Friday, September 12, 2008

Veto List - Sbarro

I would like to submit another entry to the Veto List.

Sbarro

Yesterday, I had to run to the bank during lunch, and ended up ducking into the food court at South Shore Plaza for a quick bite.

We have a number of chain restaurants nearby that are perfectly suitable for lunch - Cheesecake Factory, Bertucci's, Friday's, Legal Sea Food, The 99, Pizzeria Uno's - but they are all sit-down restaurants. I could call ahead, but that requires planning. And often, I'm grabbing a quick bite and eating at my desk. Hour+ lunches are very difficult these days at work.

So, that leaves me with our corporate cafeteria, Chipotle, Au Bon Pain, D'Angelo's, or the South Shore Plaza Food Court (which is terribly lacking), or bringing my own lunch (which I do often, but just can't do every single day).

I thought I would give one of their food court restaurants (Sbarro) a shot yesterday.

Now I have been to Sbarro before. And while it's not terrible, I'm always left wishing it was more than it was. Similar to why I veto'ed Qdoba, it just should be better.

Eating my ziti and chicken parmesan lunch, I thought about the Italy trip from last fall. At times, our coach bus would stop at highway rest areas called AutoGrill. Rather than forcing motorists to cram McDonald's or Papa Gino's down their gullets, AutoGrill welcomes patrons into a truly delicious eating experience - freshly prepared Italian dishes, excellent salad bars and desserts, even beer and wine.

It's possible that the Italians equate the food there with how Americans equate rest-area food in the US, but as a foreign traveler, it was awesome.

As you left, you HAD to walk through a market with fresh pasta, cheeses, salami, and Italian groceries (crackers, cookies, condiments, etc). It was the only way out. And we stocked up on snacks, skipping Chex Mix for Rustic crackers flavored with olive oil and rosemary.

During yesterday's lunch, thinking about Italy, I decided that when rest area food is better than what I'm eating, then that is my final meal with that establishment.

So, Sbarro gets the veto.

The Veto List now stands at:

1. Chili's
2. Qdoba
3. Brasserie Jo
4. Laurel
5. Bruegger's Bagels in Kenmore
6. The Publick House
7. Sbarro

3 comments:

meg said...

wait...why is Laurel vetoed? That was my bros spot!!

Jason said...

It's veto'ed because I had a fight with the Welsh bartender. John and I were sitting at the bar for a while, chatting with the bartender - Errol I believe is his name, and he was a prick to me when I was there. We had a fight about the "country" of Wales (which I maintained is not a country). While it appears that Welsh call their land a country, but non-Welsh do not, it's quite the cultural / national debate. I didn't appreciate getting yelled at. So, he got vetoed.

meg said...

well down with the welsh:) you are silly.