John almost reviews Maggie's in Westminster
Sometimes our Shallow Thought Guru John Lindner is such a tease in his guest posts. At least he could have told us more about the ash tray in the photo. Here's John. EL
Ever disparage a restaurant in front of a stranger only to have the stranger respond, “My mom owns that place”?
That sort of happened to me with Maggie's.
The first time I visited, it was heaven. Here, finally, was a casual restaurant serving good food that was close to home. (In Carroll County, that’s saying something; even the end of my driveway isn’t close to home.) ...
The second time I visited, I took Very Special Guests. Prior to our arriving, I talked the place up like I was part owner. Alas, our meal that night was disappointingly pedestrian.
Later, I can’t remember the circumstances, I was making polite conversation with a stranger who happened to be a foodie. She asked what restaurants I liked. I launched into a review of Maggie's. I waxed critical, but wistfully so, saying how much I wanted it to be good.
She proceeded to tell me that she loved the place and that her son worked there, I believe as manager. Uh oh.
But then she said even her son had admitted that the restaurant’s quality had suffered during a period of change. She didn’t act at all offended. If anything, she seemed sympathetic. She suggested I keep my eye on the place and give it another chance.
I did.
I finally returned to Maggie's a few weeks ago and...
To be continued.
(Photo by Bonnie Lindner. Yes, that's an ashtray next to the plate of wings.)Categories: Shallow Thought Wednesdays
Comments
Where else are you supposed to put your tea bag, if not in the ash tray?
Posted by: Lissa | June 24, 2009 11:43 AM
Maggies has an outside patio section where you can still smoke, hence the ashtray.
Posted by: Shane | June 24, 2009 12:06 PM
Man, I hate it when you reach the arbitrary 229-word limitation and have to stop in mid-sentence.
(That looks like Ranch dressing with those wings. Is it Ranch dressing?)
Posted by: Bucky | June 24, 2009 12:45 PM
How can you tell Ranch from Blue cheese in that picture? :-)
Posted by: Jack Ziegler | June 24, 2009 3:45 PM
I would hope blue cheese would be lumpier, although I've had some blue cheese dressing lately that seemed to lack any blue cheese.
Posted by: Lissa | June 24, 2009 5:03 PM
it was suspiciously unlumpy bleu.
Lissa, you're not alone. lumpness recession in bleu cheese. it's almost everywhere.
Posted by: jl | June 24, 2009 6:40 PM
Wait a minute!
Ranch dressing? On wings? Are you mad?
Posted by: jl | June 24, 2009 6:41 PM
No, I'm not mad. Sorry if I sounded that way. I was just asking. But I wasn't angry about it.
Posted by: Bucky | June 24, 2009 7:01 PM
No, I meant mad as in crazy, which I also strongly suspect you're not.
It's the concept of ranch on wings. Strikes me as antithetical to enlightened ratiocination.
Or you're screwing with me. In which case, touche.
Posted by: jl | June 24, 2009 10:19 PM
Yeah, I was. Even at 12:45 p.m.
Posted by: Bucky | June 24, 2009 10:38 PM
jl: Is Bucky Mad?
This is the man who salts his grilled cheese sandwiches. Who as recently as four weeks ago had never tasted yogurt. He keeps the peanut butter in the freezer and possibly stores his car keys in the dishwasher.
He's still trying to figure out how to watch a sunset from the eastern shore, complete with green flashes.
Bucky is someone who lives among the rock piles. On the mountain. In the sink. In his head?
Ranch dressing on wings doesn't begin to describe the madness.
Posted by: Laura Lee | June 24, 2009 10:58 PM
Laura Lee, as I say to Mrs. Bucky when she starts making lists like that, "it's just part of my charm, m'dear."
Posted by: Bucky | June 24, 2009 11:10 PM
We do love you for your charm, Bucky.
Posted by: Lissa | June 25, 2009 8:37 AM
Jl, I'm surprised it took you so long to realize that Bucky was jerking your chain.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | June 25, 2009 8:56 AM
Hal, I'm a trusting, open, giving kind of guy, a born victim.
Posted by: jl | June 25, 2009 6:18 PM
jl makes me laugh.
Posted by: Eve | June 26, 2009 10:11 AM