girls' weekend adventures

Megan, me, Liz, Emily, Britney, Tammy.

This weekend I spent with my new in-laws--Jess's mom, three sisters, and his brother's wife. It was a girls' weekend, vacation in every sense of the word, so we ate out A LOT. We hit Red Lobster, the Lion House at Temple Square, IKEA, and Zupas (twice).

On our last night together we decided to  scout out an authentic Mexican restaurant; the winner, The Red Iguana, was actually featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives." The wait was at least 45 minutes out in the cold, but they had a big jug of hot apple cider to keep our hands warm and our impatience at bay. The place was packed (not sure what the fire marshal would think), but they kept the lines moving and we eventually were seated. Our server, a small and energetic 40-something Mexican man, gave us his recommendations, brought out plates of spicy sauces (everything from pumpkin to pistachio mole) for us to taste-test before ordering, and promised he wouldn't hand us over to Taco Time down the street if anyone settled on a chimichanga. 

We ended up with an array of enchiladas, burritos and, of course, chimichangas, and we loved it all. A two-man mariachi band even serenaded us with a slow, but quite loud, song while we ate, smiling the whole time. We couldn't help but grin back.

Mr. Waiter kept our glasses full, made sure we each enjoyed our food, and then brought us a Thanksgiving-sized platter of cinnamon sugar scones with chocolate and cream to dip  and told us it was on the house because he liked us (we tipped him well).

I'm not usually the adventurous type to suggest an unfamiliar, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but perhaps I'll be a bit braver after the unforgettable evening we spent in the packed, noisy Red Iguana.