If it smells bad...don't eat it.

I guess I’m having a bad week – First my water gets stolen at the gym then…

Well…let me tell you all about it.

It all started out good. We were going to Bistro 7 ¼ to celebrate Aldin’s b’day. We got there on time and our table, the Star Table, was ready to go. (Note: I like to call any table that’s in the middle of the restaurant, the “Star Table” y’know – the place to sit, to see and be seen, etc…because I’m so famous. Yeah.) Anyways, the restaurant was bustling as usual and on our way there I had already decided that I would have my usual moules et frites (beer, bacon and cheddar). But, when I got there, I recalled a conversation that I had with one of the guys @ work earlier in the day. Dennis (his name has not been changed to protect his privacy), recommended the “stinky mac and cheese” and he even made the “closing the eyes while describing how good it is” face. So as I looked at the menu, I thought to myself “Why not try something different?” I had always wanted to try it. Mac n cheese? Yes please! I just wished there was some meat. (I can’t just eat “sides” as a meal). And as I scanned the menu, I saw that I could add lobster to it! Done. I imagined some creamy cheesy goodness, topped with bread crumbs…and red lobster claw meat, glistening in big chunks all over the bubbling dish…like on TV! Mmmm...

Aldin ordered his usual hammerchop and his fave appetizer (what he and Chef Chris Cosentino, lovingly refer to as “God’s butter”). Anyways, we got our drinks (beer for him and Pellegrino for me) and pre-dinner bread (warm with butter, tomato compote and sea salt) and discussed whether we would order dessert or not. He got his appetizer (and he also did the “it’s so good I have to close my eyes” face while eating it). I tasted it, but I don’t really see what all the hype is about. I noticed there seemed to be a lot of mussels and fries going out, and for a split second I wished I had ordered my usual. But, I quickly talked myself out of it saying “Dude, you’re getting LOBSTER”. Anyways…after waiting what seemed like ages (and seeing bowl after bowl of mussels and fries going out) our food finally came. Aldin’s was the usual (if not a bit smaller) hammerchop, with cauliflower gratin and sweet potato fries.

And mine…was a tiny bowl of stinky mac n cheese with a lobster tail sticking out of it.

First, let me say…I LOVE cheese. I’m all about cheese. I may be slightly lactose intolerant, but I love the stuff. I love any kind…except maybe blue cheese.

Apparently “stinky” mac n cheese is made with blue cheese. Which I did not know. And for some reason, did not think to ask. But I thought to myself “well…it looks creamy. Creamy usually = good”. Or so I thought. I had a bite…it wasn’t terrible. The distinct taste of blue cheese was there, but it wasn’t completely overwhelming. I figured I could handle it. Plus I had the lobster tail! So I pulled the lobster tail out, since it was just sticking up out of the bowl and…there was no meat in it!! I thought to myself “I’ve been robbed AGAIN! There must be some mistake!” I was all ready to call the server when I looked closer at my bowl and noticed a few white chunks…could this be my lobster?! No one said anything about mixing it in with the mac n cheese!! This was definitely NOT what I had in mind when I ordered this dish. I was so disappointed. But I ate as much of it as I could (since I was paying a whopping $27.00 (12 for the mac, 15 for the non-existent lobster) but after awhile I couldn’t go on. The “cream” was more soupy than creamy and the taste of blue cheese, not so strong at first, was suddenly all I could taste AND smell. Stinky, indeed. I had already eaten the few little chunks of lobster (definitely not 15.00 worth, btdubs) and finally just gave up. I tasted some of Aldin's hammerchop, but I didn’t really care for it that much. So he gave me his cauliflower gratin. (Hmm…I guess I did end up eating just “sides”…BOO.) I didn’t even want dessert anymore after that. So I left the restaurant wholly unsatisfied…I guess I should have already known from the name of the dish that it wasn’t going to bode well. I only like good smelling food! What was I thinking?

In the end, though I regret my choice of dinner and will probably never order it again, I’m glad its something that I can stop wondering about. I will still go to Bistro 7 ¼ …but just for the mussels and fries.

Also, I’ve decided to never listen to someone else’s opinion about food again…even if they make the “closing the eyes cuz it’s SO good” face.