She: No, say you have a lot of house guests, as we occasionally do. And they all have different temperaments when it comes to food and drink.
You've got a strict vegan.
You've got teenagers with appetites so voracious they'd cheerfully eat golf balls, provided there's enough ketchup on them.
You've got a wine connoisseur--an authentic one who isn't just trying to razzle-dazzle when he affectionately describes a "lemony acidity" and a "fine, fennel-like finish."
He: You've got a 4-year-old for whom potatoes touching meatloaf is a national disaster, and everyone within earshot will be loudly alerted to the insurmountable crisis.
She: You have a food adventurer who is seeking to go where no man has gone before--"Bat tonsil confit with a hemlock reduction sauce? I'm in!"
He: You have a young adult for whom, yeah, the food's important, but where is the hot nightspot?
We're going to walk--and drive--you through a long weekend of hosting, from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon. The goal is to please everyone at least once and still blissfully avoid doing any actual cooking.
Our plan follows, and we're mentioning only restaurants we've reviewed in the past year.
She: First, gas up two cars, because there will be some splitting up here and there. Line up a pair of comfortable shoes, for our plan involves some hoofing. If you like, tuck a charge card in your pocket, for all of the places mentioned below accept plastic.
The first stop can be done before your plague of lovable locusts descends on Thursday evening.
Go to Virginia Barbeque and pick up a takeout order of a suitable number of their "family special"--a pint each of pork barbecue, baked beans and coleslaw, along with four addictively fluffy corn muffins and four buns. Let your house guests pick away at these Southern favorites as they settle in for the weekend.
