Meat Attack

I'm so looking forward to tonight's first Christmas party of the year.

Nearly every year, my sweetheart's company Christmas gathering starts with dinner at the beloved and venerable Rockdell on Highway 26. It's a festival of meat.

We spouses, who see each other twice a year come along with 'the boys' and we all gather in either one long or two shorter tables, usually in the 'new' room at the back and what follows is a veritable meat explosion.

No one does meat like the Rockdell. Sure, there are vegetables, but they're so very secondary, you might call them an afterthought. While my sweetie mmmms and ahhhhs over his lobster, I generally share the meat platter with someone, since it's designed for two people. Cabbage rolls followed by two schnitzels topped with two sausages, several pieces of bacon, two steaks and two pork chops. There might be some coleslaw in there, but who's got room for that when there are a few fries, a baked potato, roll and if I remember right, a wee bowl of corn?

We will leave with full bellies, enough leftovers for two lunches and quite a few laughs.

I'm not sure how we manage to pack away all the salty snacks as we play a big euchre tournament, but we do it every year. Merry Christmas boys, and whoever winds up my partner: I'm sorry for trumping your ace. I just can't seem to help it.