Listening to your gut
So, I’m in Poughkeepsie, several days in advance of Rhinebeck so that I can bum around the historic Hudson Valley, eat at the CIA, and generally be a person on vacation. So far, I think it’s working - I slept on the plane flight(s) up here and didn’t once wake up from a nightmare. Yeah, I haven’t blogged about that at all, but suffice it to say that I’ve been really, really wound up the last few weeks. Months. Whatever it’s been.
Anyway, I had a lesson in listening to one’s gut this evening. Last year when I was here, I went out the first night to get some dinner and avoided the temptation of a convenient Red Lobster in order to seek something a little more local and unique. And while that wasn’t a culinary outing to remember, it was at least honest and comforting. Tonight as I went looking for a place to eat, I passed that same Red Lobster and soon became aware of the fact that I was ravenously hungry.
So I saw a place that looked like a Chinese restaurant from the road and turned in there. Turns out it was the “Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse”. Okay, I’d already stopped, I figured I’d give it the benefit of the doubt. I continued figuring this even after I walked in and saw that it was kind of an Outback Steakhouse clone. There were mounted heads of animals on the walls along with tin signs, snowshoes, and all that bought-at-a-fleamarket memorabilia that one now associates with big homestyle restaurant chains.
I ordered a glass of wine and a sirloin, the latter of which was delivered by a surly-looking chef who literally dropped it on my table and muttered something that sounded like “enjoy” after he’d turned his back and stalked back to the kitchen. As I was digging in to said victuals, a spotlight turned on over a mounted bison head on the wall and it started talking. An animatronic buffalo was telling me to enjoy my meal even as I was eating its kin. This did very little to settle my mind and reminded me that one should never, ever ignore one’s gut feelings when it comes to culinary adventures.
I took very little solace in the knowledge that I’ve produced better meals in my kitchen at home as I continued to eat my meal in grudging acceptance even as moose head on the opposite wall came to life and a stuffed raccoon poked its head out of a barrel next to me and squeaked. Please dear gods, let me never show such weakness again.
Tomorrow I’m going to bury myself in pastries from the CIA to atone for these sins.
October 17th, 2007 at 1:51 am
I hope you’ll forgive me if I laugh a little teeny vegetarian laugh at your expense. And when you come back to SA, ask me about my summer chicken adventure.
I hope the pastries are wonderful!
October 17th, 2007 at 4:58 am
Didn’t I tell you never to eat at Bugaboo Creek? I could have sworn that I told you about the talking moose and singing fish and assorted other anamatronic beasties.
Oh well. Now you’ll remember.
October 17th, 2007 at 6:01 am
When eating out of town I usually judge restaurants but the # of cars in the parking lot. (factoring in the time of day) This usually helps me avoid eating at places the locals avoid.
October 17th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Lilith - you may have. That sounds kind of familiar now that you mention it. You know how my memory is . . . what blog is this?
October 17th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Ooooo… Chuck E Cheese for grownups, but……. more disturbing.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
See, I thought it was going to turn into a nice story about finding a great meal somewhere you would never have expected. Oh,well….
October 17th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Well, its kind of a relief it was only talking animals- I was worried it was going to be some kind of even more regrettable meal. Still, sounds not exactly appetizing.
October 17th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Hahahahaha!! I’ve eaten at Bugaboo creek once and it was brutal! Between the singing moose and all the animated rodents and the terrible food. . . Yikes. I hope you weren’t alone in that place, remember there’s saftey in numbers.
I’ll be there friday afternoon, and I guess we’re eating at some place that nigh that has pomegranate martinins?? I don’t know what it’s called though. Anyway, you can join us if you’re up to it.
October 17th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
At least at Red Lobster, you’d have gotten cheddar biscuits. (Not that I know anything about that…) Glad you didn’t die - from the food or the shock of the animatronics. Missing Rhinebeck for such a thing would be tragic.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:54 am
HAHAHAHHAHHAA
Yeah, what janna said.
Didn’t you research the culinary delights available in the area before you got there?? Men are so slow to learn…
October 18th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Oh man, I would have been out of there the minute the buffalo started talking. The worst fast food meal I’ve ever had was at a Whataburger somewhere near Amarillo. The place was *full* of hunting trophies with their big glass eyes staring at me. So unsettling… but I think I would’ve lost my meal if one of them started talking.
October 18th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
I’ve never heard of Bugaboo Creek before. I don’t think I’ve seen one on my side of the Hudson. Thank you; now I know to stay away.
As I was reading though, it reminded me of that scene in “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe” with the animal that has been bred to know it’s going to be eaten and it’s okay with that. This cow thing comes up to the table to take Zaphod and Arthur’s orders commenting on how tender it’s own rump is. Douglas Adams was one funny, twisted dude.
Enjoy the CIA.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I’ll be looking for your legs in Rhinebeck! I just remember the wonderful kilt hose of last year!
October 20th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
D, I’m going with Ivete on Sunday, we’re leaving Brooklyn around 10am. Hope to see you there!
October 21st, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Oh man - that is so much worse than just bad food. Bad service and talking animals!
You hit the restaurant no-no’s jackpot.
Hope the pastries make up for it.
October 23rd, 2007 at 9:02 am
next year, try Aroma Oesteria further along Route 9 but worth the drive, off to the left past the malls. Lovely Italian food, great wine list, very pleasant wait staff. So sorry that you had such a lousy time.
http://www.aromaosteriarestaurant.com/about.htm