I Have Fallen in Love So Many Times at a Restaurant
Missing a Monte Cristo is an unlikely reminder
I had the great misfortune of living in a home of chaos: There were very few things I was allowed to do outside of school socially. I could attend football games, but never after parties. What else could I do? Not shit-else but eat.
Pappadeaux’s, a regional Cajun chain that is the greatest place on Earth as far as I’m concerned, was out of my price range. (Funny enough, New York City, where I presently live until it’s safe to flee, is expensive as hell and yet, doesn’t have a Pappadeaux. For shame.)
I had jobs, but they didn’t pay well enough to swing those prices. But I could swing Bennigan’s. And Bennigan’s had the most amazing sandwich on the planet: the “World Famous Monte Cristo.”
Like many love stories that end in tragedy for Black men, this tale is centered on the swine. True enough, the sandwich is filled with roasted turkey, but it’s that sweet, sweet ham that really sells it. It tastes so good with the Swiss and American cheeses. It’s all wrapped in honey wheat bread that is battered, fried, and coated with powdered sugar. It comes with raspberry preserves for dipping.
That’s why I was so looking forward to returning to one of my favorite chain restaurants: I wanted…
