The Original Kelly's Roast Beef

The other day, I sat on a bench at Revere Beach with a Kelly's Roast Beef Sandwich in my lap. The sky was painted a happy shade of blue and the briny smell of the ocean hung thickly in the air. The wind played with my hair and the sea gulls that had gathered on the concrete wall, were staring and looked like they wanted to pick a fight with me. In between bites of sandwich, I was watching the waves crash in and rush back out. My skin was being tickled by the sun. I was happy.

While enjoying my lunch, I got to thinking about food and what makes something "good" versus "average" versus "not good".The above paragraph is how I remember that moment. I was relaxed and aside from the potential threat of a seagull fight, all worry and cares seemed miles away. I was at the beach, albeit not the prettiest beach in the world, but still a beach. People were laughing around me, playing and having fun. The sandwich only plays a small role in my memory of that day, but it's still there and I remember it favorably. Not because it was particularly good (it wasn't) but because I was happily sitting on a bench at the beach at the start of the summer, eating something that is a local food icon. But again, I want to say that the sandwich itself wasn't that great. The roast beef was over cooked with not so much as a blushy trace of pink that makes a good roast beef sandwich, well, good. A lackluster and watery barbecue sauce was lightly drizzled over the meat, which was resting on top of a bed of nothing-special, straight from the jar pickles. The bun was the best part, hearty and dark and studded with lots of bright sesame seeds.

I can't help but question that if I hadn't been enjoying that moment as much as I was, would I have liked the sandwich as much? Would I think back on it so fondly? Or is my experience a product of marketing? Everyone who grew up here as well as most who are transplants to the area know about Kelly's. Heck, it even earns a shout out in my favorite movie, Good Will Hunting. But is it really that good or do people think it's better because they have good memories of eating a Kelly's Roast Beef sandwich when they went to Revere Beach as a kid? Either way, it brings up a good question: how much factors into what you think of a dining experience? If the ambiance is great, does that make the food taste better? If you're on an awful date with someone who's a jerk, tells the worst jokes on the planet and won't shut up, do you think the same way about a meal than if you had gone with a group of your best friends? Additionally, if you hear a lot of buzz about a place and everyone raves about it non-stop (ehem, 5 Napkin) does that sway your opinion of the food? Just some food for thought, I suppose.