Today, I got to visit a few really good friends in Portland, Maine. Two of them are moving to Ohio (for graduate school and love of a graduate student, respectively) and this was our last horrah.
We spent the afternoon on the terrace of Silly’s Restaurant, which is a neat place known for its good values, fun ambiance, and actual vegetarian/vegan items on their menu. They also have an entire page of possible milkshakes you can order with the usual ingredients (chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter) and the unusual ingredients (key lime pie, rice krispies, avocado).
On the top of the list was a bacon and peanut butter shake. Clearly, I had to get it.
For $5, I was expecting a peanut butter milkshake sprinkled in bacon bits. Oh no, it was much more.
There where whole pieces of bacon in this thing. Enough for everyone at my table to have a piece (there were five of us) and me to eat five pieces or so myself… and still have half a cup of bacon left over!
In addition to consuming a very filling and bizarre milkshake (that didn’t taste half bad actually!), there were several pictures taken and a new inside joke about the whole thing among our group. I didn’t need to order anything else; this shake would have stood alone. And at $5, quite an affordable unique experience.
On another note, I went out with another friend (also headed to the midwest to graduate school, what’s with this trend among my friends?) last night to what many say is the nicest restaurant on Mount Desert Island: Burning Tree. Not exactly an affordable experience but it gave us both a chance to dress up and eat really good fresh seafood. At $130 for the two of us, a more expensive unique experience.
I think both these prices were worth the experience but I would say $150 is my upper price range to pay for a novelty experience, though I am much more likely to go for the free to cheap ones in a general way. My poor stomach has had a fun but confusing 24 hours!
So I ask you, how much would you pay for a unique experience? And if you feel so moved, what was a cool experience you’ve had, on the cheap or on the splurge?
“ Your post made me think of this – http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/milk-dark-bacon-candy-bar-gift/bacon_and_chocolate – it’s a $7 chocolate bar, but it certainly a unique experience! I saw it the other day at Yo Mamma’s Home in Belfast.”
“On the relatively cheap When I lived in North Carolina I would look at the section of the paper each week called “”””Happenings around the area”””” and circle some of the unique ones I could find for relatively cheap – things like 10 dollar entry fees to festivals and such. Some of my finds were: a hog calling contest, a gospel competition, an antique tractor pull, a kite flying festival, an many outdoor concerts, many of them free. Check out your local paper or web equivalent- there’s lots of unique things out there!”
“ ;D These are the things that make me wonder why I stayed in N. Maine, we’re so limited to the things we can try/sample. Not to say we don’t have much to offer here, but for culinary/cuisine we have fried or deep fried! “
Now I have to rethink my unconditional love of all things bacon.
“ Silly’s, huh? May have to check it out since I live here in Portland… don’t think I’d be as brave a woman as you with the peanut butter bacon milkshake though… even looking at it makes me a little queasy :P”
“ well peanut butter and bacon sandwhiches aren’t bad if you add the butter it’s somewhat dairy, so yeah I may try that experience. Swine is divine… 🙂 Love ya lots, “
“ this is most excellent 🙂 when you come to the “”””other”””” Portland, you’ll have to try a maple bacon bar – even tastier than it sounds! http://voodoodoughnut.com/menu.php“