A quiet two for one...

My nails have always been thin, transparent thin, too thin certainly to serve as a screwdriver to tighten the arm of my sunglasses. When the arm finally detached, I went to visit my friends at Moss Opticians. Randi and Natalie were eating lunch in the back; naturally I had to know what: a Chicken Caesar Salad from the Golden Dolphin Diner.

Being fans of this blog they suggested I check it out for myself. “It’s great… one salad is big enough for both of us.” Hmmm, this was worth checking out. So a few days later, on our way home from shopping for kitchen herbs, I talked my friend Denise into sharing the same salad… purely research. We ordered from the car on our way into town and walked in from the back (ample parking, critical in Huntington). The salad was ready, packed for take out, complete with pita bread for $12.50 plus tax and a little tip. (As an aside, Denise who has lived here for 5 years thought the GD was Chinese take out…)

Once at my house we split the salad in half (and I mean even Steven like a couple of eight-year-olds) and dined on the patio. Sure enough, it was overflowing with chicken, salad a plenty for two. They have other salads on the menu; all can be topped with grilled chicken or shrimp, all for about the same price. I intend to try them all, one by one.

Two for the price of one, and it was a good salad!

Last night landed me back at the Golden Dolphin with my husband, son and his friend after Lacrosse practice. It’s a kid-friendly place. The atmosphere lends itself to families. Eating in offers additional perks. We were each given a small bowl of pasta salad, a diner’s muse bouche. The bread basket offered a variety of choice, with big chunks of grilled bread sitting on top screaming “pick me first”, which I did. The boys were all hungry and sank into their hamburgers. I took a different route, to test the two for one principle, and selected the Eggplant Parmesan. It started with a huge salad, either house or Greek, and the entrée was indeed generous. The theory holds. I ate half for dinner (and was full) and brought the rest for lunch at the office.

A little planning can go a long way. It’s good food with great value. These days, that’s worth something.

And to prove my point one last time… I went to visit Aunt June in the hospital not long ago. Knowing she was fed up with mass production inmate meals, I brought her a Golden Dolphin entree of chicken and tons of vegetables over rice with a smooth gravy. Granted she eats less these days, but she enjoyed her Golden Dolphin for three nights running. Good for her.