A Cozy Pub and An Unexpected Surprise

     
     With my left hand grasping my boyfriend's right, we lazily wandered around a small hipster-esque town called New Hope. Aimlessly window-shopping and more so just admiring all of the hand made items and antique shops, our bellies began to grumble. Not wanting to walk any further than necessary, we settled for a meal in a cheap pub.

      At first glance, the pub seemed just like the average run of the mill burgers and greasy fries joint (something I'm not a huge fan of). As I skimmed the menu, which consisted of nothing but what I predicted, I found something unexpected: Roasted Vegetables and Creamed Corn Quinoa. With my curiosity peaked, I ordered it.

     I sat in the warm and cozy red booth of the pub, sipping on tea, listening to the almost too loud music coming from the jukebox. I exchanged a few words with my boyfriend, commenting on the food passing by, or on those sitting at the bar displaying signs of substantial drunkeness (at 4pm). Then, my almost too skinny waitress brought out our plates, which looked as though they weighed more than her.

     In front of me sat a colorful display of various roasted vegetables ranging from mushrooms to red peppers. All of the veggies were laying on top of a bed of quinoa, and just screaming, "Eat me!". I picked up my fork and dove right in, right in to the most heavenly dish I have ever experienced.

    The quinoa was perfectly cooked, almost to the point where it melted in my mouth. The sweet corn swirled around my palate in a sweet, yet delicately creamy flavor. I could not get enough of this dish. The vegetables were still slightly crisp, yet had that nice char on them from the grill. Sweet, creamy, comforting, what didn't this dish have?! For me, this was the ultimate dish of comfort food, and it felt as though I was eating it in my own home, right in front of the fire on my leather couch.

    That day, I left completely satisfied, with a warm and full belly. Ever have a dish that you constantly think about and can't wait until you can go back and get it again? Yeah, I still dream about this dish.

-empascoe