...how was your first experience with Basque food?

Michelle and I worked in Nevada for a summer. We ate out for dinner a lot and I was so in love with the Star Hotel basque restaurant in Elko. They served homemade bread and soup on beautiful dishes and made delicious meat. So, every time Dave and I drive through Elko on our way to or from Placerville, I beg Dave to stop for Basque food. This time, we did! But the Star Hotel wasn't open, so we went to the second-best Basque restaurant in town according to Urban Spoon (I guess there are only 3).

Written on the chalkboard were the specials for that night: meatballs, chicken, cod, cow tongue, and lamb. They also had pork chops, spare rib, ribeye, and king crab any night of the week. We felt like playing it safe, so we ordered meatballs and chicken. The waitress informed us that the chef special usually came with meatballs and chicken and then possibly one other dish. She convinced us to try it out, so we did.

The bread, soup, and salad were good. And the side dishes too. Although I've never had spaghetti as a side before. We were getting full already! Then, our waitress brought out our main course: meatballs, chicken, and...cow tongue! 

"I have more for you," the waitress cheerily said after she had maneuvered the plates on the already too crowded table.

"Are you kidding? There are only two of us," replied Dave with an incredulous look on his face.

"No, I'm not kidding. The chef made you more," she confessed and then added, as if to reassure us, "you can take the leftovers home in a box..." 

Dave and I were trying to act like this was all very normal as she came back with the final two dishes: cod and lamb. As if the meat plates weren't enough to appease our appetite, the chef also threw in a huge plate of fries. The waitress could barely find space to set everything on the table and dishes were hanging precariously off the edge. We smiled weakly and tried to act thankful for the chef's generosity. 

I was raised to be polite, so I tried a little tidbit of everything. I was also raised to eat everything on my plate, but that would have been physically impossible. Especially because the lamb was right next to me and was the strongest smelling lamb I've ever smelled. I was sick. Surprisingly, the cow tongue was the best meat on the table--even better then the meatballs and chicken. But you did have to watch out for the pieces with taste buds!

We asked for take-home boxes and shoveled everything into them without regard for what food was touching what. Outside the restaurant we searched for some hungry waif, but not seeing one, drove to the nearest dumpster and gladly threw the food away.

Oh darlin...I'm sorry your first experience with Basque food most likely resulted in your last! 

The next day I ate only saltine crackers because all I could think about was stinky lamb. The moral of the story is...when in the Basque eating Elko mood, eat at the Star or nothing at all.