who was riding home with another classmate from college. True, Pittsburgh is about 4 hours from our house. I didn’t mind, because driving from PA to WI would have been a much longer trip.
The Mighty Oak Barrel is a small bar and grill. The woodwork in the restaurant is warm and inviting. I wasn’t supposed to pick up my daughter until midnight, so I decided on a plan of action. I had seen the Mighty Oak Barrel online and decided that I would check into my hotel room, go out to eat, then go swimming in the hotel’s indoor pool.
The young hostess who greeted me at the door seemed a little flustered when I asked for a table. There were only a couple of solo seats at the bar, and, being a little antisocial, I wanted some elbow room. The dining room was nearly empty when I got there, so I had to wonder what the issue was.
This young gal, a college student I assumed, sat me right in the middle of the dining room. I felt like I was on display for all to see. I further flustered her by requesting that she seat me facing out towards the restaurant, instead of the back wall. I suppose a less confident person might have been self-conscious about this seating arrangement, but it didn’t bother me in the least.
“I’m a people watcher,” I explained. She gave a nervous little giggle, then cleared the extra place settings. She asked if I would like a drink.
After a long day of work and travel, I said, “I’m in search of a good red wine. A little sweet, please. What do you have?”
The poor girl was even more flustered now. “Uh, I don’t usually drink so I’m not really sure…” she was stuttering and trying to hold her composure. I smiled at her nicely, trying to ease her discomfort. She did manage to stammer out that they had a wine list.
“That’s fine,” I said. I almost said, “That’s fine, dear.” I was feeling a little motherly compassion towards her. I suspect she thought I was a food critic or a shopper, especially when I took out the notebook I keep in my purse for writing when inspiration strikes. She looked a little worried when she walked by and saw me scribbling away.
My actual server quickly appeared at the table. Max, I believe was his name. He was cute. I’m sorry, but he was. He had neatly trimmed facial hair and a deep, dreamy voice. At least I think he did. I admit I was starving and might have been slightly delusional from hunger. For all I know, he may have been an overweight college student with a cigarette butt hanging out of his mouth. I didn’t care. I hadn’t eaten much all day and I was ready for some healthy food, which is one of the claims to fame on the restaurant’s web site.
Max brought the wine, and I ordered the broiled salmon with avocado topping, steamed broccoli, and tomato bisque. The wine was a house cabernet. It was a fabulous balance of flavors, with no acidic bite at the end. Lovely. Just what I was hoping for. The tomato bisque was thick and fresh tasting. It was just a touch spicy, but pleasantly so. It has the perfect amount of zest to it. The salmon was huge. It must have been 8 ounces, and was wonderfully seasoned and cooked to perfection. I almost never order broccoli in a restaurant. They tend to overcook it, making it limp and a little slimy. However, I took a chance and ordered it. I wasn’t disappointed. It was steamed to perfection with just a slight crispiness to it. Delicious!
Even though I was eating solo, I never once felt rushed by the staff. The dining room was filling up while I was eating, but there were never any hints (like when servers bring you your bill while you are still eating. That is tacky!) that I was in the way, or taking up more space as a solo diner than I was worth. I would highly recommend going back.
I was chuckling as I left at the hostess who had been so flustered at first. The night, however, was young, and I was soon to realize that Mr. Plan Changer (a cousin of the infamous Murphey’s Law) is an equal opportunist when it comes to making people adapt their intentions.
It shouldn’t surprise me at this point in my life how different expectations and reality are. I changed and marched down to the pool. The smell of chlorine hit me like a wall. That wasn’t a surprise. However, how small the pool was did astonish me. I know most hotel pools are a bit on the small size, but this thing was absolutely tiny. I think I could have fit it in my living room. The idea of swimming laps was laughable. Not only was the pool of appropriate size for Hobbits, but there were a ton of kids in it. I ditched the swim and went back to the hotel room where I did my nails and hung out until time to get my daughter.
One expectation that didn’t fail was the joy at seeing my daughter. Even picking her up in the dead of night couldn’t take that away (why do babies and college students always arrive in the dead of night?).
I enjoyed a little exploration while flying solo, but always enjoy outings with a co-pilot like my daughter. My tip to you is to enjoy your life, right now, and adjust when expectations fall short. Let course corrections bring a sense of adventure and even humor. Live your best life now, because it's your time, and you’ll never get it back.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” ~Maya Angelou
