Fries for Dinner

After taking a bit of a break for the holidays (Why do I need a break, since I'm not exactly employed right now? Don't ask...) we're back to eating our way through the Bay Area, since I don't have any travel plans for the next few weeks.

Last Friday night, we were debating where to go for dinner. Hubby wanted a burger and for that, we usually head to Jeffrey's, a casual dining joint that serves a perfectly good burger, and makes a nice chocolate shake for older daughter. Alas, the main drawback to Jeffrey's is that their fries are just so-so. And I like fries. A lot. If I'm going to expend valuable calories on fries, I want them to be goooood. Unfortunately, I also have no self-control around fries, so even if they're just so-so, I will continue to consume them at an undeserving rate.

Then I had a brainwave and suggested that we go to the newly re-opened Left Bank in Menlo Park, which had been closed for a few months for renovation. It's a reliable standby and has a good burger and most importantly, EXCELLENT skinny cut fries.

Hubby had a cheeseburger, served with fries. Older daughter had steak frites, which were of course accompanied by frites. Younger daughter had the chicken tenders off the children's menu, served in a silver bucket, sitting on a healthy bed of fries. And I ordered the moules. Alas, while on their lunch menu, the moules are properly served with frites, they are served alone for dinner. So I ordered a side of fries. Yes, 4 servings of fries for 4 people. Just so you know, we don't usually roll like that.

My moules were excellently plump and juicy, and the fries were glorious when dipped in the white wine juice at the bottom of my bowl. There was even some sort of altercation at the other end of the table when a party, who shall remain nameless, finished his fries first and tried to scam some from his daughter, who was remarkably uncooperative.

When asked the next day what she had for dinner, my younger daughter replied, "French fries!" Alas, I may have damned them to a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits...