Buffet is difficult to resist

I knew that I’d be tempted to eat more than I intended if I went for the buffet, so I told myself I would only eat things from the menu. But I’m not a very good listener.

I scanned the buffet so I could describe it for the readers of this column and within seconds, I caved.

My friend and I both succumbed to the fresh salad bar, the steaming hot entree selection, the homemade breads and the plethora of desserts.

Anyone who has been to At the Crossroads Restaurant knows the buffet is very hard to resist.

The simple dining space is divided into a variety of rooms. All are decorated in different colours and accented by quilts and country prints.

The attached mercantile is a wonderful shopping spot for those wishing to browse before or after a meal.

Noting the restaurant was not licensed, we each ordered a club soda with lime ($3.09/refillable soda) and soon after made our way to the buffet. The all-inclusive dinner buffet is priced at $19.99 per adult.

This sprawling area is spacious enough for a crowd and appeared to be very well maintained. Our waitress described excellent food handling practices. She said that they are quick to replace any item that needs filling or freshening up.

Rather than simply topping up, the dishes themselves are replaced directly from the refrigerator or heating sources.

I kept my portion sizes very small at the buffet in order to sample a wider variety of items. At the salad bar, I chose greens with one of the many salad dressings (not all homemade) and then selected potato salad, macaroni salad and beets from the many options.

At the neighbouring cold station I found purple hard boiled eggs and a variety of pickles. Back at the table, I recall thinking that the potato salad was exceptional and that my plate looked like a fresh summer plate in the midst of winter.

Next up was the trip to the hot entree section. I chose medium-rare thinly sliced roast beef, horseradish, mashed potatoes with a drop of gravy, carrots, and a taste of the lasagna.

I topped it all off with the one onion ring that kept staring at me.

I passed on the piping hot, mac and cheese, pizza, roast chicken, chicken cacciatore and many other options that would have left me with no room for dessert. My meal was exactly as I’d hoped for — hot, full of flavour and good comfort for the soul.

My friend had a similar experience and appeared to be smiling with every bite. For two women who usually watch what they eat, we looked like a couple of dieters in food heaven.

My strategy of earlier small portions was necessary to get me to the desserts section. In my opinion, dessert has to be either chocolate or pie. I had both — and they were heavenly. The layer after layer of very thinly sliced apples that gave height to my apple pie gave glory to my palette. The homemade chocolate pudding that I sampled next was divine.

My friend sampled cream pies that she said she hadn’t tasted in years. I recall her oohing and aahing over her selections.

After a lengthy discussion with our friendly and informative server, we both left the restaurant feeling as if we’d cheated on our personal dietary commitments.

In the end, we decided that an indulgence once in a while puts things in balance. Next time, we’ll eat from the menu.