Way out west one occasionally gets a
hankering for something exotic. Most
Manhattanites find the very idea of
coyotes, prairie oysters, and cowboys
out of the ordinary. However once you
live in a modern version of Gunsmoke -
there's little allure to traditional western
fare. The fact is our world in Central
Montana is vanilla at best. Hence when
one gets a chance to add a dash of spice
to one's life - many of us do whatever
it takes to take a walk on the wild side.
However that's easier said than done.
Recently our local paper announced
the arrival of a new Thai food truck
in town. Soon we all were lining up!
When I told my youngest the news -
she sniggered at the very concept of
a such a caravan here in Lewistown.
However the fact is we've got one
and it's damned good. Yesterday we
decided to grab some curry and pad
Thai for lunch. However when we
arrived at said vehicle's parking spot
it was no where to be seen. If only
we'd checked their Facebook page!
Yes folks - we're just as hip as you are.
That means that we not only have food
trucks but said traveling restauranteurs
utilize social media to get the word out.
If we'd done our homework we would
have known they are closed on Mondays.
And so, we went home and quickly made
our own miso for lunch. Tonight we all
eagerly gathered at our local Chinese
restaurant for some Asian home cooking.
Soon we were greeted by a sign on the
door announcing they were temporarily
closed. Chow fun was that? Not at all!
Anywhere else such problems would
not be a bother. You'd simply move
on and choose another place to dine.
However here in Siberia - our ethnic
options are few and far between. So
rather than cry over spilt soy sauce
we went down to the Mexican joint
and got sauced. Little else soothes
this savage beast than some tequila.
And while a burrito may not exactly
be exotic - it's a step above a chicken
fried steak. Even more important -
we didn't have to do the dishes!
East or west, north or south we all crave
whatever we can't easily get. Fortunately
even out here in the middle of no where
a world of culinary delights is slowly
infiltrating the territory. Now our grocer's
aisles are lined with all sorts of oddities
that would never have been even thought
of just a few years ago. And while some
may deem organic a luxury or oddity -
there's an ever growing allocation on the
shelves even if some prefer toxic waste.
Somehow we're learning that there's a
world out there waiting to be consumed.
Given such gastronomic exotica - I can't
help but wonder what's going to happen
to our restaurants?! There are obviously
many gourmands interested in ingesting
all sorts of edibles. Yet few eateries seem
to be ready or willing to serve anything
beyond the most standard of fare. Hence
many locals prefer to stay close to home
and dish it out privately. In such a world
of home made culinary delights, how can
dining out remain viable? Will all of these
foodies take our their frustrations and dine
off the menu at home? Check please!
