To dive or not to dive?

I think I'm getting soft. I used to relish dining in divey establishments. I remember once going to a won ton shop where we watched the staff wash the chopsticks by swishing them around in a plastic bucket of soapy water, then drying them off with a rag before handing them out to new customers. My favourite hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Ottawa shut down due to health code violations. It's a bit repulsive. But I've always taken comfort in the fact that I knew these places were gritty, but real street-level restaurants. I think I get it from my father. He shuns esthetics of any sort in the places he chooses to dine. Why pay money for atmosphere, he would say. You can't eat the mood-lighting.So I thought this had been engrained in me. But it appears that I've gotten too comfy eating in Ottawa. The congee and noodle shop we went to today was pretty decent, as far as Chinese diner food goes. That's why I think it's me who's gone soft. The place is on Broadway Avenue. And when you first enter, it looks fine. The floors and tables are a bit sticky, but whatever. What bothered me was the smell. We were seated the farthest back my family has ever been seated in the restaurant -- close to the hallway that leads to the washrooms. The smell of washroom disinfectant tinged with very, um real smells from the washroom would waft into the restaurant every now and again. As I was coming to terms with this, I was watching my father wash our chopsticks in hot tea -- a ritual done in places where we don't trust the vigilance of the restaurant dishwasher. It was enough to make me lose my appetite. Even dad was a bit put off.Things got better after we switched to a different table and the food arrived. That reminded me why we were here to begin with. We shared a fish congee, a fish ball congee, a bowl of won ton noodles and a plate of blanched Chinese broccoli. The fish congee was deliciously thick and flavourful. The fish large, chunky and perfectly cooked. Garnished with slivers of green onion, ginger and roasted peanuts. The won ton was bite after bite of crispy shrimp. Yum.But as we walked out of the restaurant today, I realized that I have lost some of my ability to suck it up and tolerate the grit for the comfort food. Which is sad. I don't know if it's because I live in Ottawa, where there is less grit around. I'd be willing to go back to the restaurant we were at today. But next time, I'll wait longer for a table closer to the front of the restaurant.