dinner at Blue

By now, I pretty much know all the restaurants within a 15-minute radius of my parent’s house.  But every time we plan to go out for dinner, it takes forever to decide.  Especially when three people are involved, as they are tonight.

“I hate the atmosphere there.”

“June went the other night and it was awful.”

“All they have is pizza, and I’m not in the mood for that.”

“They aren’t open for dinner.”

“I don’t want Chinese food.  Besides, that place is in a strip mall.”

 “It feels too sterile there.”

“The parking there is impossible.”

“Last time we were there the food was terrible.  I’ll never go back.”

“There’s always a long wait.  Jean was there last week and left after an hour.”

“We were just there.  It’s good, but I don’t want to go there again tonight.”

“All their food is fried.”

“It’s always freezing there.”

“No one goes there anymore.”

Exhausted by the process of picking a restaurant, we don’t. 

It’s only five pm.  My mom is hungry and my sister and I are restless.  It’s been a cloudy day, most of it spent visiting my dad.  We decide to go to Mashpee Commons and decide where to eat later.

We arrive and my mom surprises Jean and I and says, “Let’s see if we can get into Blue.”  Blue is one of my favorite restaurants.  And I am not qualifying my preference by adding the words, on the Cape.  We see two groups of people walking out.  They say to us, “I hope you have a reservation.  They have nothing until 8:30.”

We are not deterred.  The very-nice maître d’ inside confirms that the restaurant is totally booked until much later.  He offers us a table outside but it it’s about 59°.  My sister and mom leave but I linger.  Suddenly the maître d’ says, “Go grab your friends.”  I do.  He tells us that he can seat us if we can be out by eight.  It’s only a little after six.  We tell him we can and he seats us.

Dinner is extraordinary.  I have never had a better duck anywhere, ever.   We all enjoy our meals, as well as the company.  It is rare that the three of us are out together.  As spectacular as the food is, it’s the company that makes the night special.