Lunch with Al

When you work with Al Gardner, you get asked two questions again and again. Is he really that optimistic? Yep. Does he really eat that much? Yes, again and it is truly something to behold. The Charlotte's Morning News crew had lunch together yesterday, at 131 Main in Huntersville. I love eating with Al because they give him a menu and he says, "Why, yes, thanks." We had something like four appetizers and three desserts. Al was eating light so he only had a club sandwich. Only. It just about draped over the plate it was so big. And fries. And half my lunch. I kid you not. (I had the flounder and Jim, Charles, Chris and Larry all got the ribs. They polished theirs off before Al could take a bite.) A while back we all went to the Palm and had these huge, five pound lobsters. We've all given up when Al starts asking about the parts you just don't eat. (Quite educational, actually. I never knew the green stuff is called the tomalley and it's the lobster's digestive system. It's still gross). Jim Szoke got a picture of Al in his lobster bib, but we can't get it out of his phone. Took Al to Rotelli, the restaurant my husband and I own. He ate almost an entire pizza, and garlic rolls and soup and, I think, a philly steak sandwich. He's found the perfect producer in our Charles Jenkin. Charles has his weekend cooking show on WBT and the two of them linger over food news and gaze longingly at restaurant feature spreads. When the network morning shows do their cooking segments at 8:45 each morning, you'd think our studio tv's were turned to the Playboy channel. Here's the rub - with all that eating you'd think Al was a prime candidate for LA Weight Loss. Not so.. he does work out quite a bit, but I think he's just one of those guys with a gift of a good metabolism. He says his two brothers are the same way. One day we'll find they hold the key to some scientific weight loss breakthrough. In the mean time, we stand in awe (and out of the way!) of Al's appetite.