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Best meal of your life?

Posted on September 6, 2015September 6, 2015

I was working with a friend on a project at the end of our driveway this weekend (Another story for another time) and we started talking about Olive Garden.  His son is a restaurant manager and had worked his way up from nothing to get to where he was.

The conversation reminded me of the greatest dinner of my life.  That sounds a little flippant right?  Who can know such a thing?  In my continuing quest to always document EVERYTHING.  Here is what I remember about coming back to Illinois for what was supposed to be a little “me time”.

I don’t remember the year… It was 1992 or 93…   Maybe 94?   Somewhere in there.  I was in a bad place.  At that time I was living in Miami.  My back was shredded from being a Bellman at the Intercontinental, my relationship with my girlfriend was tanking and I was never going to admit defeat and go back home to the folks in Fort Myers.   The girlfriend and I thought it would be good for me to get away.  (That story would be a much longer blog post!)

I loaded up the 1986 Dodge Colt with enough gear to get away from South Florida and head back north to see my High School buddy Scott.  I don’t think I had much money, since I didn’t have a credit card at the time, I must have had a couple hundred bucks if I planned on being away for a week or so.

The ride was long!  I tried to make it in one trip…  But February in Tennessee had other ideas at 3AM in the morning.  I had to stop.   I was bushed!  It probably didn’t help that I was listening to August and Everything After by Counting Crows over and over on the trip up.  Not exactly an emotionally motivating album!

The next day, I drove into freezing weather.  My little car was probably riding with a radiator full of water…  As I drove up I57 to Champaign, the heat kept dropping inside.  I was nearly freezing.  Not helping was my Miami fashion attire.  It had led me to a life with no socks!  Had I not bought an expensive leather jacket at Wilson’s back in 1987, I probably would not have owned a coat either.  I was freezing my ass off!

When I got to Champaign, I found a Target and called Scott’s apartment on an outside payphone.  I fully remember freezing my ass off on the payphone.   Somethings never change with me, I had been pretty vague on arrival time or directions on where I was going.  Scott’s bother, Bob, answered and said he was at work at The Olive Garden.

I headed to Olive Garden to see what time Scott was off and make sure we were still cool with me hanging out for a week or so.  Again, you think this would have been handled ahead of time!

It was dark… Cold and generally miserable like you would expect February in Illinois to be.  I walked across the slushy parking lot in my sockless deck shoes.  I was feeling beat down.  Inside the door of Olive Garden was WARM!  Something I had not felt in 12 hours at least.

The hostess got Scott.  When we saw each other, it was giant smiles and a big hug.  Long time no see!  I asked what time he got off work, and he said it would be a while.  Then he asked if I was hungry?

Was I?  I was starving, cold, broke and generally depressed!  Scott had me seated and the next thing I know… I am getting a big old slab of Lasagna and piles of bread sticks.  I only remember that the food was warm and wonderful.  It was the perfect antidote to my ills of that moment.  I remember being very happy and content after that acre of pasta.  I was with my best friend and he put me in a better place.  I still owe him a debt for this that I am not sure I can ever repay.

That was my best meal ever.  Thanks Scott!   And thanks Gene for helping me remember this.

Now, I could have selected other meals with great friends, amazing food or relatives that have passed…  But I can tell you, this meal was a life changing event.  The rest is history!

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