Way, way back when my oldest was born, going out was a snap. Dinner? Movie? Dinner and a movie? No worries. I’d pack her and her diaper bag. I wouldn’t pack my daughter in the diaper bag, of course(!), but I’d pack practically every other baby gadget, gizmo, you name it. With everything packed, I’d hustle my husband to the car. And, that was it.
Grandma and Grandad were always willing and able to babysit. We would drop our daughter off with food and diapers, leave a list of instructions about what her routine was, and hightail it off to dinner with friends, to watch a movie, or even a date night. At the end of the evening, we’d return to my parent’s house. My husband would carry our sleeping (and happy) daughter out to the car. And that was it.
Many years later with a Teen, a Preteen-now-Teen, and a Kid, going out is exponentially more complicated. We have to sync my work calendar to my husband’s work schedule cross referenced to the sports/school/activity schedule of the three kids and then if the stars are aligned and no one gets sick we can go out. Are you exhausted? Do you think we go out a lot? If you answered “No,” you are correct!
Two Saturdays ago, the stars as they say aligned for us. One kid went to bed early. One kid stayed home to babysit the sleeping kid. One kid was at a friend’s house. And so my husband and I ventured out on a sleety, icy Saturday night around 9ish. We eat late, but never that late. Actually, and I know this sounds a little pathetic, but I was actually quite excited to go on an impromptu date night even though it was late and we would have to be home by 11 p.m. at the latest. But, excited I was!
I was last at Red Lobster in the late 80/early 90s. Today’s Red Lobster is very, very different from what I recall. The restaurant we visited on Saturday night was in Frederick, Maryland. My first impression was wood. The wood paneling is dark…reminded me of a the galley of an old sailing ship. I loved all the wood paneling and decorative accents. The nautical theme was subtle but not overpowering. We were shown promptly to a booth in a quiet part of the dining room. There was a small bar area as we walked in that was also nautically themed.
The service was impeccable. Our waitperson seated us. A few moments later a second person stopped by to let us know that our waitperson would be with us momentarily. She appeared a few minutes later. Good service!
While we both wanted to try Red lobster’s new Four Course Seafood Feast, with the lateness of the hour and the fact that both of us had had snacks earlier in the evening, we chose to share two appetizers instead. We will definitely return with the kids. In fact, the next day the “sleeping” kid asked if he could try the Seafood Feast the next time we go. I said “Yes!” This kid has a bigger appetite at 8 than his sisters combined when they were 8.
We shared two appetizers: Shrimp Nachos and Lobster-Crab-and-Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms. I washed my meal down with a yummy Sangria drink. By the way, there are variations between the menus at each Red Lobster restaurant. Each restaurant offers a fresh catch of the day. Our server announced that Atlantic salmon, tilapia, rainbow trout, and North Atlantic haddock were available that night. To find out what is available go to the Red Lobster Restaurant Locator page, find the location nearest you, and take a peek at the offerings at that location. I know your mouth will start watering as you read the dishes.
As our meal wound down, our waitperson returned to see how we were doing. We told her we were definitely coming back with our children.
For more information about Red Lobster…
- Follow @RedLobster on Twitter.
- Like Red Lobster on Facebook.
- Don’t forget the Four Course Seafood Feast! Four yummy courses AND Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Only $15. Limited time only!
- Find a location near you and find out more about menu offerings.
I was given a gift card to Red Lobster to facilitate my review. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.
