By JODI RALL
In the Bubble columnist
The old saying life imitates art is so true. Not that I would describe the hit TV show “The Middle” as art. However it is a comedy about an ordinary family and the antics of raising children in middle class. In one particular episode my husband and I laughed as the mom started ‘dating’ their oldest son. If you have not seen the show let me give you a reality version to paint the picture.

Saturday night my daughters were babysitting and my husband had taken the youngest to the Vandy football game. That left me and the he-who-shall-remain-nameless son at home together.

“Mom, could we go out to dinner?”

Harmless question, right? Needing to run a few errands, I thought it would be fun to spend some one-on-one time with my boy. With four children, those moments spent with one child become treasured. In addition, 15 has not been an age when spending time with or talking openly to Mom has happened much.

We headed out. Since I needed to pick up a few items at Whole Foods, I suggested one of the new restaurants in Cool Springs. “Hey, I heard there is a new pizza place open; why don’t we check it out?”

“Sure…”

We pull into the Whole Foods’ parking lot and I say, “That must be it.”

The sign read BrickTops. We parked the car and headed toward the door.

Let me stop here and say that I, Jodi Rall, live in a bubble. Love the West End/Vanderbilt area, but rarely get there. Love to eat out, not in our budget often. That being said, if I did leave my bubble more, the predicament I found myself in may not have happened.

Walking in, my first thought was that restaurant is beautiful … and does not look like a pizza place. Had there not been so many people at the door greeting us (it was apparently only the second night the restaurant was open), I may have not been intimidated to ask “What type of restaurant is this?” That being said my darling son said “Two please for dinner” and away we went.

Seated in the back booth closest to the kitchen, we were greeted by our waiter and his trainer. Picture the moment of realization on my face when I realized that we were at a very nice upscale restaurant and not the typical place one would take their teen son for dinner.

The funny thing was I had taken my college daughter out to lunch earlier so had not planned on eating more than a salad. Now, however, the salad was the only option staring back at me from the menu.

My son was in heaven. There was no turning back now, so why not enjoy myself, right? It was fun watching my son choose his entrée, asking questions about etiquette and for the first time in a long time, we really talked. For the record, the food at BrickTops is fabulous.

It was wonderful until the moment when the wait staff began to bring out tea lights and the lights in the restaurant were dimmed for the ‘mood.’ Oh, the mood shifted all right and my boy declared “We have to get out of this place. Everybody is on a date and it looks like we are dating. It is uncool to date your mother!”
So as I paid the bill, I had to ask our waiter about the restaurant’s other locations. Seems BrickTops is also in West End and even has a location in Naples, Fla. You see had I left the bubble more often, I might have known the name.

As we got to our car, my son spotted a Lamborghini parked ahead of us. This boy knows cars and lives to share with us what type of car/fancy truck he will own someday.

“I can’t wait to tell my friends where we ate and now seeing this car…we are sooo cool,” he said.

Laughing about the whole experience, I back out of the parking spot and as we slowly drive by the sports car, what do we see out of our left-hand window -- Brixx: Wood Fired Pizza, the pizza place we were looking for in the first place. So what did we do? Burst out laughing all over again.

Son, I loved our date and we do have things in common. Spending one-on-one time was been the highlight of my weekend. But please, don’t ask to eat out or for lunch money this week. We spent my grocery money Saturday night.

But next week the pizza’s on me.

Jodi Rall is a special events coordinator and publicist who lives with her husband, four children, two dogs and various other pets in Brentwood. She has been known to play tennis. Contact her at jodi@brentwoodhomepage.com. Follow her "Jodi in the Bubble" blog by Clicking here.