Can't go back

I had this conversation with a friend several years ago . . . the items that once you try them, you'll never accept another substitute. Like real garlic over powdered stuff or ginger in a tube rather than grating it yourself.

Tonight, we took a friend on a "date" (her term, not ours). Her husband is out of town on business and she's prone to not leaving her house if she doesn't have to. We went to dinner at the local brew pub and to the arty theater. The arty theater is actually a classic old movie house (from back in the day when going to a movie was an event, not just what you did when you couldn't think of anything better to do). There are two screens . . . the larger downstairs has fewer than 150 seats and the theater upstairs (the newer) has about 50 seats. They show lots of independent films but they are getting more mainstream stuff too . . . I guess the big draws allow them to keep the smaller films coming.

They have good truffles, and the classic movie candies, and they actually pop their own popcorn, and you can have hot tea or beer or wine.

This was the first time we saw a movie in the upstairs theater . . . the seats are almost loungers and very cushy and have a bit of give in the back. And, they have wine and beer.

Phenom explained to our friend that we haven't been to any other theater since we starting going to this one. It had not occurred to me before now that such was true. Our friend decided she needs to take her husband . . . but fears he'll never want to go to another theater again. And, they have beer and wine. (Hey, I live in the south . . . there are still people here who buy their booze from the drive up window at the back of the drug store.)