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By Lisa Kampeter

It’s just my luck that I pick a restaurant with an Irish twist for the March Divas only to be in consensus that we didn’t need to go back there again.  The Dining Divas went to Caitlyn’s Green-Eyed Grill on Skinker and should have spent our money elsewhere, perhaps even McDonald’s.

First of all, let me just say that our waitress was phenomenal and an excellent salesperson.  She had us convinced that the Toasted Ravioli appetizer was going to be the best we’d ever had.  She sold us on the fact that the Garlic Hummus is their best seller.  The description of the Chicken Poblano Puffs had us all excited to try it out.  But when we did try all these items out, we were disappointed.  Perhaps she oversold the menu too much.

At one point, I politely asked her what type of restaurant this was.  The shamrock logo mislead us into thinking we were going to be dining on corn beef and cabbage and fish and chips, typical Irish menu items.  But when she suggested the pasta special and the Wiener Schnitzel, we were perplexed.

The Meat-Eater Diva’s expression said it all when her pasta with red sauce was delivered and told it actually was made with a fish broth.  She politely picked at her plate all evening.  Do the Irish lace their red sauce with fish broth?

The Italian Diva was excited for her Potato Pancakes, hoping they were similar to the German Diva’s dish she had enjoyed recently.  She too was perplexed.  When the German Diva tried the potato pancakes, she quickly had to wash it down with Diet Coke.  The Germans and Irish must not share recipes.

One Diva decided to try the only Irish item on the menu, the Rueben sandwich.  When asked how it was, she shrugged her shoulders and said it was okay.

I’ve said over and over again that the Dining Divas outings aren’t just about the food.  This night was an excellent example.  When you’re spending $20-$30 on food, you hope it’s worth it.  The only thing worthwhile that evening was the company and the stories.

For several years, it had been a tradition to take a photograph of the group each night we got together.  About four years ago, the tradition stopped as the Creative Diva got lazy; however, she did share with the group the scrapbook of photos from restaurants and Divas past.  For many of us, we couldn’t remember the names of some Visiting Divas.  And there were many interesting Short-Timer Divas.

Like the Dine and Dash Divas…a group of women who only came a couple times but liked to leave before the bill came.  It’s amazing how they thought throwing 15 bucks in would cover their meals, drinks, and tips.  Well it didn’t and we had to.

We reminisced about one of our favorite restaurants that made a bad first impression.  A hair in the Nibbling Diva’s dessert and an exploding martini may have kept one from returning.  Not us.  We love the place.

We talked about how many restaurants have since shut their doors for good.  Savor was another place we adored even though its roots were in the funeral parlor business.  We loved the bathroom, and that month, that’s where we staged the group photo.

We laughed about the pictures of us in the same attire and how much younger (and thinner) we were.  We like to say we are just hitting our prime now.  When trying to remember the location of one Dining Diva outing, the Italian Diva recalled it was the place where she drank an entire pitcher of Sangria on her own.  It was a proud moment.

As we looked through the book of memories, the Colorful Diva, who was quick to point out that she’s been a blond now for quite some time, said that throughout all these years, she still looks forward to our get-togethers every month.  And we all agreed.

Life may have kept some of us away some months (job changes, long-distance relationships, personal issues), but when we come back to this group of dynamic women, we remember how comforting and relieving it can be to just hang out.  And for that reason, we’re all very lucky.

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