Rallys Eat-It-All #23 : Funnel Cake Fries and Banana Split Shake

I know it really isn't a good excuse but I HAD A COUPON. It was for a free shake with a $2 purchase. How could I resist on these hot summer days?

For my shake I upgraded to the Banana Split milkshake for 79 cents. First of all, take a gander at that massive straw! It's almost big enough for a dime!!! Because I had a shake from this place that melted within minutes I drank this first. I was thinking (hoping?) it would be like a Banana Split Blizzard, forgetting that I was dealing with Rallys. If you took a Banana Split Blizzard, removed half the add-ins and replaced the good ice cream with uber-quick-melty-cream this is what you'd have. But hey, it was 79 cents and I got the surprise of the sewer-pipe-sized straw. I would have been ticked if I paid full price, though.

Maybe I would have liked the loaded funnel cake fries better if I ate them first but I knew I was against the clock with the shake. The picture is from about two minutes after being handed them through the window and they are already soggy. And visually unappetizing. Flavor-wise it was that classic funnel cake flavor but there was barely enough of the "loaded" part to go around. They had a spongy consistency, like they were made of foam. And they had a weird aftertaste. $2.50 or so for this sorry mess and I won't be getting them again, loaded or otherwise.

Biscuits and Gravy Review : Arbys

Of all the biscuits and gravy varieties in the world the one I've eaten the most is from Arby's. It's fast, cheap, and filling. The negative side, as far as this series is concerned, is that I've also had the opportunity to have it served poorly on more than one occasion. Tough biscuits. Salty gravy. No sausage. "Sorry sir but we are all out of that right now." WHAT?!!?! But this review will focus on the serving just inhaled from the downtown Fort Wayne location which is very typical of what one generally receives.

There it is... the double order. Also known as the 11:00 AM snoozer! You get two big biscuits that are not as generic as the food service biscuits but are fairly characterless. But they're big and not gummy. The gravy is plentiful (four ladles of the stuff), not goopy, not very peppery, not, not, not. Surely it is made by mixing a powder with hot water. The sausage is sliced up patties with hard edges that are slightly offensive to my palate. Not the taste but the shape. I mean, sausage is round bits, not cubes... can I get an Amen? Best of all there was just enough gravy to last the entire meal.

It was served up quickly and at only $2.99 (plus tax) it's a great deal. I'm going to be a bit embarrassed if Arby's wins this competition based on value and service. Maybe I should go back and weight the numbers because it I'm looking at just the food, Arby's biscuits and gravy is merely "okay." But here's the stats:

Biscuits - 6
Gravy - 6
Value - 9
Service - 8
GRAND TOTAL - 7.25

Rallys Eat-It-All #22: Crispy Mushroom Steak Burger & Apple Pie Stacker

I gotta admit... when I first heard the name I was apprehensive about this one. I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms and when I do eat them they're soft, squishy things. Not crispy.

It's not much to look at but WOW! What a mouthful of flavor! This is one delicious, savory burger! A bit on the salty side, which may have added to it's enjoyment. The one problem was the steak bits. They were overcooked and TOUGH! I went mid-afternoon instead of over lunch (my lunch was insufficient) so quite likely they had dried out while waiting for me. I'll very likely get this one again but will go closer to noon.

And likewise while I'm a fan of pie in general apple isn't on the top of my list. I overheard one employee telling another how to make this so I'll let you in on the recipe: Caramel, ice cream, more caramel and then they stick a whole cinnamon covered apple pie into it. It tasted amazing, like pie a la mode. My only problem is that I ate the sandwich first and even though it was not even 80s degrees by the time I got to the stacker the ice cream was completely melted. We're talking less than five minutes from frozen to soup which indicates how much of the ice cream is actually air at this establishment. I ended up drinking a bit of it with bits of the apple pie so all's well that ends well.

UPDATE: I had another Crispy Mushroom Steakburger. The "steak" was properly cooked but it wasn't as salty or savory this time. So sad.

Humans... Who Needs 'Em?

It's been one month since I wrote Thoughts ? entry and things have been pretty level emotionally. In at least the last week (about the extent of my memory) I haven't had much more than a few minor short-term dips into the blues. Which is to say that I'm at a point (for at least the next five minutes) where I'm not yearning for a male friend and depressed that I have no friends or life outside of work and home (which usually involves lots of chores and taking the kids to the park again or sitting on the porch making sure they don't hurl themselves into oncoming traffic by my very presence.) All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and I certainly feel very dull.

So let's take a look at the "male friend" thing when I'm at least a 5, possibly a 6, on the Depression-to-Joy scale instead of writing when I'm down like I usually do.

Recently I was talking to a co-worker who was bemoaning the fact that he doesn't go out to lunch with people often. Now I've seen this guy go out more times in a month than I do in a year but whatever. So I made the first move and asked if he wanted to go to lunch sometime. And we did. I actually had a social event! However the lunch was 95% him talking with me interjecting a few tidbits now and then. Unfortunately that's what my wife and I have found when we spend time with other humans, that mostly it involves us listening while the other person purges themselves and not showing any interest in our lives. We might as well be mannequins who nod now and then and say "Yep." Which makes us feel like we've wasted our time and is draining instead of being a positive experience.

And while close friendships with any of the guys at church does not appear to ever be forthcoming, there's at least surface level banter. Which is to say that I'm not actively ignored like I have been at some other (ahem, Baptist) churches. Sure, I'm the one who approaches the other guy for small talk nearly all of the time but I don't get the feeling that he's anxious to get away from me. For the most part, that hour or so a week fulfills this introverts need for non-family social interaction.

Would I like a real friendship? Or perhaps someone to play guitars with? Certainly! But these are things for which I no longer hold out hope. And by not holding out hope they don't have the ability to hurt me.