Dec
21
2010

The Rusty Skillet

Smoke 'Em If You've Got 'Em

(Add / View Comments) (0)Tuesday, December 21, 2010 - 11:49:30 pm
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Drove into the thriving metropolis that is Warsaw for lunch before seeing the Union Jensen's off. Shelly made the executive decision that we were going to dine at The Rusty Skillet. Despite temporarily calling Warsaw home for three months, neither Katie nor I have actually yet been blessed with the experience of dining at this fine Warsaw establishment. It's one of the few in this town that I can say that about.

Unlike when I'd stepped of the plane from living all 32 years of my life (at the time) in Melbourne, Australia, Warsaw isn't that scary these days. [wink] Having spent 3 months out here last year probably plays a part in that. Though, stepping foot into The Rusty Skillet today invoked the sinking feeling that any one of us may be shot, possibly before we even get to chow down. If for nothing else, Warsaw is full of wonderful experiences.

Admittedly, the feeling that of being hunted down like a doe at point blank range from any table around us subsided soon enough. The other sense that tingled as we walked in the door was the one triggered by stale cigarette smoke filled air lingering, which didn't subside as quickly. Holy shit, there is nothing that makes you feel like you've walked into a 1940 movie than walking into a smoke filled restaurant. Bizarro world.

And what is more bizarre is how we, as human beings, can be reprogrammed. Make no mistake, I continue to have an intimate relationship with cigarettes. The little soldiers still brighten my day, multiple times a day. And 10 years ago, I was no stranger to waking in a bedroom that looked like a bonfire had been lit in the middle of it the night before. And there was absolutely nothing strange feeling about lighting up a bad boy indoors. It's probably been close to 10 years since that daily routine was modified to be preceded with a march outdoors. First imposed by co-inhabitants, and not that long later, by the government. And while I was down with the co-inhabitants imposed rule, I clearly remember being outraged by the government mandated ban of smoking in restaurants and more so bars. But 10 years on, the concept of smoking within the confines of four walls is an amazingly odd sensation. That fact came up a while back at an after party at Pat's after a Strange Young Things gig, where holding a lit cigarette inside just felt completely odd, and I opted for smoking outside for the rest of the night. The rare opportunities to smoke indoors is still (probably even more so) alluring, but putting it into action actually feels uncomfortable and has me looking for the nearest door. So walking into the smoke filled Rusty Skillet today was an incredibly foreign feeling experience.

In any case, no-one was hunted down during lunch, despite the high proportion of hunting camo attire being worn throughout the restaurant. Maybe it was the already missing home that prompted me to order the jalapeno cheese burger. A gamble for sure, but one that absolutely paid off. And reminded me of how bizarre it is that I lived the first 30 odd years off my life without knowing the wonder that is is the jalapeno pepper. I had no idea how much I was missing out on.

Disclaimer: The copious amount of traveling time over the past few days have presented for opportunity for plenty of reading time. That combined with the having access to raid what Katie has in storage, has meant I've been absorbing a lot of Notaro over the past week. (The line about not knowing how much I have been missing out on equally applies here.) Certain nuggets have already crept into my regular vocabulary. Rather than theft, I prefer to think of it as a sincere form of flattery. [smile]

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