Photoshow in Clark

After a somewhat rough week at work, I'm glad it is Friday. Our typical routine is to go to the Power Yoga at the Westfield YMCA. However, this Friday is different as there is an opening of a photo show at Skulski Gallery at the Polish Cultural Foundation in Clark.
I'm not that familiar with the Polish Cultural Foundation, but the Skulski Art Gallery that they host, is something special and we will check out what other exhibits it will have in the future. This is another of these hidden gems in NJ, that most people don't even know is there.

Tonight there was an opening of a photo show by John Wyatt with samples from his tattoo book "Under My Skin". In addition to the black and white picture being pretty impressive, for most of the pictures there was some text telling the story of the person(s) on the photo in their own words. You could clearly see these tattooed people are typically have a strong character, are independent personalities, and are people with a strong sense of the value of freedom. They are individualist that don't care too much about what other people think.

As I also like to think very much to think for myself and as I do value my freedom pretty much above everything else, I felt pretty moved and affected by these pictures. The artist was there and my wife - who is also a photographer could have an expert talk while I enjoyed the pictures and the polish beer.

Not having had dinner before, we were pretty hungry when we left the show around 9:30. Hungry for a burger we went to the Outback Steakhouse in Springfield at 22. I haven't been to Outback that often but I generally liked their burgers.

I wasn't disappointed this time either, truly enjoying the Hickory Burger. And yes, I do like mayo on my burger. But I made the same mistake now for the third time, ordering the burger with fries (i.e. "Aussie Chips"). Isn't it a weird feeling when you remember you made the same mistake before. ("Experience is the ability to recognize a mistake when you make it again").

I just don't like the fries there. They are not bad, but they don't have the crispness, texture and taste that I associate with real good fries and that would make it worth eating them. My Philosophy on fries is: "They are unhealthy, so if I eat them at least I want to maximize the pleasure that I get out of the experience. Eating fries that you don't really fully enjoy is just plain stupid". I hope next time at Outback I will remember.

As much as I don't like the fries there, I absolutely love the "Blue Cheese Bacon Chopped" salad. You can get it as a side for around $4 or with an entree for less than $3. It is an almost perfect salad combination. It blends a creamy, crispy and somewhat firm but also chewy texture, with a taste that it is difficult to describe but that will make you addicted. All the components of the salad are in perfect harmony and what you taste is more than the sum of the parts. The inventor of this salad it true culinary genius. Just having a good soup and that salad makes for very nice meal.

At this particular Outback location, the service is friendly, fast and attentive, the atmosphere is nice and lively but not too crowed and noisy. A good place also to have a drink after a movie across the street.

Signing Off - The Westfield Blogger