Just had the new chicken caesar wrap at lonesome rose, I thought it was good, I enjoyed eating it. I have a complicated relationship with lonesome rose, and with their caesar salad offerings as well.
About 7 years ago I met my now wife. I’d gotten laid off from my job, she was working as a preschool teacher and getting ready to go to grad school. We really didn’t have much, she moved in pretty quickly to the illegal garden unit that was only $600 a month. I’m a good cook, and can make good things out of cheap ingredients, but when you’re out of work, a little depressed and just trying to get by, planning meals, going shopping, and executing it can seem like a mountain at times.
We were getting by on some freelance work on my end and my wife’s pretty meager preschool salary. When we wanted something special we knew what we were always going to order. The lonesome rose burrito and their caesar salad. Restaurants were a little cheaper then, I remember it was about $25 bucks for the combo. We’d get it maybe twice a month, three times if my wife got a DoorDash gift card from a parent around a holiday. We thought it was a perfect meal to split. You got the satisfaction of a nice big beef burrito along with some fresh veg to make you not feel so bloated down. It was a great burrito and a great salad, and so many times it was just what we needed.
Then one day the salad was gone.
I called the restaurant to see if there was some mistake, surely they weren’t getting rid of what must be their most popular menu item?
They explained it was seasonal, they were swapping the caesar out with a watermelon and feta salad. Not exactly what I want with my burrito, but okay. We tried ordering the burrito on its own, but it just wasn’t the same.
The summer went by, my wife was in grad school now, I had gotten a steady job that got us out of the basement and into a 1 bedroom. The summer passed and we got married in the winter, by that time the caesar was back on the menu again. We would eat it often, and it made us happy every time.
Summer came again, and as the flowers blossomed and the sun shown, the caesar went away again. We followed the same pattern as before, simply skipping lonesome rose for our dinner plans. We had a little money now and we were exploring the city’s vast culinary scene.
As the leaves turned, and the days shortened, we started spending more time inside. One day maybe in November, we went to go order our favorite and most comforting combo once again.
But the salad still wasn’t there.
We checked in later in the season.
Still no salad.
I commented on their Instagram, gave them calls, no one really knew about the status on the salad.
The winter went by, the summer too, the salad still wasn’t back. We’d sometimes stop by lonesome rose for happy hour over the years. By now, my wife was out of grad school and working, we were living the double income no kids (one pandemic dog) dream. They used to have one of the best happy hours in the city.
We’d check the menu every time, still no salad.
They moved their happy hour to 4-5, which never worked for our schedules, we stopped going.
The other day I saw on Instagram that they’re now serving a chicken caesar wrap, I checked the menu and sure enough the regular caesar salad was on the menu too.
Today my wife took the LSAT, her plan is to pursue law school, she dreams of helping people, and I’m so proud. Her sister said she has to get a margarita after the test.
I picked her up from the testing center and went straight to the restaurant. It was the first time we’d been there in a year, maybe two. We could have gotten the burrito and caesar combo, but we wanted to try the wrap. It was something new, and frankly I don’t even know how much I can relate to the people we were when that combo meant so much to us.
The caesar wrap was very good, unique in that it had tater tots, radishes, corn and pickled red onions on it.
I recommend the wrap, I also recommend falling in love, pursuing your passions, growing as a person, taking leaps of faith, and enjoying every burrito and caesar salad that comes your way.
by chuckgnomington