The Grocery Store Epicure

I remember eating out. Mike and I used to do it often--when we both had full-time jobs in the early 1980s. Ah, the prosperous '80s.
That changed when we had kids and I went to part-time self employment. We'd get the kids McDonald's once in a while, of course. But the sit-down restaurant experience for us became restricted to a couple of times a year. A birthday, graduation or anniversary.
Now that we're both part-timers, well, I was beginning to despair that I'd ever see another non-home cooked meal.

But despair is an emotion that shouldn't be in an optimist's repertoire. It should be possible to have fun in the midst of a depression. Our grandparents did. Forget the cheap restaurant meal. It should be possible to eat for free (or almost free). It should be possible to do that without taking a spot in line away from someone truly needy.

It should be. And it is.
No need to be beaten down by circumstances. I declare this the Year of the Free (or almost free) Meal. It is my goal to find somewhere each week to eat something free.

First up: Costco.
Yes, Costco has a snack bar right up front. That is not what I'm talking about. That is not free.
To have a Costco meal for free, grab a cart at the door and start strolling. (Caveat: To do this you must be a member. My membership is paid through August, so I consider this "free" for the time being.)
The first thing I learned about Costco dining is that it matters what day of the week you visit. My first trip was on a Thursday--just before payday when groceries were getting low. I found the selection that day to be cheese-heavy and somewhat disappointing.
Still, I was able to have a helping of Kangaroo Pita Chips and hummus, followed in short order by a square of delicious queso blanco fried to a golden tan. The next starter, some Bel Gioioso fresh mozzarella, seemed a little bland by comparison, as did the Sensible Portions garlic and chive pita bites. The Rice Works sea salt crisps were toasty and satisfying, though. The whole thing was washed down by a cup of Tree Top orange, cherry and mango juice.
This was a so-so trip. But I think most diners would agree there's a lot missing from the menu.

So okay. Maybe Costco is one of those places that doesn't get cranked up until the weekend. Maybe the kitchen was having an off day. I decided to make two more trips, Friday and Saturday, just to be fair to the management.

Friday was more like it. The starters, salt and pepper Kettle Crisps, and Raisin Bran Crunch, were a nice yin and yang of sweetness and salt. And the Veggie Straws were an airy, ethereal delight. The entree, salmon sauteed with McCormick seasoning, was perfectly done and paired nicely with an in-house 3-potato salad. The portion size was also a welcome change from smaller fare of the previous day.
Zarda baked beans were good but a bit spicy to be an apt compliment to the salmon. Still, when you add it all up with some Fuze tea, I left the store feeling that the edge of my hunger had been blunted.

Saturday, though, was the real jackpot.
I began with three appetizers--Cambozola Triple Cream cheese and cracker, Rotisserie chicken salad with rice crackers and La Terra Fina spinach and artichoke spread with Snack Factory Original Pretzel Crisps. All were excellent, but the cambozola was the real standout with its creamy texture and hint of bleu cheese bite.
From there I moved to the salad course. The Earthbound Farm Organic Caesar was good but a little over-dressed. The same was true of the Zarda cole slaw, which was a bit on the sweet side. (there was a choice of cole slaw or potato salad, but they were temporarily out of the potato)
The entree was a meat trioka--a slice of Tyson Polish Kielbasa, a half sausage patty from Jones Dairy and almost half a Coleman hot dog. Sadly, the bacon slices weren't done yet when I went by. The cured meat was set off nicely by a slice of mango, which also upped the health benefits.
The meal came to a satisfying conclusion with a serving of Kirkland vanilla ice cream, topped off with a perfect foil, a Sugar Bowl brownie bite and finished with a good sized cup of Kirkland Green Tea.
As would be expected in any grocery store meal, the ambiance was problematic. Lighting tended toward the garish and did little to improve the mood, and the occasional bird flying above the warehouse pallets was a worrisome sight. And there were occasional glitches in service--the missing toothpick in the hot dog, the long lines and traffic jams in front of some stations. At one point, I had to wait patiently while an older gentleman inquired whether cream of mushroom soup would come back on the menu.
But I have to say the servers were without exception friendly, courteous and unobtrusive, some going so far as to point out where the menu items could be purchased.
By the time I was finished, I felt comfortably full. In fact, a little overfull. As providence would have it, some Benefiber Drink mix was available as a kind of after-dinner mint. Although I skipped this offering, the store's consideration of their patrons' digestive tracts has to be noted here with approval.

So there it is. Costco can be a great dining experience. But come on the weekend.

Roxie's rating: Five out of five stars.