Wandering and lost...

"Not all those who wander are lost;"  

is an oft quoted line from the poem, All That is Gold Does Not Glitter by J. R. R. Tolkien.  

Full disclosure:  THIS DESCRIPTION DOES NOT APPLY TO ME.

I wander....and I get lost a lot.

In fact, so much so, it is a running joke with friends, family and coworkers that are with me when I drive.  If an anticipated turn, exit or entry to a highway is impending, everyone gets quiet.  Conversations stop mid sentence, so I can pay attention and realize that a maneuver is imminent. Otherwise I just keep driving straight.

To my defense, I will say that this had led to some amazing discoveries. Unplanned activities.  Unexpected destinations. Mel and I once stumbled upon some castle ruins that we had completely to ourselves, because they were so far off of the beaten path.  It's a memory that both of us will cherish.

To be fair, it has also led to some very frustrated passengers and some slight and unnecessary delays.

So, why all this about my deficient sense of direction? Because on Friday we set out to eat lunch at Milo's on the Hill, and I got turned around.  We were talking...I kept going straight, and by the time I realized it, Mona's restaurant was directly in front of us.  

So we ate there instead. 

Mel, completely thrilled by the unexpected change of plans.

Mona's - An American-Italian Joint is in a space that was formerly a tapas restaurant called Modesto.  I had eaten there a few years back. But going even further back, the Fair Mercantile building housed the Paull family business that sold furniture and appliances at the corner of Edwards and Shaw for 80 years.  That business shuttered in 1995. 

Mel unsuccessfully attempts to crack the old Fair Mercantile Co. safe.  

The building was renovated into a mixed use office space in 2000. Mona's is located on the first floor and is a very open, cleanly decorated space.  Very comfortable.

They had a nice selection of lunch specials.  I ordered the Meatball Sandwich.  This had melted provolone, marinara and garlic bechamel on toasted Italian bread.  Very, very tasty.  I got the garlic parmesan fries for the side. 

Mel got the Grilled Vegetables Sandwich with a side salad. She enjoyed hers as well.  They also have a good selection of beers.  While this is a sit down restaurant, the prices were in line with most of the delis that we've eaten at and the food was good.

So, in the end...my wandering paid off this week.  Because, no matter where you end up....you are somewhere!