Althouse: At the Thanksgiving Dinner Café...

November 24, 2011

At the Thanksgiving Dinner Café...

... you can eat anything you want. (That's what I ate last night.)

55 comments:

AmPowerBlog said...: Well, we ate early. Fixing to post some pics at my place. My wife had to go to work. She's in retail management and her store's open 4-10pm.; 11/24/11, 4:55 PM
james conrad said...: Hmmmmm, what is that? Looks elegant but a little on the sparse side if thats all one is eating; 11/24/11, 4:57 PM
caplight said...: I did not over eat. I am amazed. Not sure why.; 11/24/11, 5:17 PM
Sorun said...: That's a thrifty way to eat: take a few spoonfuls off of Meade's plate rather than buying two separate meals.

More women should do that, although I never suggest it to women until at least the third date.; 11/24/11, 5:18 PM
edutcher said...: Unfortunately, The Blonde is going to have to start Giving Thanks in such a manner. Her family seems to think it's a contest to see how much they can put on the plate.

Problem is, her BP has been spiking and our project for next year is going to be getting her weight and BP under control. She's not fat, but the BP is getting scary.; 11/24/11, 5:21 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "That's a thrifty way to eat: take a few spoonfuls off of Meade's plate rather than buying two separate meals."

Actually, that's a second course dish, but I didn't get an entree, and it was the most expensive thing on the menu (by far), believe it or not.

The contents of that bowl, the amount you see there, cost $65!; 11/24/11, 5:26 PM
Bob_R said...: I don't see any truffles, so it's gotta be some exotic meat. Elk?; 11/24/11, 5:58 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

We are still cooking here.. by we I mean the women (pros) in the kitchen ;)

.. and no, they aren't barefoot.; 11/24/11, 6:13 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The contents of that bowl, the amount you see there, cost $65!

A soulless diner..; 11/24/11, 6:16 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: I wish to give thanks for this blog, and most of the commenters here.

Happy Thanksgiving!; 11/24/11, 6:18 PM
MadisonMan said...: I've napped.; 11/24/11, 7:15 PM
Ann Althouse said...: White truffles.; 11/24/11, 7:37 PM
Irene said...: Olive!; 11/24/11, 7:50 PM
Wince said...: "That's what I ate last night."

From the looks of it, but decorum really dictates that you should have photographed it before you ate it.

:); 11/24/11, 7:51 PM
HT said...: The pain is physical, and I must be incredibly rude and ask: how I can live stream the Ravens Niners???

Noam Chomsky said the biggest drug in America is the N-F-L. He is so right.

Why didn't we gameplan for this? CABLE! Gets me every time.; 11/24/11, 7:58 PM
Known Unknown said...: Is that iPhone HDR?; 11/24/11, 8:08 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: If that was your Thanksgiving dinner, I feel sorry for you (what are you trying to prove?) and, if you paid $65 for it, I'm still waiting to know if you're smart.

O.K., so get this:

The last home I visited was filled with black men talking politics - no women - and with me as as the lone conservative. We discussed everything, and everyone was respectful in that way black men can be ("Nigga, you crazy!") but - once they gave me an opening to speak my peace - I ran with it and, I think, won the day.

The thing I found fascinating is what they didn't know, like the Republican Party was the anti-slavery party (and the majority vote for the Civil Rights bill) while the Democrats were the party of the KKK. Once proven (Thank you, Al Gore, for inventing the internet) the looks on their faces, and the quiet that unfolded on the formally-boisterous room, was revealing. I think they felt betrayed, kinda - not by me but whatever political/cultural milieu they run in - and then the questions started coming fast and furious:

What do you think of communism? (Hate it, it never works) Why are the Republicans blocking Obama? (We're the opposition, there's no such thing as one's "fair share," and nobody should be FORCED to buy health insurance, amongst other things) Occupy Wall Street? (They're a bunch of nutjobs who should've gone to Washington) Why shouldn't we raise taxes on the rich? (Everyone has a right to keep their own money and - when taxes are lower - people WILLINGLY pay them, insuring we collect MORE) What do you think of Herman Cain? (He's toast) and so on.

By the end of the evening I had made a bunch of new friends, impressed my host (he kept saying, "I knew you should've come - they needed to hear this!") and found myself amazed at the capacity of people, offline, to do what people online seem to find so difficult. The fact it was all black men was even more impressive - they were fun and funny, thoughtful, and (while coming from all walks of life from businessmen to gangstas) obviously interested in the affairs of the day to an extent I don't think most give blacks credit for:

I must say, my heart swelled with pride as I drove home, content with the thought we Americans - all of us - might be in much better shape than any of us ever imagined. One thing's important - the questions are out there, but they need someone who can answer them, by clearly explaining conservatism and the conservative response to current events, so people won't allow their imaginations to run away with them about why we won't/don't/can't go along. (I didn't find anyone - not one person in this mixed group of folks - who was so hard-line they weren't willing to listen, as long as I kept my arguments simple, even when explaining complex ideas.) My conclusion:

When you get away from the (dedicated) rubes, there's a real hunger for understanding out there, and - no matter how much the Democrats wish otherwise - it ain't for what THEY'RE selling.

The people want to know!; 11/24/11, 8:44 PM
Gahrie said...: Nice pic of the appetizer..what did you have for dinner?; 11/24/11, 8:47 PM
m stone said...: Nice story, Crack.

Good for you.; 11/24/11, 8:57 PM
Gerry from Valpo said...: That. Looks. Awful.

My gun dog eats better then that.; 11/24/11, 9:07 PM
Bob_R said...: Real white truffles are worth every penny of $65, and that's what I though of when you mentioned the price. I had them once on risotto in Italy many years ago. They looked like shavings rather than slices which I am seeing in the picture. I hope they were great.; 11/24/11, 9:20 PM
Joe said...: The really does look vile. Food snobs continually amaze me.; 11/24/11, 9:21 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: m stone,

Nice story, Crack.

Good for you.

Thanks. I feel *great*.

Gahrie,

Nice pic of the appetizer..what did you have for dinner?

Gerry from Valpo,

That. Looks. Awful.

Agreed.

My gun dog eats better then that.

And, not including the occasional meal out, $65 is about half of my monthly shopping budget. (Some people have obviously never grasped the very-American concept of getting value for a dollar,...) I hope whatever restaurant they went to has a lot of needy people in it because, otherwise, I'd say Ann's just throwing money away,...and to scam artists.; 11/24/11, 9:27 PM
Sorun said...: Are truffles really so tasty to be worth $65?

Could anything possibly taste better than a gin-soaked olive or a greasy pepperoni pizza when you're stoned? I'm skeptical.; 11/24/11, 9:28 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Tonight, I had a home-cooked turkey dinner, with pie and all the trimmings - including chocolate truffles - and all it cost me was showing up and a 12-pack of beer.; 11/24/11, 9:32 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Confession:

Food snob that I am, the beers were Coronas,...; 11/24/11, 9:34 PM
caplight said...: Crack

Glad you had a good day and made some new friends. I'll bet you are a good friend. That they could hear the truth was just a bonus.; 11/24/11, 9:36 PM
pm317 said...: I graduated a PhD student about 6 years ago. He is from China and worked for Amazon, Yahoo! here and went back home, had numerous job offers as soon as he landed there and is doing well. He sends me an email every Thanksgiving, thanking me -- he now has a girl and sends me pictures of her every year. It is a joy to see that email every year.; 11/24/11, 9:53 PM
pm317 said...: The tablescape looks very pretty. Yeah, what is the big deal with truffle? I know it is hard to find and such but does it really taste like $65?; 11/24/11, 9:59 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: caplight,

Glad you had a good day and made some new friends. I'll bet you are a good friend. That they could hear the truth was just a bonus.

Thanks, man, I try. Here's another good one:

My oldest friend (35 years, white immigrant from England) left earlier this week on a road trip for Lubbock, Texas. He was meeting a woman, just being released from prison, who he has been corresponding with for the last year.

Because I haven't heard from him since he left, I called to wish him a happy Thanksgiving and see how things went. He said he was in love - a first for him.

We chatted for a while about what she's like/what they've been up to, and one of the things he told me was her fear that I would judge her for having been incarcerated. His reply:

"You don't know my friend,..."

I tell you: it really has been a stupendous day,...; 11/24/11, 10:06 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/24/11, 11:23 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Anti-Occupy Wall Street" groups are taking on the protesters of "Occupy Black Friday" with "BUYcott Black Friday."

Liberate Philadelphia/Liberate America, a Tea Party coalition of groups countering the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, are challenging the latest move by Occupy Wall Street protesters to occupy or boycott publicly traded retailers on Black Friday by instead encouraging consumers to shop on Black Friday to help the economy recover.

Lets roll!; 11/24/11, 11:26 PM
AllenS said...: A man could buy a lot of beer for $65.; 11/24/11, 11:49 PM
rhhardin said...: I used to eat out occasionally just to use Wm. Kerrigan's line, "How long have you been a server, honey?"

Now there's this.; 11/25/11, 4:31 AM
vbspurs said...: Guys, please forgive me for a tardy HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all on Professor Althouse's blog (including the hostess and hubby!).

I miss and love you all. :)

Cheers,
Victoria; 11/25/11, 6:45 AM
KCFleming said...: Happy news, Crack. Glad to hear it went so well.

And grand to hear from you, Vic! Blessings for yesterday and today.; 11/25/11, 7:33 AM
Fen said...: The people want to know!

Nicely done, Crack.

*hat tip*; 11/25/11, 7:43 AM
Bob_R said...: Yes, you can buy a lot of beer for $65. But the price of truffles is just due to the small supply and high demand. Seasonal, can't be cultivated (yet!) Taste great. So, yeah that dish costs $50 more than another good dish with more common ingredients, but the cost of ingredients is probably a higher portion of the price of the truffle dish. In my book food snobbery is a disdain for the common, not an interest in the uncommon.

It's not that they taste 10 times as good as [insert favorite food here], but they do taste very good. If some genius ever figures out how to cultivate them, I'll eat them all the time. If you want an idea of what they taste like (in about the same way that beef broth gives you an idea of what steak tastes like) get a bottle of white truffle oil and put it on mach potatoes.; 11/25/11, 7:45 AM
KCFleming said...: My chant on Thanksgiving was OCCUPIE!!.

Apple and French Silk.

Mmmmmm ....occupie.; 11/25/11, 8:02 AM
Alex said...: Althouse... you are a 1%er.; 11/25/11, 9:05 AM
Darcy said...: Loved both stories, Crack. The holidays are about connecting and you do that so well.; 11/25/11, 9:08 AM
J said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/25/11, 9:37 AM
J said...: yes, Holidays with Amazing Cracki-- perp, atheist, de-frauder of the Fed govt., semi-educated blowhard

That's the spirit; 11/25/11, 10:21 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Darcy,

Loved both stories, Crack. The holidays are about connecting and you do that so well.

I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but I've been volunteering as a bellringer for the Salvation Army this year - you know, get out of the house, spread some Christmas cheer, REALLY help the poor, etc. I've been told I'm Number Two, in regards to collections, for my area. What's my secret?

I load up two iPods with rave music, so I can be out there forever, and then keep time like I used to at parties. The that-man's-crazy looks on the kids' faces are priceless, the adults throw in so much money my bucket is almost bursting, and you really haven't experienced the surreal until you're standing in front of a church, collecting for the Salvation Army, while listening to DJ Irene doing "There's Some Whores In This House." I told you guys:

It's all about being good (not goodie-goodie,...)

Oh - and J - have a very merry fuck you,...; 11/25/11, 10:46 AM
J said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/25/11, 10:51 AM
J said...: STFU, Cracki, you untalented irrational perp. Maybe get your GED next time yr inside, Cracki, before ruining the language anymore (and..like Instapundit thinks the same). Lets hear about your "military experience" again, little man. Or better just STFU; 11/25/11, 10:58 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: ROTFLMAO!!!!!!; 11/25/11, 11:02 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "If that was your Thanksgiving dinner, I feel sorry for you (what are you trying to prove?) and, if you paid $65 for it, I'm still waiting to know if you're smart."

You're knocking my intelligence when you're wondering if that's my Thanksgiving dinner when the text of the post published on Thanksgiving clearly states "That's what I ate last night"?; 11/25/11, 12:48 PM
Ann Althouse said...: And what's un-smart about buying something expensive to eat?; 11/25/11, 12:48 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I had the opportunity to eat something that I'd never eaten, that costs $2,000 a pound, and that you have to eat cooked into some sort of dish, when I had good reason to think the dish would be well prepared. What's wrong with spending $65 for one dish under those conditions?; 11/25/11, 12:50 PM
J said...: So..was it pork or not, A.

(Given that you can't compose a coherent paragraph--at least spam in trite acronyms,eh, lil Cracki. We're laughing at you, perp).; 11/25/11, 1:27 PM
blake said...: o/~I've got you
under my skin
I've got you
deep in the heart of me~\o

Happy T-Day, guys, whether the T stands for tofu, turkey or truffles!; 11/25/11, 3:36 PM
nichole said...: I hope the cook didn't spit in yours.; 11/25/11, 7:59 PM
reformed trucker said...: "What's wrong with spending $65 for one dish under those conditions?" - Ann

Nothing at all. Don't feel guilty for treating yourself to a great meal on occasion. The few times a year I treat myself I don't care if it's $100.

Even though I'm a bit frugal (a foodie who can cook great meals for cheap)if I have a taste for a good steak, I won't think twice about having the butcher cut me a few $25 ribeye steaks.; 11/25/11, 9:53 PM
reformed trucker said...: "And what's un-smart about buying something expensive to eat?" - Ann

Nothing. You're smart enough to earn the money to treat yourself to something nice.

It's not like you used food stamps (my money) to buy it...; 11/25/11, 10:00 PM