Where I Fell In Love

My love of chain restaurants definitely happened because of my love for Friday's. No, not the day of the week (though I do love them) but the restaurant T.G.I. Friday's. It was not the first chain I went to but it was the one that made me fall in love with the concept of them. I can remember back when I lived in Riverdale my family would drive to Tarrytown to take us to Friday's. I was like a kid in Disney Land. I was so excited to get my kids Chicken Fingers and French Fries. It even came with this delicious Strawberry Applesauce. Wow that meal made me so happy. Sometimes I would even get this dessert called mud or something. It was chocolate pudding with crumbled cookies on top and a gummy worm in the middle. YUMMMMMMMMMMM!
Anyway as the years progressed I never ever changed what I got. I only got the kids Chicken Fingers and French Fries. It took me until going to college to stop ordering from the kids menu. Once in college I would order the adult portion of Chicken Fingers. They also had these great bowls of pasta that were suberb. They were very tasty and filled with chicken, cheese, some veggies, etc but they are no longer on the menu. I miss them. You also got a salad and their amazing breadstick as part of the meal. I also really need to mention that during my Sophomore year of college me and my friends would go hang out at the Friday's in Cambridge. There was a DJ at night and they would serve us so we would drink Mudslides and dance on the tables at Friday's. Looking back, it was a little weird.
I also want to mention that Friday's was the first place I ever ordered a salad. It was that awesome Asian Chicken Salad with the two dressing - one totally peanuty. Anyway I think they took it off the menu because it hand more calories than a McDonald's meal or something. Whatever, it was still a good thing because it taught me to love big salads.
Also in the late 1990's/early 2000's Friday's introduced their Gold Points. I think it started around 7 years ago. Anyway you get points for every dollar you spend there and can redeem these points for free appetizers, free meals, etc. For a good 5 years I do not think my family paid for an appetizer because we had so many points.

OK so let me move to the present day. I still really like Friday's but with all of the menu changes and the rise of the more upscale chain (Cheesecake, PF Changs, Houstons) I can no longer really call it my favorite. I still go and enjoy it but it is not the same. I don't like their mashed potatoes, and find the fries not as good as they used to be but I do appreciate their new low fat menu options. I have tried the Dragon Fire Chicken and it was really good. I applaud them for doing this. I think it is very important.
Oh my god, how could I forget - Friday's does have the best sauce in the world. The Jack Daniel's Sauce. Wow, it is totally amazing and probably the best thing on their menu. I would get anything that involves that sauce in it.
They also have good dessert's but I think all chains do.

OK let me know what you think.