I seem to be plagued by the just run out syndrome in restaurants I visit. Perhaps I always order the most popular dishes, or ones that are actually just there for show, but whenever I go out it is guaranteed that one of the courses I order will not be available.
I've come to terms somewhat with this, I now try to have a back up choice for each course but even so the restaurant I visited in Hereford a few days ago took the biscuit.
Six of us had booked for dinner, four turned up together and I ordered a bottle of red wine and then popped downstairs to escort the last two arrivals to where we were sitting. When we all sat down my wife explained that we had had to order white wine instead as the key to the red wine cupboard couldn't be found.
Not a good start but to give the waitress her due she was very apologetic as she handed out the food menus. The selection of starters on offer was a bit archaic, prawn cocktail, pâté, garlic mushrooms and a couple of salads which I naturally glossed over. The only redeeeming feature was tiger prawns which both my mother and I ordered.
The main courses showed a bit more inventiveness although both my father and I plumped for cod and chips, not something I normally eat in restaurants, but it came with mushy peas which I love and was recommended by the chef.
As you have no doubt guessed a few minutes later the every cheerful waitress returned with the news that there was only one portion of tiger prawns left. I did the dutiful son bit and let mater have them, I went for my second choice of pâté which turned out to be a rather insipid concoction. Shortly afterwards the waitress reappeared to say that they've sold out of cod, given that were eating early on a Friday it seemed hard to believe, especially as it was advertised as a house speciality. I ended up having a nice piece of swordfish albeit smothered in far too much sauce, I did get the mushy peas however.
So there you go; the wine and both food courses not available, I declined to risk choosing a dessert.
