Convention GrillEnjoy!Chino Latino

What a weekend of events. My boss and default older-sister figure, Miss Melissa , told me that instead of blogging about my wonderful work experiences (of which there are plenty) I should instead embrace my youth and detachedness, and write about my weekend. I am definitely not one to question authority, so here goes…

My parents were out of town at the family reunion, and unfortunately I had to miss the event (which they traveled to by car) because of my loyalties to Southwest Newspapers and particularly Let’s Go! Never fear, because I took care of the house.

On Friday, I went to Enjoy! , a pretty fancy restaurant for Apple Valley. There, along with some friends, we celebrated our awesome friend Amanda's 20th birthday. Of course, feeling ridiculously out of place in such a nice environment, I ordered meatloaf. Everyone else ordered high-end dishes like Chicken Marsala and steak. But my meatloaf was AMAZING. Served with a tangy barbecue-like sauce and green beans, it was definitely not just Mom’s traditional meatloaf. Enjoy! found a way to make it taste gourmet, and presented it as such.

On Saturday, I spent thirty dollars at Chipotle. Anyone who knows me and has been reading the blog (which, let’s face it, are probably one in the same) knows that I have an insane passion for Chipotle. I almost changed universities because of the lack of Chipotle presence in Iowa.(I am glad to report that Iowa City is indeed getting a Chipotle right by my house this year). However, thirty dollars sounds excessive, until you realize that I spent $10 on my meal (plus drink and chips, I get the bol and chips because then it is like nachos, or something) and $20 on a gift card for my pal Shawna. Shawna has an amazing boyfriend named Paul who goes to St. Thomas in St. Paul (they are both from Ankeny, Iowa) and she has been lucky enough to, when she visits him, enjoy the exquisite splendor that is Chipotle. In celebration of the Chipotle coming to our college town, I thought a gift card was just too perfect a gift. Anyway, the reason I tell you all of this is NOT to show that I am not a selfish vacuum of a person, but rather to exorcise my demons about having a $30 charge to a burrito joint on my bank statement. This charge has been haunting me, since I am not a particularly svelte or lean woman. To all you bank employees, I’m not just a glutton, I’m a giver! Don’t judge me for the $29.64 I spent at Chipotle! In all honesty, if I worked at a bank, I’d judge people for their purchases.

To celebrate Shawna’s 21st birthday we all went out to Chino Latino, which is one of my favorite restaurants. I love the vibe there; it makes me feel like I am one of those utterly vapid and annoying girls on "The Hills." We sat at the huge table in the center of the downstairs dining room, everyone enjoying their exotic cocktails from the double entendre-filled menu. I sat on the end, being nineteen and sipping at my Mango Lemonade. Don’t cry for me Argentina, the truth is my lemonade was DELICIOUS. The food was presented in an exciting and very aesthetically-pleasing manner, and all of it tasted great. I’m no food critic, but the sushi, shrimp and squid had unexpected combinations of flavors but all were delectable (that’s as far as my flowery language can go).

My very-forgiving partner in crime, Chelsea, has been pulling all year for us to go out for malts. There’s something about the tin-can that we find irresistible. I have a passion for chocolate malts. Finally, despite some "The Day After Tomorrow-like weather, we went to Conventional Grill in Edina. There I had a chocolate/coffee malt, and after some passive-aggression, we split a Smokey cheddar cheeseburger and a half-order of fries. The place felt straight out of Happy Days, as if Arnold’s had been dropped into Minneapolis. The waitresses wore old-school uniforms, the tables had checkered tablecloths, there was a counter, and even a jukebox! It was like the fifties, without the social unrest and segregation. I loved the place, the people couldn’t have been nicer and the atmosphere couldn’t have been more welcoming. It rounded out a great weekend of food and friends and no parental supervision.

This weekend, I got my annual craving for a Big Mac. I indulged myself on the way back from a post-malt movie Meryn-thon at Chelsea’s. She watched "When Harry Met Sally" for the first time, and my millionth time. I realized that the film is responsible for all of my neuroses and attitudes about relationships. I am officially stating, on the record, that I believe men and women cannot truly be friends (sorry folks, but feel free to prove me wrong).

So this blog comes to you after my four-day recovery from my three-day eating binge. I guess I can finally say, I’m stuffed.