A local chain near me used to have the best vanilla I've ever had (edit: the depth of flavor was off the charts. Part of the flavor was like a dark tea-like flavor or quality, with a bunch of other notes, it was unreal). I only had a scoop of it, maybe three or four times, then I think right before the pandemic they got rid of it because sourcing the vanilla was too expensive or some kind of environmental concern or something, I'm not sure.

I still patiently await its return...

The reason that vanilla became… well, the poster child of blandness, is that it was one of the first and simplest flavours to be artificially created. So everyone threw the cheap flavouring into everything.

Synthetic vanilla is missing all the complexity, it’s just 1 chemical.

Real vanilla remains wonderful, and it’s sad how it’s been ill treated by industrial food companies.

Yeah. One podcaster said that a good indicator of the kitchen at the restaurant, which says how good the restaurant, is simply requesting Eggs Benedict. I see the argument.

I just... I find life too short to shackle myself with that game, unless I intend to repeat a visit, which the cartoon would indicate not.

I agree in general. But this isn't a new store that opened on the corner of your street. You aren't staying here. There's no need to judge how good it is overall. It's entire point of existing is to try unique things. Like if I'm on holiday in another country I'm not going to vet them on the safe choice. I may never come back.

You can tell a lot about a restaurant by the quality of their Reuben