Whatcha Have There?

When I was a kid, I would frequently have ice cream after dinner.  My favorite was Breyer's Coffee.  I would go into the kitchen, haul out one of our "ice cream bowls," and get a liberal helping of the stuff.  Then I would go into the TV room to snarf it down.  My dad would be sitting on the couch and look over at me.  He would start to peek into the bowl.  I would try to avoid his gaze.  Finally he would ask, "Whatcha have there?"  It wasn't so much an inquiry as a request.  "Whatcha have there" actually meant "come give me a bite of that."  My dad was a big guy.  Six foot five, well over 300 pounds.  He was bald with a beard.  So his definition of "a bite" was hardly what we wanted it to be.  It wasn't just ice cream that he snagged either.  Pie, cake, cookies, potato chips.  Really whatever I brought into the room was free game for "whatcha have there?"

I think of that phrase often when I go out to eat with people.  Part of the enjoyment of eating with friends, for me at least, is finding out what they are getting and how they liked it.  Maybe I'm just weird.  Well, actually, I know I'm weird.  But I like to discuss things with people.  I really would have excelled back in Ancient Greece when sitting around and yakking was considered a job.  I don't just want to do things; I want to analyze them and discuss them.  I do this with movies, with books, with sports.  And I definitely do this with restaurants.

I like to eat out.  I like to experience different restaurants.  One of the best things about traveling is trying new places.  I am NOT one of those people who go to a new city and spend time in a McDonald's or a Pizza Hut.  If I can eat at different places every meal on a trip, I am thrilled.  We have had to move around a lot for my wife's medical training.  There is a certain excitement in finding all the new places to eat in a city.  It is actually kind of funny - I would not classify myself as a risk-taker.  I don't like to try new things or activities.  But when it comes to restaurants, I am definitely always willing to give things a try.

Over the years, I have had a large number of people encourage me to start a restaurant or food blog.  I was always hesitant.  I am not a gourmet by any means.  I don't like weird food.  I like to watch things like Iron Chef and Chopped, but I would never eat most of what they makes.  I am just a regular guy.  I like regular food.  I am a father of three kids, so I also care about kids' meals and stuff.  I have never been to culinary school.  I am a good cook, but I am not super creative.  But I keep getting told that I should do this.  So, I am going to give it a shot.  Before I get started, there are some things my reader(s) should know - ground rules, if you will.

1. I Don't Drink Alcohol - That isn't a bragging comment.  It is pretty important to understand, though, when it comes to my opinion on restaurants.  If you want to know if an establishment has a good selection of craft beers, I am not your man.  I wouldn't know.  I don't care.  As long as you are okay with me ignoring the bar offerings, we should get along fine.
2. I Am Allergic to Eggs and Shellfish - Eggs send me into anaphylactic shock. That means that I won't be giving my opinions on French Toast, Omelets, or Eggs Benedict.  I have to order sandwiches without mayonnaise.  I also can't give you guidance on lobster or crab or shrimp.  It sucks because I like all those things.  I just like living more.
3. I Hate Some Foods - There are some foods that I will not eat, no matter what.  I don't eat sushi.  I avoid mushrooms and olives as much as possible.  I don't eat dark poultry meat.  I am not a big fan of volcanic food.  You will not read about me eating tripe or mountain oysters or sweetbreads or haggis or oysters or snails or pimento cheese.  That is just the way things are.  
4. I Love BBQ and Pizza  - There will be a disproportionate representation of these genres.  The end.

So here is what my plan is.  I will discuss various restaurants.  Since we currently live in Columbia, South Carolina, that will be a common location.  BUT, we also spent nearly a decade in Orlando.  So I will also review establishments in Orlando.  There may be some appearances from places I hang out -  Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa, Charlotte, Saint Augustine.  And I also may toss in some of my favorites from travel experiences in the past: Chattanooga, Nashville, Atlanta, San Diego, Dallas, Las Vegas, Asheville, Sydney.  I also foresee posts about new menu items at places I have already reviewed.  I hope you enjoy the blog.  So, whatcha have there?