Eatin' Good

I broke a personal pledge to myself yesterday. For 18 months, I have carefully avoided going to American chain restaurants, because I figure that as long as I'm here, I might as well eat at the Guatemalan and/or Mexican chain restaurants. So after some time of avoiding Chili's and TGI Friday's, I had a business lunch the other day where the Guatemalans we were meeting wanted to eat at Applebee's. Applebee's opened here sometime last year, and the bankers we were meeting with seem to love it: "It's just like Friday's, but a lot less crowded!" I don't think I ever ate at an Applebee's in the U.S., so I don't know what their design scheme is, but in the one in Guatemala, all the walls are lined with celebrity head shots. Not that they're trying to fool anyone into thinking that Leonardo DiCaprio and Madonna have stopped by for cheese sticks at the Guate Applebee's, I think they just decided it made the place feel more "American." Or something. I was almost convinced I was back home until the chicken-sandwich-and-fries lunch was followed with complimentary coffee and flan.