Lunch in the Shadow of the Tower of Power

CHEF TO GO: A Doggie Bag Deal

No Pets or Decayed Gentlemen allowed in the Gump Club.

We all know Lunch in the Gump is more about the experience than the food.  Yogi Berra might say that half of the experience of lunching at a restaurant is 90 percent being there to eat it.  But, on a beautiful May day like today--not a cloud in the sky--I would argue that half the experience of a good take away lunch is eating outside for half the price of sitting at a fancy table. Today, for example, decayed gentlemen that I am, I elected to leave the inner sanctum of my secret office and walk Darla a/k/a Shadow Pup over to the Capital City Club in the RSA Tower.  Those familiar with my current economic plight would not be surprised to learn that I formally was a member of the club and longed to eat there again--even if in shame. I knew I was viewed as Darla is often viewed at restaurants: "Non-Members and Pets Not Allowed."

However, I missed the food at my downtown club and recently learned that they have this program called: "Chef to Go" which is open to the rabble like myself.  If you call 220-4232 and place your order and set a time of pick-up, you can have whatever meat the rich folk are eating off the buffet inside plus two sides and the drink of your choice for $8 (including the city council's share).  So, I swallowed my pride and called in my order like a common taxpayer.  I averted my eyes in the elevator to avoid eye contact with someone who was a somebody that might recognize me and ask why they had not seen me in the Club in a while.  Thankfully, no awkward meetings occurred and I was able to slink around to the Chef to Go portal.  What I received from the 21st floor pickup door made it all worthwhile.  For my eight dollars I was given a snazzy and chic bag filled with a lot of good food:

You can order the Gump Club food but just can't eat it there.

Today I ordered the boneless stuffed grilled pork chop (not Bing's favorite FPC) which could be cut with a plastic fork rather easily and which tasted divine although I spilled the au jus on my waistcoat.  Accompanying the tender chop were my two very tasty sides: turnips and black-eyed peas.  Thrown in as an extra was a fresh and light cornbread muffin in a cupcake wrapper and a fresh peanut-butter cookie for dessert.  Too bad for me having to stay on the Atkin's diet and lucky for Darla.  I would like say that Darla is a good judge of food but she sometimes eats her own poop. She wags either way.  Anyway, what I ordered was very good.

It was also pleasant to sit out on the north side of the Tower of Terror (RSA Tower) which is perpetually shaded by the tallest structure in the Gump.  He Who Must Be Obeyed (Dr. Bronner) has created a very nice smoking area complete with benches and metal "thingies" that look as if they ought to be covered with tents or something.  They provided the illusion of a covered patio and good view of St. John's Episcopal Church while I dined from my Styrofoam box like an experienced "Statey."

The experience continued as I went back into the Tower to get a haircut from "Pat." She really doesn't like foreigners very much but has taken a liking to my faint Irish brogue and consented to cut my hair.  With Pat you not only get a good cut for $17, you get to hear a lot of comments about her allergies to the medicines used for her colonoscopy, her favorite customers Troy King  and Dr. "B", and the fact that she is afraid to cut some politicians' hair because she might catch "something penicillin won't cure." By the way, she does NOT cut Gov. Riley's pompadour. According to her some "sweet" barbers in Old Cloverdale can have that business.

As I said, Lunch in the Gump is more about the experience than the food.  My experience today was pleasant: Walking the pooch to the tower on a beautiful May day, dining on the same food the rich and powerful pay twice the price for in the shadow of the Tower, and then catching up on the local political gossip while my own pompadour was quaffed.  It was a day's worth of experience in 45 minutes and a short walk from my office.  Next time I may send my "runners" (unless I need a haircut).  I definitely plan to try Chef to Go at least nine more times (the 10th lunch at Chef to Go is on the house!).  The economy demands frugality.

Ta.

CNA

Ed. Note: If you need the address for the RSA Tower you are a dope.  Just go to the Gump and look up.  It's the tallest building you see.