Lunches and Friends, Second Take...

After meeting our friend in Yuma Arizona (and the Cracker Barrel experience), we slogged on to Eloy, where MFO’s brother lives in retirement (sort of). They live in one of those communities plopped onto the desert which contains a golf course (thanks to irrigation), recreational facilities, and stuff like that. Incidentally, Eloy claims it’s the sky diving capitol of America, and judging by the numbers of people we saw dropping from the sky, it’s likely they’re correct.

Up the road from there is the megalopolis of Phoenix, and it is there that another friend now lives. Besides being a long time associate at McDonnell/Boeing and then Pax, we’ve remained good friends and I have always appreciated his outlook on life and his advice of “we must learn to be content”. I’m still trying to learn that. Anyway, we arranged to meet in Gilbert, on the Southern side of the big city at a little restaurant called Romeos Euro Café. On the drive up to meet him, I added to my growing collection of restaurant signs





Also along the way, we were ushered by the silent sentinels of the desert



Aided by the new Droid’s GPS feature we found the place with no difficulty, although we did arrive somewhat after our targeted meeting time.



It is in a building with several other businesses, and basically it’s a wine store with tables kind of like our Blue Wind Gourmet. High ceilings, with an “open kitchen”, and there are lots of interesting wines to look at.



Between our tardiness and our friend’s early arrival, he was on his second cup of coffee and was really ready to talk when we arrived. It’s such a treat to see friends you haven’t been with for a while, and we had lots to catch up on. All agreed that the first order of business was to have a celebratory glass of wine, and after getting up to read the blackboard of by the glass selections we chose a Viognier. After it warmed a bit, it showed nice fruits and was quite tasty.

Finally turning our attention to food, we were given the menu which was like a small notebook. An amazing array of choices available with several different cuisines represented, although generally of Mediterranean heritage. Lots of Greek and Italian dishes like Mediterranean Stuffed Gyros, Fillomousaka, Sausage Sophia (Italian sausage with bell peppers, garlic, capers, mushrooms, pine nuts, zucchini and scallions in olive oil and herbs). But there was also Paella Barcelona (Shrimp, chicken, clams, Italian sausage, hearts of artichoke and palm, spinach, red bell peppers, onions, whole garlic,
peeled tomatoes and brown rice), Wiener Schnitzel, small plates, appetizers, salads, sandwiches (a Pita Reuben), “subs and burgersubs” you name it.
After some deliberation, our friend chose the Wiener Schnitzel (reflecting his Germanic heritage), MFO got the Broiled Chicken Salad (Grilled chicken, tossed with artichokes, roasted red peppers, black olives, green onions, walnuts on a bed of lettuce with a lemon mustard sauce). I got a dish called something like “Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with garlic bruscetta on linguine”. When I ordered it our server (by this time a good friend of our companion) said, “Well, I have to warn you that that dish is all about the bacon, and not about the shrimp”. Bacon wrapped shrimp is always good so I said I’d take my chances and go ahead and get it.

When we ordered another glass of wine, the helpful lady said that three glasses of by the glass was about equal to a bottle, so we said, sure, bring it on..

After some pretty tasty side salads, the entrees were delivered to the table



Notice my shrimp in the foreground (and the schnitzel and salad behind). Indeed it was bacon wrapped, but maybe better described as “bacon encased”. The only hint that shrimp was involved was their little tails sticking out. Perceptive readers may recall a dish called something like “Bacon Explosion” which was documented in a feeder a while back which was basically sausage wrapped in bacon, then more bacon, and finally a lot more bacon. Well, this immediately brought it to mind. When I cut into it I had to sort of peer closely to make sure there actually was shrimp in there. Yes there were, but look at the proportions



That is not to say that the dish was not tasty, you can’t miss with bacon fat, but after about two of the little packages(aided by the pasta), the appetite quailed and I couldn’t finish it. It was very good, but maybe I should have heeded the advice of the lady. The other dishes at the table were good and of equally hearty proportions. For dessert we had another glass of wine (the bottle apparently had a leak).

This time the food enhanced the experience of seeing a good friend, and next time you’re in Gilbert, I’d recommend a stop. Just think twice before ordering the bacon wrapped shrimp. There are a lot of other good menu choices while you are

DFL