Pennywise but POUND FOOLISH!

We had a wonderful Christmas filled with great times with both sides of the family. For that, we are thankful. For the 12 hour ride to NC and back, we're just thankful we made it. Sometimes I wish we could just push Georgia and South Carolina out of the way and be home. Whew. We're thankful to be home, sleeping in our queen sized bed instead of 2 twins! Ha!
During our brief trip to NC, we planned several visits and lunches and dinners with family. We had a great lunch with my mother's brother, and we looked forward to a huge visit with 22 of us on my father's side the following day. In fact, we had planned the lunch and made reservations for the 22 of us before Christmas to make sure it would all happen. My aunt and her children and their spouses and children all traveled 2 hours to be with us. While they were making their trek to Raleigh, we received an email that our lunch destination had to close due to an emergency situation: the main water main had broken and was being repaired. They had no water service and had told all of the servers and cooks to stay home. We quickly formulated a plan to eat somewhere else.
We've always loved Midtown Bar and 115. They said they could accommodate all 22 of us in their back room. Perfect. I called back to see if they have a Children's Menu. The person who answered the phone said that they do not but that the children could order a burger. I went online to discover that the burgers are gourmet $10 burgers that my children won't eat. They like little think burgers, not big adult burgers. So, I asked DH to run by Chick Fil A where I bought chicken nuggets with the intention of buying sides like chips or french fries or fruit at the restaurant. I was not trying to cheat the restaurant; they had 15 paying adults plus the sides for the children. It was our family Christmas lunch; revenue was guaranteed!
The server immediately told me I would have to hide the bag and use plates. I told her that would be fine. I figured they'd have plates for the side dishes anyway. We had two long tables of 11. Apparently an assistant manager came to my father and told him that the restaurant was going to charge $5 PER PLATE for the children to eat the nuggets in their restaurant. My father quietly explained that he was not going to pay $30-35 for children to have a plate and that we would have to leave if the manager chose to force the issue. Believe it or not, the manager would not waive the plate fee. The manager allowed TWENTY TWO PEOPLE to walk out of an empty restaurant at 12:30pm on the Wednesday after Christmas. There were maybe 2 or 3 other small tables. They had set up our tables with water and linens and they LET US LEAVE. IN fact, they basically ASKED us to leave!!!! All over $30!!!!! So, Midtown Bar and 115 lost a huge lunch tab on a day the restaurant was DEAD over $30. And that, my friends, is pennywise and pound foolish! As you can imagine, this dear struggling restaurant will never see Mama Henley's face again. There are too many good places to eat that are more than willing to accommodate their diners. Good luck, Midtown!

The Beefmastor... an Eastern North Carolina Tradition

If you live in North Carolina, and have not experienced the Beefmastor in Wilson, NC, then you need to put it on your short list! It is quite an EXPERIENCE, to say the least! By the way, I am not misspelling the name... it is the BEEFMASTOR, with an 'o'!





The Beefmastor is unlike most steak restaurants. It is small, unassuming, and does not take reservations. It is in one of those buildings that you pass on the side of a highway and think, "Who in the world would EVER eat there?" Suddenly, you find yourself as one of thosepeople who eats at the Beefmastor. When you arrive, you walk in and put your name on the waiting list. However, it is a small restaurant, and there is no room to wait inside! Therefore, you must wait outside in the parking lot. Hence the tradition of customers literally tailgating in the parking lot while they wait for their table!




Finally it is your turn to eat. When you walk in the restaurant, you are greeted by vinyl tablecloths and linoleum floors. There are no menus at the beefmastor. The only choice is steak, salad bar, and baked potato. For Heaven's sake, sweetie, what else is there??




After sitting down, the waiter comes around and asks everyone how thick they would like their steak to be. The twist is that he brings that big ole hunk of beef and puts it right there on the table. This is no Bern's Steakhouse or Angus Barn, this is the Beefmastor. There is only ONE cut of beef at the Beefmastor. You tell him how thick you want it, and he cuts that baby right there in front of you!! Don't try to say, "Six inches, please" because the cuts start at 8 inches. After writing down how thick everyone wants their steak, the waiter will ask you to help yourself to the old-fashioned, just like Grandmama's salad bar. Honey, I am talking deviled eggs, pickled beets, chopped ham, homemade dressing, chunky blue cheese, real bacon bits (no baco' bits here!), and iceburg lesson. Nothin' but the best for you, darlin'! The toppings are even served in the same old school tupperware my Grandmama had!! I love it. It tickles me every time I go there.




Your steak will soon arrive with a big ole pipin' hot baked potato that is oozing with sour cream and butter. Just enjoy it and work on your triathalon training tomorrow... after all, tomorrow is another day, and there is just no place like the Beefmastor!!




p.s. I was introduced to this eastern North Carolina institution by my wonderful friend, K. We went for her birthday a year and a half ago, and boy, was it fun. A limo (really just a pimped up bus) drove us there, so we had fun eating Bugles and Hatcher crackers the whole way there. I gladly serenaded everyone on the drive back. They loved it, especially our friend, S, who was pregnant, and happens to be my OB/Gyn. It is dangerous to let me near a microphone in any mode of transportation. I love a microphone with a captive audience!

This spring, K & I and our Beefmastor-paying hubbies took our Supper Club to the Beefmastor for the culinary delights. Everyone had a fabulous time! Get on the bus, Gus!