But we finished almost everything, washed down with help from a surprisingly good bottle of cabernet, and chuckled warmly when our server teased us about our appetites. The Applebee’s banter, as when we were playfully scolded for telling our server we were “pretty good” rather than something more enthusiastic, is carried out within certain rules but earnestly improvised by these pleasant young people. Both predictable and genuine, it is like an especially comforting Wittgensteinian language game that comes with food. It is the most satisfying aspect of the Applebee’s concept.
Like any game, the Applebee’s concept is best enjoyed when you do not test the rules. I once started a near riot at a Nebraska Applebee’s by asking the host to switch one television from football to ladies tennis. Previously pleasant, the locals quickly made it clear I was not welcome to “eat good” in their neighborhood. I had played their particular version of the Applebee’s game incorrectly. The universal rule of Applebee’s, I think, is not to scrutinize the food. And in thinking about downtown restaurants let’s not scrutinize politics either. The corporations are coming, and we should to learn to play along.
Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar | 1072 Brighton Avenue, Portland | 207.791.2810 | 200 Running Hill Road, South Portland | 207.879.9155 | also in Auburn, Biddeford, Brunswick, Sanford, and Windham | Sun-Thurs 11 am-10 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am-11 pm
Email the author
Brian Duff:bduff@une.edu
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