Moxies for mining and eating in Fort McMurray: how I learnt to love paper airplanes

On site, a Moxie is a large “truck” made by Caterpillar that is used to move soil around in vast quantities.  This evening without time to remove the site dust from the passage on many a Moxie, six of us went to Moxie’s Classic Grill, a restaurant in downtown Fort McMurray.

A tall waitress in over-tight clothes and over-bleached hair served us: adequately.  She could well have won this award described on the restaurant’s website:

Big cool innovation: Keeping staff in Fort McMurray is tough so Andy has to be innovative. Last year he ran a “Body Transformation Challenge.’’  30 staff members (out of 90) had “before” pictures taken, were given diet info, gym memberships and a whole bunch of encouragement and support. The winner won a trip for two to Las Vegas. “It really built staff morale.”

The appetisers were hardly adequate: un-tender chicken wings; over-battered small ribs; and bland bruschetta.  At least the beer was cold and copious and we washed the food down to lively conversation if not gastronomic wonder.

My main course was a bowl of teriaki chicken and rice.  Rather good and plentiful.  But I recall far more memorable bowls bought at a little road-side stand in Pamona, California where a mother and daughter team sweated out the food for construction workers and me.  I was overseeing cleanup of a badly contaminated plating operation where a fire had brought conditions to the attention of the EPA. 

The kid in our midst at Moxies order ice cream for desert.  It came in a metal bowl from the bottom of which smoke was pouring.  I discovered the effect is from dry ice.  It was worth going to the restaurant just to see the delight on the little girl’s face at this most unusual phenomenon.  Next time I go there I will save room for ice cream myself. 

Caveat:  This is not a picture from the place we ate, but I love the kid’s happiness.  My boss paid for my meal; the restaurant staff did not know this posting was forming in my head as we folded origami planes.  This is the second time I have eaten there.