"I have a better idea," President Andrew Shepherd remarked as he stood up from the candlelit table in which he, his Chief of Staff and his wife, the French President and his wife, and Sydney Ellen Wade were sitting and eating.
"Would you like to dance?" Shepherd asked Wade.
"Yeah, I guess," Wade offered a slight swoon before adjusting her style to fit the occasion. "I mean, yes, sir," she said with a smile. "I'd love to."
"I don't know how you do it," Wade asserted she she allowed Shepherd to take the lead to the orchestral score of "I Have a Dream."
"It's Arthur Murray's 'Six Lessons," Shepherd responded with a hint of charm."
"That's not what I mean," Wade smiled, stifling a giggle. "Two-hundred pairs of eyes are focused on you with two questions: Who's this girl? And why is the President dancing with her?"
Shepherd paused as the orchestra played on. "Well, first of all, the two-hundred pairs of eyes are not focused on me. They're focused on you. And the answers are Sydney Ellen Wade and because she said yes."
What if there were a restaurant, whose food has been almost-universally excellent, but whereas the menu said "yes" the restaurant's stock said "no?"That is what happened both times I ordered takeout from Sarvis Cafe, located at 5711 Sarvis Ave, not far from the intersection of Good Luck Road and Kenilworth Ave in Riverdale, Maryland.
First, it was a peanut butter smoothie without the whey protein my wife requested. The second time, my wife was disappointed not to be able to try the cornbread that is supposed to accompany the Friday special: the Fried Whiting Fish Platter. Of the sides my wife said would be acceptable, Sarvis Cafe was out of the mashed potatoes and gravy, the corn, the macaroni salad, the Mac and Cheese and the green beans. And finally, the succulent hamburger for which Sarvis proudly presents the option of ordering an extra patty, was restricted to the one patty the staff had on hand.
I want to pause this critique to attest further to just how delicious a few of the dishes we ordered were. My wife loved her special breakfast sandwich with turkey sausage and spinach (on a croissant). I have already ordered the scrumptious Sarvis burritos, filled with peppers and onions and sausage and cheese, multiple times; and their sugar cookies, which can be purchased for the unbelievable price of two for three dollars, feature the crispy edges my wife and I love in addition to a smattering of vanilla.
Back to the critique: The other reason I am awarding three stars, and not a higher amount, is because of a remark I overheard from a staffer (who was not the one who took my order) while I was waiting for my food. "Who ordered the $53 of food?" that person complained. Those words made me feel more like Rob Reiner's villain Senator Rumson than the ballroom audience captivated by watching the American President, Andrew Shepherd, and Sydney Ellen Wade, dance. read more