cinch ['sinch]
a firm grip; something easy to accomplish; a sure thing; a certainty
Synonyms include: assert, clinch, confirm, cross heart, declare, guarantee, conviction, credence, sure thing

There are just times when a 6-piece chicken nugget meal at McDonald’s or even the S-8 at Thai BBQ doesn’t cut it anymore. These days our young adult pallets crave more than the lard and salt-laden foods of the fast and franchised. Don’t get me wrong. I will be the first to volunteer a Del Taco run at 1:30 in the morning. But these days, we often look for more than just a quick bite it seems.

Sometimes we look for a certain ambiance, depending on our mood of course. Eating at restaurants where your number-assigned orders are announced over an intercom may be a great place to go after a fun day at the park or the mall. Other times, we want to dress like grown-ups (though fashion is not 100% indicative of maturity…at least not for most of us hanging on to our youth) and sit in a restaurant where servers don't wear name tags attached to lanyards hanging from their necks; where food takes longer to prepare and is presented on black and granite rectangular porcelain plates; and where the chef, proudly but modestly, brings out your order because, well, he happened to prepare it himself and he just happened to be friends with you. What are the chances? Haha...Last Saturday night, happened just this way. We put away shorts and t-shirts to opt for button-down polos and cowl neck sweaters. We sat in a lounge area by the bar, sipped from wine and martini glasses like sophisticated young adults and devoured far from mundane dishes like proscuitto pizza, lobster mac & cheese and chocolate creme brule. The room was dim, lit slightly by candlelight and soft gallery ceiling lamps indoors and the moonlight shining through the windows from outside. A soundtrack of beat-worthy music played a random selection of tunes while we enjoyed our meal, subdued by the ailments of the long and muggy day, but seeming to find contentment and serenity in the company of good friends and good food...

and then we went back to the apartment so I could sober up before the drive home; and so I could watch James and Pat play video games until 1:35 am. Oh well, so much for sophisticated and mature...