Yesterday, in keeping with my personal pledge to eat a hamburger at McDonald’s each Fourth of July, my wife suggested that I actually do it. She was heading to help our daughter at her house in that never-ending project.
Before I could decide if I was really going to do it, she called to say she would be heading back sooner than expected, and offered a better idea - Chimes. Since as long as this place has been open, I have never seen the passion the two women in my life have for this restaurant. It’s definitely an outdoor thing, but I don’t like eating outdoors. And I never felt the food particularly worthy. In the beginning I liked their soups, but soon tired of those. Knowing my feelings, they always met on the sly there without me. About a year ago, they started to invite me to brunch, which was the only thing I found tolerable there. We ate inside, and I found the food at brunch pretty good. The grillades and grits at brunch are actually delicious. Delicious compared to any I have had.
Ah, the slippery slope. Soon I found myself asking to go to the Chimes. My wife and I would go after the show sometimes to the bar when we didn’t want to wait for a table. The lines still mystify me - it’s not that good. My wife gave up trying to explain this to me. Anyway, we went to the bar and had the chargrilled oysters, which I consider some of the best out there. I’ll give them that. And I like their french fries, which I know are not fresh cut. To be fair, I can’t imagine hand-cutting volume like this. But both my wife and I have surprised ourselves here lately. Me, being there at all, and she, there drinking a beer. And finishing it.
It was Fourth of July. She expected a wait. As a regular, she knew that, especially with the new boat rentals off the back pier, and it being a holiday, it would be bad. But I didn’t think there would be a wait because it was 3pm. My wife finds this naivete amusing. We went straight to the bar, where every table was taken, including barstools. What is this?? The girls in my house find my frustration with this annoying. Is it me? Yes, they assure me.
Two spots opened at the bar, next to a couple MA recognized from the last time we sat at the actual bar. Oh-oh. Am I becoming a Chimes regular? A scary thought. MA doesn’t want to sit at any bar, so we waited for a table behind us as they gathered their things. We moved over and sat at a table overflowing with detritus. We didn’t expect to be sitting at a table in this state for ten minutes. MA forgives them this and all other faults, but she does find the service problem there irritating. The wait often has more to do with not overloading servers than too many people. Empty tables and a wait do not go together, MA feels. Apparently at the Chimes, this happens a lot, she says. There is a severe shortage of workers in this industry, a problem that seems to be growing. MA joked that by the time someone came to clear the table, the front desk where we left our number will summon us. Before she finished the sentence, her phone buzzed.
We moved to a favorite booth of hers, which was across the aisle from a large party of three couples and their kids. This would provide the entertainment for the meal. MA was particularly charmed by this unfolding disaster. The parents, unaware that kids don’t dine, as my wife often says, ordered more than one course for themselves. And drinks. An occasional toddler flew past our table, chased by another. It’s a miracle there weren’t crashing trays as waiters dodged kids. Brings back memories that MA finds sweet.
At our table, we started with the delicious chargrilled oysters. And spinach dip, which MA says may be her favorite in town. It is creamy with a little parmesan crust on top, and is served with fried bowtie pasta. She can have my share, and she does.
The burger came to the table, and it was quite good. For the price, or not. It was a half-pound in size, grilled exactly as I asked, with my choice of three cheeses - pepper jack. It was not my intention to eat it all, but with MA’s encouragement, I did just that. It was actually very good.
And now I can say I had that Fourth of July burger. But if you read that I was at Chimes and rented a kayak, someone please pick me up.
The Chimes
19130 W Front St Covington
985-892-5396
11am-2am
Sunday till 11:30pm
thechimes.com
