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| - This was the first Applebee's I ever went to back when I was in my high teens or low 20's. The upbeat commercials were enough to draw me in. Today, as an older and much more cynical man, I'd probably snicker at them and at my younger self for wanting to hit-up an Applebee's so much, and yes with Applebee's it can depend upon the location and what you order. They're also a chain, which makes them difficult for critical eaters to like, but the dinner I had at this location was too hard not to enjoy.
The Brew Pub Pretzels and Beer Cheese Dip were as delectable as any appetizer I've had at any independent restaurant. The flaky chew of the pretzels themselves were akin to a baguette merged with a churro, and come to think of it, they would have made for a dream of a dessert if paired with sugar or a glaze or hot fudge. In this case, however, they came with a dreary beer cheese dip (think of glue) and a honey mustard that was tasty enough in a sweet-vs-bitter way to allow me to ignore the former.
My "pink inside" Quesadilla Burger may come off as blasphemic to some, but damn when that grilled tortilla cracks under the pressure of your teeth and sinks through the juicy beef, radioactive orange Mexi-ranch, pico de gallo, diced onions, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, bacon bits, jack, and cheddar, you realize that you're just eating a new, groovy kind of taco.
Kay ordered from the Take Two Seasonal Menu and found salvation in her Lemon Shrimp Fettucine as did I when I finished the remnants of it, morsels that were much more flavorful than should be allowed at a chain.
Dessert was the brownie sundae's polar, Earth-2 opposite in the Butter Pecan Blondie. Sizzling like a concert with pyrotechnics, it came on a broiling, cast-iron skillet as a dripping vanilla ice cream, a cream cheese sauce, and glazed pecans hung on for dear life. One of those dishes that turns heads and induces envy in others, I relished its honey-smacked notes and dense texture.
Jaime, our server, was a hoot, and chatted with us famously as we dined overlooking Cochran Road. Not minding my unkempt appearance (it was a long day at the mine), the manager held the door for us as we left, assuaging our guilt over eating out on a weeknight. "Eh, what the heck?" he said to us. "You look like you deserved a treat."
P.S. Behind us sat a party of 3 that we didn't actually see until we left: 2 adolescent girls and an erudite middle-aged man with a rich, baritone, radio-ready, and familiar voice. As we walked out the door, I finally saw the man in question: It was none other than Pittsburgh Steelers legend Rocky Bleier enjoying dinner with his young, adopted daughters. Reportedly, he's a Mt. Lebanon resident, so come. You too may have a brush with fame!
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