Lambert's and meat....

Spicy Deviled Eggs with smoked paprika, american caviar, cornichons, olives, and caperberries

For the next two weeks there is no time for cooking in the Lane household between networking events, Eye Caddie interviews, ACL, movie premieres and an occasional bout of sleep. I have considered turning to crack cocaine to help me rid myself of the cumbersome sleep process, but after much consultation with friends have decided now isn't the time to start. It's expensive and apparently I'm already a little too high strung. Whatever. Anyways, so after about a 3 hour round of interviews Brent and I needed a few moments to download on what happened today, the rest of the plans for the evening, and break down everything for next few days. Since we were over on 2nd and Lavaca at Jo's for our interviews, we decided to stroll over to Lambert's for dinner.  Due to the hectic week, I chose to give in to my desires for comfort and last night that comfort was food.  I think this isn't an uncommon problem for people and here is my in turn delightful and simultaneously woeful tale of meat eating indulgence.

When we first walked in to Lambert's I had intended to order their salad: Bluebonnet Farms Organic Lettuces with grapes, pecans, ricotta salata, herbs, and apple cider vinaigrette for my dinner (pictured below). But alas, good intentions didn't happen when directly faced with temptation and Brent noticed that they serve some local meats.  I inquired with the waiter and sure enough they serve local chicken, pork ribs, and brisket.  After much deliberation we decided to share the ribs, a salad, and some deviled eggs. The eggs were so so, in my opinion. I thought they would be spicier and there was a flavor that I couldn't quite pin down that I didn't care for. The caperberries that came with it were really good though and I had never had anything like them before. They look like baby watermelon peppers and were very interesting.  The salad was delicious and the ribs were pretty tasty. I think I was expecting more but that very well could because I think what I really needed instead of a plate of meat was a warm bed, Brent snuggled up to me, and sleep sleep sleep. I did really like their sauces, the hot barbecue sauce mixed with the house barbecue was superb and I could have just had that slathered on some bread and been happy! The jicama slaw that came on the side was super good too.

Pork ribs and jicama slaw. Sorry it's crooked.. I got tired of fighting with my computer to try to make it upright.

Mmm, yummy light salad

So one more thing to say about the restaurant and then on to my woe.  I never realized that there is a whole space upstairs with a full bar, live band, and a great open space! I always thought that you just had to go in there for dinner.  It was a pretty cool spot and I'll have to go again when we have time to hang at the upstairs bar.
So why the woe, you may wonder?  I have been in the midst of an identity crisis for some time now in terms of food.  I struggle with what to call myself and definitely realize I am not a vegetarian. I eat mostly vegetarian but in no way wish to portray myself to the world as having the discipline or complete desire to rid my life of meat. My struggle is, how do you explain to people, namely non-Austinites or foodies who don't "get" the eating local, being green, concept of the non-meat portion of my diet?  Many people don't understand, you either eat meat or you don't. Flexitarian doesn't even really cover my eating habits because that doesn't address the fact that I want my meat to be local.  How can I sum up my desire to lower my contribution to pollution of the environment without going on an entire sch-peel? So, most of the time, I lie. It's just easier to say I am a vegetarian when at a restaurant or eating with family or even when I am out with some friends and I just don't want to get started on why I mostly don't eat meat. But then as the words flow from my mouth I feel guilty for touting such a self-disciplined state of existence. So here. I am attempting to out myself and come "clean". I like meat. I eat meat BUT I do my darndest to only eat meat when it's from a local Austin farm, or local to the place I am visiting. I think I judge myself harder than most anyone else could but this helped me to relieve some of my guilt and maybe someone can lend some advice.
My hope is that the next time I eat meat that it quenches my desire for flavor and not comfort, because it didn't really work and actually only made me feel worse; I'm not knocking Lambert's though it was more about the guilt than the flavor.