Cody's Roadhouse

We have a family tradition, our family of four. For each birthday, the celebrant gets to choose where we go for dinner for a nice meal out.

Youngest son's birthday was this past Friday. When first asked what he would like for dinner, he mentioned that he wanted chicken with honey mustard sauce. Upon further questioning, he really wanted the version of Outback's Alice Springs Chicken we make at home. Yep, the kid loves good stuff. However, we asked him if he was SURE he didn't want to go out. So he changed his mind and chose a restaurant.

With some surprise on our part, he chose Cody's Roadhouse. The child we affectionately call "The Crustacean Kid" did NOT pick a seafood meal. He chose a family favorite, though, so off we go to dinner of his choosing. This place has a lot going for it. Good food, great prices and they butcher on premises daily. Neither Ed nor I have had a bad choice in our many times there. In the two years they've been in town, I think between the two of us, we've had everything except the fish entrees.

In the past year, we've begun to skip the kid's meals for him, as he has grown up tastes and sometimes, the appetite to match. He sees the great selections on the menu and looks back at the kid's offerings and will ask for the adult selections. To us, we'd rather pay full price for something he'll like and might get two servings from, rather than cheap out on the nuggets, burger or macs and cheese.

Frequently, I'll ask if he wants to split an entree, and thus begins the bargaining session. "What do YOU want?", "I dunno mom, you pick" is the norm. I think it's his recognition of the many years of seeing something that peaks his interest on my plate and the many times he has taken over my dinner! Yes, you see correctly. He bogarts my dinner (or he did) with stunning frequency. He did this at a local family run mexican place after I'd suggested he get some enchiladas. I got the corn cake and the rice-he ate two of my three enchiladas.

Back to Friday night, we were at Cody's. I asked what he wanted and if he'd want to share with me. He decided he wanted to share and that I could choose. The special was 'Giant Ribs', and the child loves ribs. It was a win win as far as I was concerned. I chose the mashed potatoes, knowing that I'd probably be full from the salad and half the ribs. He is like his aunt in that he could probably eat a plate of them alone and call that dinner.

Giant ribs turned out to be something we hadn't had since living in Maryland: Country Ribs. They're fatty, and have tons more meat on them than baby backs. In the wrong hands, they can be like eating a slab of fatback. If done well, they're tender and delicious. Of course, this being Cody's, they turn out great. The one portion looks like Fred Flintstone's Bronto Burger, and son knaws on two ribs, while I eat the other two. It was plenty for each of us, with a little room left over for dessert.

The birthday boy chose the chocolatehouse Slide for his dessert. Huge enough for all four of us to have some, and this child is ever the sharing type, so it was a natural that he'd pick this dessert. It's a brownie, topped with plenty of ice cream, hot fudge, loads of whipped cream and chocolate syrup. They attempted to put a candle in it, but it wouldn't stay.

I think he chose wisely.

I opened my emails today and they sent me one for my birthday for 10 dollars off two entrees. Between that and the Sam Seltzer's free bottle of wine for your birthday, I'm going to have a hard time deciding! :)