Our third visit to Furlongs in two years shows a comfort level not found for many other close-to-home places.

The double-sided menu’s front page is food choices:

A handful of salads join a soup for the early round. Appetizers include chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, wings, sliders, quesadilla (2), mac & cheese, and onion rings.

            Entrées included two burgers, chicken Francaise, roasted chicken, lobster ravioli, salmon, prime rib, shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie, chicken curry, shrimp scampi, and pasta primavera.

            Burgers are a main draw, with an Angus, build your own, or veggie.

It is a comfortable menu for most people.

The menu’s back page is drinks – specials, beer on tap, beer in cans, wine by the glass, wine by the bottle. There should be enough choice for most people. All the choices listed, plus water, were picks of the night.

The dessert list is minimalist again, with only bread pudding. If East Durham had an ice cream stand, we probably would have resorted to a tested and true tactic – ordering ice cream on the way home.

Ambiance was, well, humid, mid-80s, back deck, under-a-tarp kind of cozy late afternoon to dusk to dark. Not as warm as the previous few days (six weeks?) , it felt almost comfortable and was by departure time.

            Originally we had reserved for the pavilion but a request for mercy was willingly given. Asking the waitstaff to walk thirty tough steps with food and drink would have needed more staffing than was available this evening.

            And “Liz” had her hands full after several tables joined us. Things were delivered, somewhat slowly but I think we resigned ourselves to being grateful to being served.

The bill, per couple, including everything covers a wide range, as it has since we have done separate checks. A mix of entrées vs appetizers for the main meal, no drinks vs three all add up to a range. Tabs of $55 to $100+ per couple filled the range.

And just as it appeared we were ready to go in the duskiness of an early August evening, Deb K, who had secreted away for a minute, revealed the surprise – A Deb K cake for the birthday – Judy and Joyce the following day, and not said but I will throw in for good measure – Tim, the following week.

            A chocolate three layer cake with sliced strawberries in between the layers, as well as a strawberry buttercream. Topped with a dark chocolate ganache drip and garnished with fresh chocolate dipped strawberries. Deb K sliced very generous slices but almost half still survived. Chay and Deb looked around and the surrounding tables became beneficiaries of a Karnes treat. Good business model, too! The gifted tables expressed their appreciation.

Finally, into the dark we exited, through the bar area, and into the parking lot to head home eastward.

Tim and Judy, it was a treat to see you for Dinner #246

Topics: The Adamses, of course, stole the show. Even though they are a monthly mention, being there is different. So, Florida, politics in Florida, Hurricane Debby’s after-effects, house improvements, winter get-togethers with visitors (among them the Notars and Monteverds), the graduation party they attended, a possible trip to Australia, Judy’s new knee, another new knee upcoming, health, and aspects of a enjoyed and good life were part of the discussion.

            Other topics: Kriss’s new shoulder, the Teator return from two weeks in Ireland, the Monteverds and Notars upcoming trip to France, the upcoming Teator trip to Quebec City, deer and lots of them, bountiful gardens, obnoxious crabgrass, the change in national politics, the worthy efforts of Five Furlongs with the pavilion and dining alcoves along the creek, unexplained weight loss, troublesome backs, our offspring, our offspring’s offspring, flying to Vienna for a Taylor Swift concert, welfare of neighbors, and a whole bunch more at the other end of the table that was too distant for this writer to record.