Wayside Inn – October 2014
6.03 – 7, 6.5, 6.5, 6, 6, 5.75, 5.5, 5

  
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Expediency and anticipation comprised the evening.
          Expediency, because a Tuesday evening became a once-in-143-dinners event, a work night for the remaining real-worlder (singlular), begging for a close-to-home pick, at Oak Hill’s Wayside Inn, the site of our pick eight months earlier, although the Lane namesake of the February visit has now disappeared.
          Anticipation (by far the larger of the two elements), because, for the first time in a year, our honorary, ex officio, par excellence, top-clearance subs were back! With Tim and Judy back, it felt like old times, with a comfort level that re-assumes itself no matter the length of absence. More of this later. For now, focus on the restaurant.

Even though Wayside Inn briefly closed and has changed hands since our last visit (different chef; same owners, we believe), it is, for practical purposes, the Wayside of our last visit and of the last decade—inexpensive, casual, home-made meals, with a mix of burgers, sandwiches, salads, sides, and entrées.
          Food choices, this evening, included:
==> Pot roast – three chunks of slow cooked, bottom round, savory brown gravy, mashed potatoes, and string-bean/carrot-slice vegetable (Kriss, Ken & Tim: all very good; classic comfort food, large portion; all three sent back to be warmed)
==> Vegetable lasagna – layers of pasta, vegetables, cheese-baked with mozzarella topping (Judy, Deb K: not warm, not much vegetable, thin layers, disappointing, especially for those who remember the fresh-from-the-hot-oven bowls)
==> Broiled salmon filet, choice of starch, vegetable of evening (Don: very good; piping hot, moist, light & enjoyable butter-lemon sauce)
==> Wayside salad with chicken – salad greens, grape tomatoes, red onion slices, cheddar cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries (Deb T: more comfort food for her, worthy enough)
==> Hot Buffalo wings, blue cheese & celery (Chay: good enough, spice-hot enough to be pleasant)
          Six of the eight meals came with the Wayside side salad – a five-inch bowl of greens, a few cherry tomatoes, and onion slices. Good enough, with the choices of dressings. The non-partakers were Deb T, who was getting the larger salad as an entrée, and Chay, who ordered the chicken-rice soup special, a large cup of a comfortable thick-sauce soup.

We forewent desserts because of a special offer (details later).

The drink order—a non-typical typical order, especially at Wayside. Ken and Tim ordered glasses of the house Cabernet Sauvignon; Chay and Don ordered pints of tap beer; the other four stayed with soda and water.

Service was very good. Pacing, delivery, attentiveness were on the mark, making a smooth flow of the evening.

Our seating in the side space just large enough for eight, with Chay and Ken on the ends. Tuesday evening was somewhat quiet, thus ensuring a round-the-dinner-table feel, with the only noise in the restaurant echoing from the table of eight. Other Wayside details can be read in February’s write-up. (http://www.dteator.com/restaurants/zWayside.htm)

The evening’s bill came to $40 per couple, including all expenses, a record low for DP8 over twelve years. Of course, no dessert and minimal alcohol influenced that.

The stars of the evening, at the Teator house pre-session, were Tim and Judy whose DC address precludes regular DP8 attendance. And we caught up on news and goings-on with a vengeance. It was homecoming, with the warmth of long-time friends re-united.
          Well, this came after the pre-session set-up: a bottle of Prosecco (Judy influence), a bottle of Mondavi Cabernet, bottles of Lake Placid IPA, and white zin (Kriss, of course). Nibble-stuff included: small pieces of pizza; dark chocolate covered raisins; bowls of broccoli-baby carrots-celery, tomato salsa, corn salsa, hummus; baskets of corn chips, crackers, and bread slices; containers of guacamole and spinach dip.
          The non-order of dessert at Wayside was caused by the invite-back-to-the-house for dessert and talk. Two of our favorites—Hartmann’s chocolate cream cake as well as a Charlene Hull banana cream pie (another Judy influence)—were the centerpieces. Don had bought half-bottles of Frangelico and white Sambuca for the two usual connoisseurs.

Topics ranged the usual gamut but, as might be expected, a long span centered on the Adamses: RV winter travel, RV summer travel, coming winter plans, fate of RV, grandkids, pictures of grandkids, health, DC goings-on, more grandkids, Noel & Mari, NYC trip, finding replacements for doctors and dentists, and a ton more to fill in the major chunks, even though we are in contact enough to know most of the stuff.
          Other topics: DP8 events, Karnes trip north and west a few weeks ago, real world work, wonder of retirement for the new guy, cleaning guns, cleaning a real gun, Ken’s car show results, the Teator cruise, Cape Cod, the doings of the other eight subs, underwear modeling, stresses of work, parents’ health, high cost of dentistry, Kalli, Christmas plans, Thanksgiving plans, C-D news, classic autumn weather, golfing, Deb K’s running, Nate’s house DIY and boating, status of the Monteverd generation 2, parents’ health, and more.