out of writing new material. Anyway, leave a note and let me know what you think.
Circumstance drives me to Jason’s Deli many times each year and I always order the salad bar. I don’t know what it is about their fixins that makes their salads so good, but I just can’t resist.
Now everyone knows the best thing about a salad bar is you get to put whatever you want on it. I suppose my salads are “salads” in the technical sense: they contain traces of lettuce and were assembled under sneeze guards. But my salads are manly salads. They’re topped with shredded cheeses and adorned with bacon bits, cashews, and other crunchy things. At least two hard boiled eggs always find their way into the mix. I avoid vegetables at all costs.
But this week I tried something a bit different. I got the extraordinarily innocuously named Plain Jane Baked Potato. “Potatoes are healthy, right?” I said to myself. “Especially a nice plain one. Besides, this is Jason’s Deli: the restaurant positively awash in organic and healthy propaganda. They wouldn’t steer me wrong.” So I ordered it.
So imagine my surprise when this son of a biscuit eater showed up:
I know photos can be deceiving, but trust me this was one big freakin potato. Here’s a different image to better help you gauge its size:
And did I say, “one big potato?” No, it’s actually TWO potatoes surgically attached into one big frankenpotato. And did my eyes deceive me? Did the menu actually call this the plain jane? What kind of “plain jane” potato comes covered in a pound of cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, and a giant wad of butter?
The Point of This Post
This is the “No Help Here” category where I attempt to help you. We’ve discussed hidden calories, dangerous restaurant menu items, and topics of this sort before. And I’ve always said, “C’mon, people … this is obvious stuff. We know what ‘bad’ food looks like. No one should ever have to tell you to NOT eat ginormous platters of food.”
But I must admit that even I, the Snarky Wonder, was taken aback when afterward I decided to look up the damage on the organic this, no artificial that, healthy potato at Jason’s deli.
So, brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or your strength, read no further…
Hey, at least it offers nearly a full day’s worth of calcium. I’m just glad I didn’t order two of them. But, as painful as it is for me to admit it, this tasted goooood. I mean, how could it not? Just look at this puppy. I can only redeem myself here by saying: at least I followed my senses and split it into two meals.
So! Who’s up for dessert?
on September 30, 2010 at 5:23 am
lol Wow! You’ve made me fancy a jacket potato with cheese now!! Yummy! Obviously I couldn’t eat a potato the size of the Empire State……lol…perhaps a smaller version…..
Considering I haven’t seen most of your re-runs before, I’m quite glad you re-run them! So run away hun 😉
I’m just off to do step aerobics……….and burn, not even a quarter of that potato off in an hour of blood, sweat and tears………..wow!
Have a nice day 😀 (with more salad than cheese!)
on September 30, 2010 at 7:40 am
First, I totally don’t mind reruns. I haven’t seen them before and even if I had, they are wonderful reminders. So keep it up!
We have a place that serves these frankenpotatoes!!! I was SO embarrassed the first time I got one! I had mine WITH a steak and veggies. The whole thing came home with us. Seriously, how do they FIND those things!
You just inspired a post about portion sizes that I need to write! I’ll link back to you. 🙂
on September 30, 2010 at 9:03 am
I haven’t set foot in a Jason’s for years and this potato monster is the number one reason why.
They’ve always served potatoes as big as a toddler’s head, or short that, put the two potatoes together to make a ginormous one. And since I like the skin best, and you can only get TO the skin after you’ve eaten out the innards, well, I just stay away because I know I won’t Just Say No.
Also? Their “healthy” Reuben tastes like cardboard. It is healthy because you don’t eat more than two bites (the second one because it LOOKS like it should taste good). Sorry Jason’s – to me there is good reason you are named after a hockey mask wearing serial killer.
on September 30, 2010 at 9:17 am
I don’t mind the reruns at all. Even though I don’t think I’d seen this one before.
WTFreak on a 42 oz potato? That’s enough potato for like 10 people. Where do they even get them. They MUST be mutated somehow.
But it does look good 😉
on September 30, 2010 at 1:14 pm
A 42 oz. potato???? 190 carbs??? That’s my allowed carb count for 2 days!
But man does it look good!!
on September 30, 2010 at 1:20 pm
I loved re-reading this!
Here’s an idea for a new post…. it’s the Find Out and Tweak Before You Eat!
this is my new favorite place to eat on the run, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches for two reasons
1) They will make ANY of their sandwiches into JJ UNWICH… meaning no bread, just everything wrapped in a huge lettuce wrap! Perfect for the gluten free person that I am!
2) http://www.jimmyjohns.com/menu/nutrition.aspx It’s a totally interactive website where you click on your fav sammie, head over to the right of picture of the sandwich and start adding or deleting any ingredients on the sandwich and when you do this the Item Nutrition Facts automatically UPDATE! I could spend hours here! And you can save not only your customized sammie but anything else you want to add to your meal, like a Soda or Chips. It’s a totally cool tool!
I am SUCH a geek! 🙂
on September 30, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I enjoy any reruns because I only recently discovered you.
Eating out is such a dangerous pasttime.
on September 30, 2010 at 4:54 pm
We passed a Jason’s deli when we were trying to find a Jewish deli on Tony’s birthday – I think I went to Jason’s when I visited you?!
Now I want a loaded baked potato!
on October 2, 2010 at 8:10 pm
Reruns are just fine Charlie. I know I’ve read lots of your posts but not all of them. I sometimes thing a good rerun is a great idea.
Take care Charlie. You are doing so great. Have a great Sunday. God Bless!!