Bistro de' Bidwell

I haven't had a grill for a year now. One of the necessities of being a man is owning a grill, and its absence from my life has had me feeling a little inadequate. We've been looking to buy one for a while. That last grill we had was huge. Stainless steel, porcelain grates, three burner with an extra burner on the side... queue the Tim Allen grunts about now. It was a monster. We got it on sale with allusions of entertaining multitudes. We were going to be grilling steak for dozens of people on this massive beast that took up half our deck. I was going to use it every other day. Anything that could be grilled, would be grilled.

Of course none of that happened. The first summer we used it several times, but it was usually just the two of us, and we only fired up one burner. The grill quickly got taken down off the deck cause it took up so much room. Now it was in the yard and I had to move it every time I mowed. After a while I started to hate the thing. I wanted to get rid of it. We finally sold it last summer. Now that we didn't have a grill we suddenly wanted a grill, but this time we were going small. We acknowledged the brutal reality that we didn't have many friends coming over for dinner.

Today we finally found a grill. My manhood is restored. Wait, what does that say on the box... a patio "bistro" grill. Okay, that has to be the least manly grill that has ever existed. At least it is nice and petite. Wait... did I just say that out loud?

Last year we bought a table and chairs for the deck. A BISTRO table and chairs. A while back we bought a bench to sit out there. Ahem... a bistro bench. What the heck is the deal with all this bistro stuff. I thought I knew what a bistro was, but now I'm not sure. If you told me you got a bistro grill I would think it is a massive commercial cook top. I mean bistros are restaurants that serve customers correct? Regardless, we got a (patio) bistro grill. One more piece of decor and we can start to charge people to sit out on our back deck and sip coffee. I already have a french press. (another hit to the masculinity I know) Now we just need a baguette or two and some biscotti and we'd be in business.

I can just hear the marketing meeting before this grill was released. "You are calling it a patio grill?!? Call it a patio bistro grill. Make it sound kinda European. Those middle-class white people will eat that shit up. You're selling it at Target right? Perfect."

Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe there really are restaurants in France that use these things. I can just see my wife and I sitting at a little table on a Parisian street. The tiny grill is next to the table as a man with a beret cooks our food right there, tappanyaki style. "Misure, do you want to catch le oeuf in your mouth?"

Regardless of the name and its diminutive size it is really nice. We made burgers on it right after we got home, and they were pretty great. It uses infrared radiation technology, which sounds like the resulting food may not be safe for human consumption, but we are all still alive and well. In fact, they may have been the best burgers I've ever grilled. I'm looking forward to the other culinary masterpieces we can create with this little guy.

Anyway, on a more serious note... happy Memorial Day. I extend a heartfelt thanks to all the men and women who fight to allow me to enjoy freedom. I especially thank Cpl. Chad Wade who lost his life this past December in Afghanistan, and all the other soldiers who didn't make it home.

I hope you had a great three-day weekend. I know we did around here. It feels like it flew by. I had a great time with my baby girl on Saturday. She was so good for me. Yesterday was fun too. She was in such a good mood all afternoon and evening. I'll leave you with some pics.