How we Eat

We took dad to the Sweetwater Restaurant for his 85th birthday. Sweetwater is my favorite east Sacramento neighborhood spot. I knew we would win there because the menu includes both traditional fare and creative cuisine-type items. I LOVE their wedge salad (with grilled, carmelized onion, bacon chunks and the richest blue cheese dressing around)--ok, ok, I know that a wedge salad is made with iceberg and not arugula, but I'm not that much of a food snob. Their grilled artichoke is killer. Mostly, we order off the appetizer menu, and have never been disappointed.

Dad selected the pork loin with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. He wasn't disappointed either. Dad likes simple, midwestern-type food. He isn't very adventurous when it comes to dining. He could live out his days on a diet of german bologna and pale bread, with ice cream thrown in for good measure. No offense to dad's midwestern sensibilities, it's just that he has lived rather extensive portions of his life in California, and well, you'd think he'd enjoy this great state's food just a bit more.

I've been fortunate enough to either live in or spend considerable time in every great (and large) city in this state, and those sojourns have contributed to a palate that is both curious and, for lack of a better word, dignified. A food writer I am not. And I'm only really snobbish when it comes to coffee, ice cream and wine (if someone else is buying). But dad is still happy at predictable chain restaurants like the ones he and mom took us out to during childhood. Eating out, together, is a challenge for us.

He isn't fond of Mexican food and sushi (Eva and Emilio's current culinary obsession) is beyond reason. Nor does he like Indian, Thai or anything else remotely ethnic.

We're going to have to navigate this dining out issue. Really though, he's 85, and he can eat, or not eat, anything he darn well pleases.

For now, I think we'll stick to the Sweetwater. We can all be happy there.