Friday, January 09, 2009

ROUMANIA MANIA

Last night, the Usual Suspects convened at the Marietta Diner for a Thursday evening post-minyan meal.

The Diner is the perfect place to go when you want Big Food. And even better, they know us. Our server had a round of unsweetened iced teas and diet Cokes (with accompanying lemon and lime slices) on the table before we all had even had a chance to sit down.

I didn’t have to cogitate too long over the menu. I knew what I wanted: Roumanian Steak.

Picture a huge portion of beefy skirt steak, grilled medium-rare and smothered with onions. Not just any old onions, either: a massive heap of sliced yellow onions, slowly fried (with a little garlic) until caramelized a rich, dark brown. The onions alone are enough to make strong men weep with pleasure.

As if that were not enough, this monster slab of meat is served up on a two-foot long trencher - the steak still has to be folded in half to fit - along with sautéed vegetables, a crabmeat-stuffed mushroom cap, and a baked potato. I can never finish the damned thing; I always take half of it home.

You can get a steak like this at Sammy’s Roumanian in New York City, but it’ll cost you twice as much... and it won’t be any better.

When I got up at 4:00 a.m. to take a whiz (all that diet Coke having run right through me), there was the distinct aroma of onions. Beats Asparagus Pee-Pee any old time.

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