That was delicious

This spring, I decided to join a few Meet Up groups.  Meet Up is a great concept where it brings people together to share different interested.  There are lots of different groups and tons of active people who are in those groups.  One of the groups I joined is a Foodie group.  I figured I like to go out to eat and how nice to not have to go alone.  They've been getting together for over 2 years.  One of the organizers prides himself that they have not repeated a restaurant yet!

They are very organized and keep the dinner size small to around 15 people.  So it is tough to catch a spot at the table but if you are organized and on the dot to register, you can often make it in.  This group has some singles in it but also several couples.  The age range is vast.  I would guess less than 50% drink.  So far, I've been able to join 3 meals.

Harbor Steak and Seafood - This is literally down the street from me.  This was my first experience.  The group was fun.  I sat by a couple and a 3 single women.  They were interesting and certainly enjoy food....which is nice to share good food with people.  They encouraged people to order appetizers to share with the table.  We had a ton of food and got to sample many appetizers including squash blossoms, flat breads, clam chowder, and salad.  I ordered a steak which was excellent.  Various people also ordered desserts to share although I skipped because I am not tempted by dessert and frankly, I was full.

The Cliff House - This is a great restaurant out in Draper.  I can't believe I've not known about this place.  There were some new faces and one guy was fun as he is a wine connisour.  I tried seafood ceiveche nachos (oh my god they were good) and calamari.  I ordered a burger because they were voted best burger in the state (Hmmmm....not sure about that).   We ate on the patio that had sweeping views of  the South Valley.  One of the most memorable parts of this evening was that 4 of us stayed later and talked about the expectations of dating and how tough it is.  Who pays for the date?  What does that mean to each person?  I also learned that one woman's outfit was $4000 and wears $700 panties (So of course, the guy pays for her company).  I also learned the organizer only dates "dancers".  Good to know.

Bucket of Crawfish - This is a very casual place.  We were warned to come in casual clothes that you don't mind getting dirty.  We all gathered and ordered.  I got a bag of shrimp with potatoes.  I asked if they had any salad or veggies and the answer was a head shaking NO.  The closest thing to a veggie was corn on  the cob.  We were all given bibs which I was warned to wear it for sure (and I am glad I did) and the tables were covered with plastic.  When our bags of food came out, they put empty buckets on the table and rolls of paper towels.  My shrimp came with the heads on them.  They were swimming in juice and spices (I ordered garlic butter with medium cajun spice).  I literally had juice running down my arms.

These have all been great experiences albeit different.  I look forward to joining more.  One thing that makes me laugh is how serious they take the food.  Someone will be like "the citric undertone was a suprise but mixed well with the texture of the scallop".  They ask me what I thought and I can come up with "It's yummy/delicious/good".  I need to work on my foodie vocabulary.  They must enjoy me there as it is getting easier to get in even if I am on the waitlist originally.  I told the organizer that even last minute openings are often okay with me.

I'm really enjoying trying new places and enjoying new tastes.  We all share and everyone is very friendly.  I'm going with the group to one of my favorite restaurants, Valter's on Tuesday.  I can't wait!