I'd still eat at a place like Heidi's, but not while traveling on vacation specifically to try new restaurants! There's a time and a place for restaurants like Heidi's. It makes me think of this place my husband's grandparents loved. It was a little cafe in Oakland Chinatown that served a steak dinner with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. We'd eat there regularly after Cal football games.

If it were closer, I'd return just for the nostalgia. Was it the best steak? No. I also bet money that the mixed vegetables were straight from the freezer. But there's a "short-hand" to a classic meal like that and one imbued with memories.

Thanks again for writing this, Orrin. It made me smile.