I embarrassed myself today.

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I had a few extra bucks to spend today, something which never happens with me, and I decided that I wanted to pretend like today was one of those days that I could live it up a while.

So I decided to go to a restaraunt that had good burgers and sandwiches. I had been there a couple of times in the past and remembered them for their good diner food. I'm a big fan of diner food and I always give any new diner a try out if I can spare the money.

So I got the jonesing for some good diner food and went to that restaraunt. When I walked in, I noticed things had changed a little bit. Not much. Just enough to give me pause if but for a second. A very nice gentleman greeted me, handed me a menu and went into an expalnantion about how everything had changed a little bit. Said the menu had underwent a change and then sat me down. He walked off to get a drink and I had to do a double take to see if it was still the same store. And it was.

I opened the menu and for a few seconds I was a little confused. There practically wasn't anything on the menu. There was about 7 items on the main menu and about 10 things on the dessert menu. And I began to give the menu a closer look. Being a sandwich diner the last time I visited the store, I expected to find diner staples such as hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, fried pies, hash browns, home fries... Except that the menu now read "Chicken Schnitzel", Bratwurst, Schnitzel this and Schnitzel that. And crepes (mmmm, mmm....!) Then the cook come sout of the kitchen and starts speaking beautiful Germen with his business partner. I'm sitting there horrified because I hadn't known that the store had changed their menu to host German foods. I am so very used to east Tennessee diner foods and the whole diner culture. But I had never eaten schnitzel at all in my entire life. And I didn't even know how it tasted. And now here I am sitting in a German-owned restatraunt trapped into eating a meal I have no idea what it tastes like. I'm a hick from Tennessee and there is no real protocl when eating at the diners and locally owned food joints around here. If there is only one protocol, it's that you compliment the diner on how good the food is. No matter how good or BAD it tasted!! After all, you don't want your next meal flavored with snot rockets the next time you eat in. ANd I'm here in this German restaraunt so very unaware of German eating customs. And I'm trapped into ordering since I had already asked for my drink order. I'm looking at a menu I have no idea what it means. I'm so very embarrassed that I'm contemplating throwing $5 down onto the table and sneaking out the front door before I can order. But suddenly the restaraunt begins to fill up really fast and I can't make a clean getaway. So I'm staring at the menu and the only thing that looks good is the chicken Schnitzel. I've never had it before and since I'm trapped, I mifght as well enjoy it.

So I'm sitting there waiting for my food and so very stressed hoping that I'm not doing something to insult the owners. When the dish comes out to me, I'm trying to use my best manners. And when the dish gets to me, it's a piping hot dish of a thinly sliced slab of chicken deep-fried with a crumbly batter, a dollup of mashed potatos and some saurkraut with wild rice. With a side of three slices of white bread. As I began eating, I realize that the chicken tastes just like a dish we love hee in the south "chicken fried chicken." And it was the best chicken I have ever eaten. The strangest thing about the meal was the saurkraut. I expected it to taste just like all the kraut I have ever had a million times before. But the taste of it was unlike anything I have ever had. It was the neatest, queerest tasting kraut dish I have ever ate.

I'm eating and I'm still terrified that I not walk over the toes of any German tradition. I didn't know how you are supposed to eat schnitzel. I didn't know if you had to pile something on top of the schnitzel or not. I didn't know if there was some sort of tradition with the bread. I just ate the meal like it was chicken fried chicken and I was eating it at the Cracker Barrel.

My town has many other ethnic themed non fast food restatruants. Greek, Italian, Chinese. And I'm no stranger to other eating customs . But I walked into the restaraunt thinking it was still a southern comfort food diner. Instead it was a Germen store owned and operated by Germans. It was really, really neat. And it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. But I felt real stupid for not even knowing what schnitzel was or how it tasted. And not knowing whether or not if there were German eating customs I would be expected to understand.

Well, I don't blame you for being embarassed. But I don't think you should have been. You found a new food you like.

I'm glad it worked out. The momentary worry seems worth paying.

I like German food.Their smoked chilli cheese is excellent.

Pat your self on the back for not having a meltdown because of the change in "expectations"....I would have walked out (out of anger and fear of the unknown)and missed a great meal.

As far as eating customs...keep in mind....you are paying them...eat anyway you want(The customer is always right).

I agree with krex , I would certainly have left and its fear of the unknown and eating customs that keeps me from many dining experiences I would probably have enjoyed.

Oh yeah. I sat there debating very hard and very furious about whether or not to just leave. But I'm glad I didn't. I like trying new foods ...when I know I'm going to be trying them! When I don't know, I get nervous.

I often worry when I visit a sushi joint if I'm eating something correctly. I'm worried about looking like too much of a foreigner to the owners.

Hey good for you, I am German, I do like German food. I have walked out of restaruants before. One because our food took two hours and still didn't get to us, but other people did get theirs. And another one because the salad bar looked very skimpy and they had jar salad dressing that the boss ran to the store to buy. All that stuff I had at my house. It's ok to walk out of a restaurant. We should have one time but didn't and regretted it. I'm glad though you gave this one a chance. And F.Y.I there really aren't any paticular way to eat German food.

oh, gooness, you sound like the PERFECT guest, markaudette. I would be proud to have you to dinner any time you would like to come on up to Oregon!


Merle

I am of German descent on my mother's side, and schnitzel is one of my favorite foods. I would like to try Greek food. I am fascinated with Greece and would like to try the food. I like pita bread.

Sounds lke a pretty good experience. I will guess that many of us could learn from it. Thank you for sharing.