One of the aspects of living in Sweetwater County is the inevitable challenge of eating at a restaurant within a month of it opening.
For that month or so, service to any brand-new eating establishment is similar to what one expects in Salt Lake City or Denver, with wait times of about half an hour from when the party arrives to when they’re seated. As we all know, that’s a rarity for any restaurant in Rock Springs or Green River, let alone any location in Wyoming outside of Jackson Hole or Cheyenne.
I completely understand the appeal though; it makes for great conversation fodder with friends and coworkers.
“Hey, did you try out Jim’s Grub and Gulp yet?”
“Not yet, I hear their steaks are awesome though.”
“I took the family out Saturday night and had Jim’s jumbo mac and bacon cheesy bake. It was alright.”
A pitfall a lot of people seem to fall into is limiting their culinary adventures to whatever new restaurant comes to town or what special, limited-time meal is offered up a restaurant.
I write this knowing full well I’m not immune to falling into said pitfall, as I was legitimately excited to eat Arby’s venison sandwich Saturday. The sandwich, which was a limited offering, was essentially a marinated venison steak, covered with crispy onions and a juniper berry sauce. It was alright.
Another variant of a special, limited-time product was the short re-introduction of McDonald’s Szechuan sauce. McDonald’s originally had a special Szechuan sauce available with its McNuggets as a promotional tie-in to the Disney film “Mulan.” About 18 years later, a reference to that sauce in the “Rick and Morty” animated TV series ultimately led the home of the golden arches to release a limited quantity of the sauce at select restaurants.
For Wyomingites, that meant driving to Laramie for a taste of the sweet stuff. I was hopeful local restaurants would have received a shipment, not because I enjoy watching “Rick and Morty,” but because I remember legitimately enjoying that sauce during its original run. At the end of it all, a day-long nostalgia trip didn’t appeal to me and I skipped it.
Culinary adventuring doesn’t have to take place outside of the home. The shelves of our local grocery stores can offer a lot of culinary curiosities perfect for someone either willing to take a dive into a new type of cuisine or simply try something out of the ordinary.
Take Marmite for example, a British spread made from a yeast extract created through beer brewing. It’s a dark brown paste with a unique and powerfully salty flavor. It’s generally spread thinly on bread or crackers with either butter or margarine, but can be used to make a drink by adding a teaspoon to a hot mug of water. Since buying a small jar, I’ve asked people stopping by my house to try some Marmite spread on a piece of toast.
This has led to a number of amusing facial expressions as visitors’ faces contort in reaction to Marmite’s flavor. Though, one friend admitted he enjoyed it so much, he bought his own jar.
Another unique food is miso paste, which can be found in the Asian food section at Smith’s Food and Drug. Miso paste is created by soy beans fermented with salt and koji fungus, as well as other ingredients. Depending on how long it’s aged, miso paste can be somewhat sweet or a savory ingredient. The red paste at Smith’s falls more on the savory side of the spectrum. While most people would only view miso paste as an important ingredient in miso soup, it can be more versatile.
For example, spreading it on a steak or slice of chicken prior to broiling it makes for a great flavor.
While venturing out to try a new dish or restaurant is adventurous in its own right, a culinary adventure can be as easy as going to the grocery store and trying something new.
Who knows, the adventure might end up being more than just alright.
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