It’s not what you think.
Saturday night was date night. Husband and I were particularly spent for reasons I will not go into now, so our first stop was Starbucks. Tall bold pour moi and short capp for the man. We got our coffees and we walked. And walked. We had no plan. Imagine that.
We stopped in Columbus Circle and had a cocktail at the bar at the swank sushi restaurant Blue Ribbon in the 6 Columbus Hotel. We talked and took it all in – the din of an early weekend evening in Manhattan, the buzz of tourists checking in, the chirp of a moderately-intoxicated middle-aged chick next to me who was drinking something uber-enigmatic (and, apparently, uber-alcoholic) called the Urban Organic.
And then. It was decision time. We were marginally-rejuvenated but still draggy. To mosey toward home and grab a bite at a local fave or hop on the subway and head downtown toward the relative unknown?
Believe it or not, we choose Door B. On the subway, I jotted literary ideas on my iPhone in an embarrassing frenzy. And before we knew it, we were there. On West 4th. We got out and we walked. We happened upon a few restaurants that we know and love. I said: No, let’s try something new!
Now. This is not really like me. I am not overly adventurous. But we did it. We wandered into a dark and packed Thai restaurant. They didn’t have a table for us, so we took a seat at the bar. We perused the menu. When the bartender came to take our dinner order, I asked a question: What’s the spiciest thing on the menu?
The swordfish curry, he said, flashing an impish, uh-oh grin.
Fast forward fifteen. The curry arrives, and with it? A plate of cucumber spears resting on ice. Not the best sign, huh?
Fearless, we grab our forks and dive in. It’s spicy, but we are okay. The waiter comes to check on us. He says that we are champs because we are not crying. The cucumbers? They sit untouched. Child’s play!
But then. Suddenly, my tongue is on fire. Flames, I tell you. And my eyes? They are full of tears. I grab desperately for the cucumbers.
We survive. We do. We make it home, chuckling about our spicy Saturday night adventure.
But I wonder what this is all about. This sudden desire for adventure, for underground trips downtown to unknown eateries. This sudden craving for ruthless spice.
Do you guys have any thoughts? Insights? Guesses?
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Do you like spicy food? Adventure? Do you ever go on wandering/adventure dates with your significant other? Has your palate changed over the years? Have you ever cried in public because of firey food or something else?
I love adventure! That being said, I must specify -the kinds of adventure such as this. I could never bring myself to jump out of an airplane. Maybe it is the spontaneity I find appealing. Maybe they are one and the same. Having never been to Manhattan (but dying to go- it is next on my list) , I still love that this place seems to hold so much adventure. Congrats on door B! Sounds like it was a wonderful night out for you and Husband!
raising children requires on your feet thinking, impromptu problem solving – but lots and lots of steadiness and reliability… i am happy you did that – it’s like the ‘you’ force identifying from the ‘mom’ force… you know, like your little girl wearing pink…
i’ll take those kinds of tears any day! happy ones… keep it up…
I love spicy food and it always makes me cry. It also makes me look like I’ve got the worst cold ever. That’s kind of why I like spicy food, I feel so cleansed after
I do prefer to do it in the comfort of my own home though.
Love this! I do like to adventure with hubby. New restaurants, new tastes, new places. He even convinced me this summer to do a 3-day, 27 mile backpacking trip! It’s fun to break out of the usual every now and then.
I was the pickiest eater ever, not only as a child but as a young adult too. Just really bland, run of the mill stuff, hold the sauce, thanks. Now, well, I’ve pretty much totally revised how I eat. Not just that I grow/raise most of my own, but my cookbooks are like an international sampler. Indian, Thai, Chinese, all kinds of gourmet restaurant cookbooks, plus a few devoted to nothing but sauces! It helps my hubby is a fearless eater and will try anything I put in front of him. Now I can’t understand how my mom can live without hot sauce in her fridge when we eat there.
And while I’ve never cried in public over spicy food, there was an incident last week at a friend’s gathering for the Steeler game (it was semi-public, I guess you could say)…Hubby & a dear friend of mine had a raw hot pepper eating contest. I buttered many pieces of bread for their poor burnt mouths before the crying stopped!
It’s refreshing to step out of routine, no matter what phase of life you’re in. We made a list with another couple we’re friends with called “ALL-OUT L.A.,” and it features things from the mundane (dinner at Mozza) to the terrifying (skydiving — yes, we did it), that Los Angeles offers and we have never tried. It will take us several years to get through it (especially now that she’s had a baby and I’m expecting), but sometimes it’s important to get out of the “who’s house do we want to eat dinner at tonight?” banality.
I know you’ve lived in NY all your life, but there are still untold numbers of untried restaurants, galleries, museums, rides at Coney Island, helicopter rides over the city skyline, that can give you the rush you’re looking for now and then.
Wow. “Whose” house. Hi, pregnancy brain.
Though I’m not much of a spicy food eater, my sister’s boyfriend loves things as hot as you can possibly get them. When we all go out together, I feel the need to go toe-to-toe with him with the hot sauce and spices! I’ve definitely cried while eating before, but it was coupled with extreme laughter and grabbing for some sort of drink. That’s the best kind of pain.
It’s good to branch out and be daring, Aidan! Though I’m also a creature of habit, I feel the need to break out of routine — and my shell — fairly often. Keeps things fresh. Reminds me that I’m alive.
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As someone who cooks Indian food and loves it, I must say spicy food is a must. We keep a stockpile of Thai chile peppers and Serranos on hand for most of our Indian entrees.
I adore spicy food, having been weened on it. Parents from the Caribbean!
I am glad you branched out and tried something different, it’s always mostly a fun experience and if not you tried and know what you like and don’t like.