What Do The Simple Folk Eat?

I don’t know why I have such an aversion to fancy food? It seems to me that most of the time the presentation far exceeds the taste. My tastes must be very simple as I would most of the time prefer a Taco Bell chicken quesadilla to a full course meal at a fancy restaurant. Certainly, part of the reason for my preferences is cost. I can’t eat $40.00 worth of food so why go to place where it is going to cost that much? I have some friends who overdose on fancy restaurants. I wrote this little poem after a trip to Key West where I argued with three friends about where we were going to eat.

Ode to Soup de Jour

I love to eat out every time I possibly can,
Don’t want to cook, or toss or baste, just sit and lift my hand;
But simple food is all I want, none of this fancy stuff,
Just feed my face till I can feel that I have had enough.

Throughout the years, my friends and I have eaten out a lot,
I really do not fuss at all unless the food’s not hot;
But they prefer the restaurants where menus are in “Greek;”
Then I must figure out what is just plain ol’ charbroiled steak.

The salads come with vinaigrette; I want just good ol’ Ranch,
I’d never heard of turbadoes which caused my cheeks to blanch;
I learned that vichyssoise’s a soup, served cold instead of hot,
Why in the world a soul would choose a cold soup–I would not.

I love my taters hot or cold; they serve just pome de terre,
I search and search the menu but potatoes are not there;
I ask for cake with ice cream, but they serve it a la mode,
How is a man to eat when every menu is in code?

So give me Subway sandwiches and Checkers with french fries,
Don’t give me au gratin, garcon; it’s cheese I idolize;
My taste is so plebeian that I truly want it plain,
To analyze the language of a menu strains my brain.