Anticipation

I know we’ve all been through the experience of really craving something to a point where we become obsessed with it.  And then, when we finally get that item, or that experience, it turns out to be a big disappointment. It’s like going to Disneyland and finding that the best rides are all closed that day, something that actually did happen to me that I wrote about in a prior column.

I had another of those moments just last week.  Let me tell you about it…

A couple of months ago I was in a restaurant for breakfast. Nothing really appealed to me, so I ordered a ham and cheese omelet.  It was okay, but nothing special.  However, when we got up to leave, I walked past a table where someone was enjoying a bowl (and I mean a big cereal bowl) of corned beef hash with two poached eggs on top.

Even with my tummy full of omelet, I was jealous!  I had that feeling of regret that I hadn’t examined the menu closely enough.  I therefore missed out on what I imagined would have been a great breakfast treat.

From that moment on I was on a quest to find a restaurant that would serve corned beef hash and eggs.  It became a real thing with me, and I spent time online searching menus of local and regional restaurants for corned beef ash and eggs.  I even went back to watching the Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives to see if Guy Fieri would feature a restaurant that serves the dish.

Alas, I found none!

I know, I know, corned beef hash is sold in cans, and eggs are available at every grocery store, but it just isn’t the same when you make it yourself at home.  Besides, we don’t do much cooking anymore, and our use for eggs is nil; I’d waste ten out of a dozen.

Finally a break came.  Last week I got word that the Evans Diner, a local eatery, does serve corned beef hash and it is on the menu all day, not just for breakfast.

Well, I found an excuse to be in the area of that little diner around lunchtime.  I went in and ordered my classic dish, corned beef hash with poached eggs.  It took about ten minutes for the plate to arrive at my spot at the counter, and I sat with mouth watering while I waited for it.

When it came, the portion of hash was kind of small, the hash browns that went with it were kind of crispy, and the eggs were kind of hard, not runny like I prefer. And all-in-all, the whole plate looked kind of ‘greasy.’

Suddenly my heart’s desire turned out to be a total put-off.  Oh, I ate everything, but I was way less than satisfied with the dish that I thought would tickle my taste buds.  In short, the fire was out.  If I never have that dish again—at least that version of it—it won’t be soon enough.

Moral: Sometimes the anticipation is far better than the fulfillment of the goal.