Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Changing It Up?

Are you someone who enjoys change? Or someone who wishes things would stay the same as much as possible?





I know people in my life who love to change. They change jobs often, move around a lot etc. I also know people who will openly admit they do not like change and will sometimes even stick with something too long. I might say that I fall somewhere in the middle of these extremes, with a leaning towards the dislike for change. There are some instances I love change. For example, I love getting a new kindergarten class every year. I love that my job is completely different every day so I am never bored. When I was a kid, I enjoyed moving around my furniture in my bedroom, or redecorating the walls. On the other hand, I tend to keep relatively consistent friends (though occasionally making new ones) and I can be a bit stubborn about the types of movies I watch or books I read. I clearly have not chosen to move across the country or switch which grade level I teach every other year.

Eric and I are also in the middle on restaurants we like. We love to try out new places and discover great new restaurants. However, we also like our tried and true places, and I definitely tend to order the same time every time I go to these restaurants. Which is why I have to admit to having mixed feelings (leaning towards negative feelings) about menu changes.
I see from a restaurant perspective that it makes sense to change the menu every once in awhile to make room for fun new dishes that may drawn in new customers. On the other hand, when I see my favorite dish from a restaurant gone, I am usually not thrilled. When this happens to me twice in one week...well, that's enough anger for a blog post.

Let's start with Blue Stove. I've discussed this restaurant before, it's in the Nordstrom in the Burlington Mall. It seems completely random, but it's delicious and fun tapas and Eric and I have yet to take someone there and have them not like it. Eric and I hadn't been in a few months and decided to go last Friday night. After a quick scan on the menu I realize the amazing roasted pepper and hummus with lavash is OFF the menu. NOOOOOOOOOO. The waiter insists that the white bean dip is better than the hummus so I got it...

DSC04354.JPG

It was OK, but definitely not BETTER than the most amazing hummus ever. Boo. I also tried another dish that was a chicken noodle dish with mango salsa.

DSC04355.JPG

I was expecting the sauce to be a peanut sauce (I think the word Thai was in the title of the dish), but it was creamy and weird...and the chicken was not great either. See why change is bad people? Anyway, I'm going back in a couple of weeks with some friends from work so I'm going to have to find some new favorites. Or voice a complaint to the manager.

So then...3 days later and I'm at lunch with Katie at Not Your Average Joe's and what did they take off the menu but the amazing Crispy Asian Chicken Rolls?! NOOOOOO. Instead I got chicken with a sweet potato rollatini (or I could be making up that name)...

DSC04391.JPG

Thankfully, this dish was pretty amazing. The sauce on the chicken was some kind of insanely good teriyaki and I have never found a sweet potato dish I did not love. This doesn't mean I did not miss the Crispy Asian Chicken Rolls though. Just sayin'

What are your thoughts on change in general? What about menu changes at restaurants? Have you ever had your favorite dishes taken off the menu?



9 comments:

  1. I fall somewhere in the middle as well. I tend to like my habits and routines and change can throw me for a loop ... but sometimes it can be refreshing!

    And OMG, those dishes look DELISH!

    ReplyDelete
  2. My thoughts are that I wish we had more than just chain restaurants in my town. I don't have the luxury of trying new places or getting interesting meals. Same ole, same ole here.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm with you and sometimes fall in the middle - however when it comes to eating there are SO many new places I want to try that I have a hard time going to the same place twice!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't like change. At least major change to my routine. Obviously I don't want every day and everything to be the same always, but a general consistency is good for me. I also dislike when menus change.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bahahaha I love how your all philosophical about change and then you're talking about menu changes. Hehe!

    I am an in-between person as well! Some change is really good and some change just annoys me. Like change in PRICES as in, higher prices, annoys me! Hehe

    ReplyDelete
  6. Some changes I love! Others really scare me. And some just annoy me....like going into a restaurant wanting my favorite thing and finding it off the menu. I feel your pain :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am sort of middle-of-the-road when it comes to change as well - but probably lean towards being a bit change resistant. I get into habits and like having a schedule, so that makes me not love change. But I love change that means new challenges.

    I also hate it when restaurants change their menu and remove something I love! Boo1

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nick and I go to a restaurant called Brazenhead quite often. I used to always get their veggie sandwich and then they stopped serving it. I was so upset! Then I found something else on the new menu that I LOVED just as much, and then they recently switched that too! UGH. So bottom line, I hate menu changes, and I wish they would still offer certain dishes that they don't have on the menu anymore :(

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think embracing change can be a good thing. That said, changing all the time is an indicator something is amiss. So, I guess that means, I fall firmly in the middle, too.

    ReplyDelete