You Deserve A Break Today

I am now in Orlando, FL on a business trip. (Yes, I'm serious. Every once in a while I take off the homeschooling-mom-denim-jumper and put on the serious-female-executive-Friday-casual-twinset so that I can fulfill some special mission for the business that dh and I own and run. Okay, he runs it. But I help. Some. Hmph.)

But I'm not posting about my business trip to bore you with the details of the business. No, I have something more exciting to share.

I ate at McDonald's for lunch.

You should know that ever since watching Super-Size Me I have avoided McDonald's like my sons avoid bathing. Just the memory of Morgan Spurlock puking out of his car is enough to make me reconsider my dining options. But today was one of those rare, your-choices-are-few sort of days where it was either McDonald's or Denny's. I didn't have time for Denny's. But, my goodness, this was no ordinary Mickey D's.

As I entered the restaurant, a sign by the door caught my eye: "Bistro Gourmet is here!" it announced. Um, okay, I know that brand management is a science and all, but NO ONE, I mean NO ONE is ever going to associate the words "McDonald's" and "Gourmet," no matter what kind of campaign the boys in marketing roll out. Why even try?

But when I got inside, I found to my amazement that this McDonald's did indeed have a claim to the Bistro Gourmet concept. They had... panini sandwiches. With roasted red peppers. And dill sauce. They had chicken burritos. They had Philly cheesesteaks.

Yes, Ronald McDonald been a-reading Bon Appetit!

Needless to say, I had to order SOMETHING from this new menu. Chicken Panini it was. And it did NOT come through a little chute and get plopped on a brown tray, oh, no. It was "prepared" by a "server" wearing a CHEF'S HAT. Who brought it OUT TO MY TABLE. On a WHITE CHINA PLATE heaped with a side of fries and COLE SLAW.

Well, shut my mouth!

Okay, it wasn't the best panini I've ever had. But it was so, so far above your standard Big Mac in a styrofoam box that I just had to tell the world about it.

I don't think the Bistro Gourmet thing exists outside of Orlando. But if you ever come down to Disney World, you can check it out.