Slumming It

I don't do chain restaurants. I just don't. It's a matter of principle, mainly, in that I like to support the home team, keeping my money in the community where it helps out our neighbors rather than to send it to some corporate office somewhere not even in Virginia. I also like to support individual entrepreneurs, who like me have their own money at risk because they believe in what they are doing. And in terms of food, I prefer minimally processed food cooked from scratch by professionals.

Sunday after our noon walk, Ann rather forcefully suggested in her own reserved politic manner that we should go to iHoP for lunch, "You're not going to like this, but we are going to iHoP for lunch and that's that!" Guys, what do you say to an ultimatum such as this? If you're smart, nothing short of "Yes ma'am." If you're not smart, well, let's just say that divorces are expensive.

Gloating

I knew that at 2pm in the afternoon, I wasn't in the mood for pancakes. I used to make them for the girls when they were young, but they're not among my favorite foods. So, I opted for a burger, Ann for a ham and egg melt and she also ordered mozzarella sticks to start. My burger was really good even though it was more cooked than I like. The bun and the toppings were all really fresh and decent quality (look at the photo below; this is how the burger came to the table, I didn't style it or anything). So much better and less expensive than Five Guys (whose burgers I have never liked, though their fries are wonderful). And the onion rings were made with real onions, though I am partial to a tempura/beer batter coating.

Mozzarella Sticks

Ham and Egg Patty Melt

Cheese Burger

And now let me say that I had never been to an iHoP before, so I really had no earthly idea what to expect. What I found was a bright, clean restaurant that was packed busy, efficient service, a very quick kitchen, high quality food for a reasonable price. As much as it pains me to say this, I probably would go back of an occasion.