TRAVEL HERE: QUICK MEAL FROM A PLANO PEI WEI
You know the drill. A zillion things to do in a day and then you have to be somewhere for something in the evening. That usually means I drive through and pick up a burger, but for once I changed the routine. I picked Pei Wei.
Stepping Out of My Fast Food Rut
OK, so this is no secret scoop. You probably pass by one of these every day – but when was the last time you actually stopped? See that’s what I thought. We’re a burger nation. We also get in ruts.
I’ve been trying to eat a little healthier and two all beef patties et al just wasn’t going to cut it. Pei Wei is close and it was on the way. I had no excuses.
I’m usually in the vicinity of Pei Wei at lunchtime and I see droves of people coming and going, but the pace was quieter on this particular evening. As soon as I stepped in, I realized that I was pretty much the only “dine-in” customer. Everyone else was doing take out. (Note to self: Quick quiet sit-down meal.)
Since this isn’t one of my usual stops, I had to take time to read the menu. There are soups, appetizers, lettuce wraps and noodles, but I just wanted a meal. Pei Wei gives you about a dozen preparation styles to choose from and then you get to decide whether you want beef, chicken, shrimp or meatless. The preparation choices either have a leaf or a pepper next to them. The leaf is vegetarian and the pepper means hot.
I love all things hot and Kung Pao is one of my favorite Asian dishes, so I had no trouble making a choice. I barely had time to get my drink and find a table before they showed up with my food. That’s when I got very happy about my decision to stop by.
Attractively arrayed on a black platter was a colorful array of veggies and meats, snuggled close to a mound of white sticky rice. (You can get brown rice.) And HOT! They’ve got spicy down to a science. I enjoyed my Kung Pao with chopsticks and then ate a few bites of rice. I was trying to be healthy after all. Back by the drinks they do offer free fortune cookies, but I forgot to get one. Now I’ll never know what was supposed to happen to me.
I enjoyed my Pei Wei stop and plan to have more of these healthier fast food stops. I was in and out in practically no time and the food was really good. Pei Wei costs a little more than Mickey D’s, but I’m worth it. Aren’t you?
