Something’s Fishy

posted by Momo Fali on June 21, 2011

The other night, my husband and I did something we rarely do. We went out on a date.

The kids were being spoiled at Grandma’s house as we slid into a candlelit booth at my favorite seafood restaurant which is one of many fine dining experiences owned by a local restaurateur. We decided to splurge and started with beer and calamari with green beans and red peppers (me) and wine, clam chowder and a wedge salad (my husband).

Okay, truth be told, we weren’t splurging as much as we were using a $100 gift card that my husband got for Christmas. But, we were eating a lot. My pants? They were splurging.

For the entree, I chose a delectable pecan crusted trout and my husband decided to completely deplete the gift card and ordered twin lobster tails. You know? Twin, as in two.

When the $115 bill arrived, we thought we had gotten off pretty cheap.

Until the waitress said, “You can use this gift card at one of the eight C.M. restaurants here in town, but he sold us to another corporation three years ago.”

Needless to say, we skipped the popcorn at the movie that night.

    Comments

  • Christina


    Ack! C.M. sold the Fish Market? I had no idea.

    My husband is taking me out to dinner for my birthday tonight, and we may end up at the same place. I hope he doesn’t have a C.M gift card.

    • Momo Fali


      Indeed, he did. Quite a while ago, according to our waitress.

  • Krickett


    Sounds like something that always happens to me! Bought Tums last night, bad heartburn. Came home opened the flip top and saw that someone had already broken the foil seal. Granted, Tums isn’t as expensive as a CM dinner but heartburn kept me up all night!

    It’ll be a night you’ll always remember, Ha!

  • lceel


    The next time we go someplace and my wife does that annoying thing where she checks out the method of payment with the Wait Staff before we order? I’m gonna give her a hug.

  • Melisa


    EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!

    That is all.

  • UP


    I would have made a scene that would have hit you-tube. A gift card is a gift card…sheesh!

    UP

  • Oscar


    Doesn’t that suck!!! I’d have given the lobsters back…..(ahem)

  • Tara R.


    Yowzah! I hope it didn’t ruin your night. Sounds like a lovely dinner.

  • Ang


    Oh. That would so happen to me. Well, so much for the FUN night, lol.

  • Sharon


    Doh!!! I had that happen to me once only it was many moons ago when gift cards had an expiry date.

  • millicent frick


    oh no!!!!!

  • Zak


    Dammit!

    (But thanks for the laugh.)

  • Amie


    That is a big pile of suck. Shoulda gone to Ocean Club instead–although your $100 wouldn’t have gone quite so far there!

  • Haute Americana


    The EXACT same thing happened to me at Fish Market. My boyfriend and I splurged on dinner only to discover the $100 gift card he had received at a discounted rate was no longer owned by Cameron Mitchell (however we did neglect to notice that Fish Market was suspiciously absent from the list of approved CM restaurants listed on the back). The waitstaff should be instructed to let patrons know they’re no longer affiliated with CM! Glad to know we’re alone. I couldn’t help but feel like the kid in Fast Times at Ridgemont High when he realized halfway through his date he forgot his wallet.

  • Haute Americana


    *not alone.

  • Heather


    GAH! that SUCKS. that is no FAIR at ALL.

  • Jamie


    That is so something that would happen to me and my husband.

  • AlisonH


    Halibut, but, but…!