Our Annual Outback Tradition

I like family traditions.  When the boys arrived to expand our family from 2 to 3 to 4, we began doing little things that have developed into traditions.  One of the annual traditions we have as a family is a yearly pilgrimage to Outback Steakhouse to celebrate the arrival of our tax refund (thankfully, we still get refunds although I've noticed the amount shrinking from year to year).  This tradition started back when Ben was 3 and Isaac a babe in arms.  I had heard people at work talk about Outback and how good it was, but when I asked these same people about the price of the meals, they also warned me it was a bit pricey (which it is).  When our tax return arrived that year, I told Jennifer that we should celebrate by going to the nearby Outback (I will admit that my reasoning also had to do with the fact that I don't get to eat steak very often and I was craving a carnivore dinner with baked potato). :)

The trip was very successful.  We liked the food (I think they have the best sautéed mushrooms I’ve ever tasted), and Jen and I decided to make the restaurant an annual event.  One of the funny experiences that came from that first trip is possibly what helped it to develop into a family tradition.  We had a cute, blond waitress that year and 3-year-old Ben was completely smitten/fascinated by her.  After I situated him in the highchair, she came to take our drink and appetizer order.  The moment Ben saw her, his eyes were riveted on her every move--it was actually quite comical.  Every time she'd walk behind his chair, his head looked like it was on a swivel as he twisted around as much as he could to make sure she was within his eyesight.  I'm surprised he didn't sprain his neck muscles.  After coming to our table several times and noticing the way he watched her, she asked, "Is he okay?  Is there something I can get for him?"  "No, he's fine," I quickly replied, trying desperately not to laugh.  No, I didn't expect to find the same waitress every year, but Ben's reaction was so comical and the food so good, we had to come back again the next year!

I recall another year when I announced the impending date of our annual Aussie trip, Ben and Isaac immediately began dancing around the living room, singing the Outback TV commercial song for that year, “Let’s go Outback tonight."  If I could find a YouTube link to one of those commercials, I'd do it to show you the inspiration for their dance, but, sadly, no such luck.  Once or twice we've included other families in our pilgrimage, but, for the most part, the trip has been a family affair.

It's also been interesting to see how our eating habits have evolved over the years.  The restaurant has a very good mac and cheese dish included on their kid's menu.  The boys liked it so much in their younger days that I believe they once proclaimed they would order it every year.  Then came the moment when they were 12 years-old and could no longer order from the kids menu.  Their old favorite gave way to specialty hamburgers.  This year, Ben actually got brave and ordered a pasta dish (chicken alfredo--without the chicken--don't ask; they're really strange sometimes).  The one thing that hasn't changed over the years, however, is the Aussie Fries appetizer.  This dish has no redeeming nutritional value (French fries with a special seasoning; topped with melted cheese--two or three types--bacon bits, and a ranch-type dipping sauce), but it is devoured with gusto by all of us.  The servers usually have to drop the fries on the table and quickly step back before their fingers get mistaken as fries (maybe this is what it's like for zoo keepers to feed piranhas :)).  We've learned over the years to come hungry because sometimes the fries have made it difficult to finish our main meal, but we soldier on--and hey, that's why you take the leftovers home, right?

This year we included a movie in our plans and saw Captain America 2 before dinner.  I won't say anything to spoil it for anyone, but we all enjoyed the movie and were definitely ready to eat when we came out of the theater.  It’s fun to make this special trip each year.  We all anticipate going (more than once I heard, "When are we going to Outback?" as the days passed with no indication from me as to a set date), have a great time while we’re there, and are disappointed when the meal is over.  As usual, we can’t wait to go back next year!  While the food is good, the memories are the thing I take away from each trip.  As far as I've been able to figure, memories are the reason people make family traditions in the first place. :)