Dining Out

We don’t eat out all that often.

You can imagine why.

(It isn’t the behavior of our children, actually, thank you very much.)

It’s the cost, you know.

There’s really no way around the truth. There is almost nothing, not even the cheapest of fast food meals, that can be purchased at a restaurant that is actually cheaper than something you can make at home.

Not to mention healthier. (Don’t get me started. Don’t even get me started.)

Part of the beauty of vacation, however, is not preparing meals. So on our recent Tybee Island vacation, we ate out. A lot.

You name it – we probably tried it.

The Crab Shack? Yep. We loved the big tables with holes in the middle and a trash can placed under the hole. So convenient we are thinking about cutting a hole in our kitchen table at home. Lighthouse Pizza? Liked it so much we ate there twice. Or maybe three times. I can’t remember. They delivered.
Moon River Brewing Company? It was Kevin’s one vacation destination request. Saw it on some ghostly adventures TV program. Maybe the most haunted place in Savannah or something? Who knows? But the smoked Gouda scalloped potatoes? Phenomenal. In fact, I have already made them myself once and am serving them up for dinner again tomorrow night. Stop on by.
The Sugar Shack? Yeah – a greasy spoon that looked like a dive and pretty much was a dive. Huey’s? Sure thing. Delicious New Orleans-style cuisine. French toast that rocked the house and a great view of the Savannah riverfront. And the place where a couple seated beside us actually asked to hold Wilder. And we let them.
The Pirate House? Why, yes. And we were encouraged to visit this establishment by a pirate on the street offering coupons. Which we accepted. And received a delicious meal and a fun experience – complete with pirate booty for the deck hands. Piper still says repeatedly, as she says all things, “Pirate House. Fun. Pirate. Girl. Fun.” (Although the “girl” pirate Piper is referring to was actually a boy pirate with long hair.)

But as I said, we don’t normally dine out. (Our vacation was far from normal, of course.)

And yet another reason for dining in is the actual number of people currently in our family. Eight. There are eight of us now, in case you had lost count somewhere along the way.

Did you know that at most restaurants there is a certain number of guests that is considered to be a group?

Do you know what that number is?

It’s eight.

And did you realize that when you reach that certain number, your “group” is automatically assigned a gratuity of 18%? Did you know this?

Never mind that at least two members of our “group” do not consume an entire meal? That one group member does not actually consume anything?

And after charging us a group 18% gratuity the server hands us the bill to sign with a space below the 18% that asks “additional tip?”.

I think not.