TOP TEN MONDAYS!!!!! Plus: Dave's New #1 Fear!

Today, I received a very special surprise. Right before my 11:00 class, I received word from my Dad that he, my Grandpa and Grandma Getz, and my Aunt Sharon (visiting from out of town) were coming down to Bloomington to take me out to lunch! This was great news! We all went to Steak N' Shake, and, deeming the day a "special occasion," I celebrated by having a milkshake. As we enjoyed the food and conversation, Dad suggested that I blog about my top 10 favorite restaurants. You know, sometimes my Dad just has really good ideas like that. So, without furthering adoo any further, get ready for another edition of....

Top Ten Mondays! Today's Topic: Dave's Top 10 Favorite Restaraunts. This was a very enjoyable list to make.

• #10- Steak N' Shake- You can complain all you want about how thin the steakburgers (and I will too), but its the milkshakes that squeak Steak N' Shake into the Top 10 (and, the Chili Mac).
• #9- The Fish House- I've only been here once, but it was, as people from Holland say, "uitstekend!" I got the Hawaiin mahi-mahi fish (not alive, of course) and it was quiet excellent. Also, they had bottomless dinner rolls. I think I had 12.
• #8- Jimmy Johns- One word can be used to describe Jimmy Johns: Wednesday! If you didn't get that last joke, then you're not inside, cause that's where the joke was.
• #7- Avantis- You can't beat going to Avantis right after running a good fast 1600 meter race in East Peoria. The two go together like....I don't know, oppositely charged metal rods...or something. Their lasagna is my favorite.
• #6- Perkins- If I'm going out for breakfast, I am going to Perkins! Where else can you get a 3-egg omelet, 3 large pancakes, and hash browns (and even oatmeal!)? The answer, of course, is Perkins.
• #5- Red Lobster- I've been here twice, and both time I've left utterly satisfied (if 'utter' can be used as an adverb). Their bottomless cheese biscuits are to die for, and I'm a pirate when it comes to sea food.
• #4- Monical's Pizza- My favorite pizza place by far. I could easily eat 2 larges all by himself. I'm debating whether or not I should share the story of when Ben, Dan, Grant, and I split 2 larges just by ourselves, but I probably shouldn't.
• #3- Panera Bread- This one easily makes the Top 5. Besides sea food, I'm also a sucker for bagels. I'm an even bigger sucker when it comes to quality bagels, and Panera's bagels are the definition of quality. Actually, the real definition, is "an essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute," but I think you know what I meant.
• #2- Alexander's Steakhouse. You can't beat cooking your own steak while eating a dozen pieces of butter-grilled Texas Toast. Oh, wait, you can beat it, but only with....
• #1- Olive Garden. You just cannot beat the all-you-can-eat breadsticks and salad on top of their pasta, which is the Italian Stallion of Italian Stallions!

And there you have it. Like with all my lists, you can either like it, love it, hate, or, as the Dutch like to say, "Ik haat deze ljist!"

If you ever want to really scare yourself sometime, try going to the bathroom in a port-a-potty in the middle of an abandoned golf course when it's dark.