Under a Tucson Sun - Part 1: Food

If everything is still a little disjointed, it's certainly my fault, since I've had a hard time getting to the details of the last weekend, and organizing them.  I'm not quite sure why.  Somewhere there's a disconnect between wanting to be creatively different (i.e. not chronological) and still wanting to get the meat of the details in.  I won't cover everything, and I've already made a few mentions in previous posts, but I've got to get a few other tales down before the go away in the ether that is my head.

This may take me a post or two, but I'll try to get it all done, post haste.

Appropriately, Chris sent me a quote this morning: "Someday we'll look back on this moment and plow into a parked car."
-Evan Davis

Let me start by saying that Pete (trapezebear) was a really great roommate.  Not only was I able to bounce some things off of him, both about the event we were at, but about life in general, but he's just a good friend.  We first met in person last year and I'm glad I could conquer my shyness then and get to know Pete.  We gave him a bit of a time about his bisexuality, and I wonder if it was coming from curiosity or possibly just not knowing.  Still, it was all in good fun, and the fact that for many of us, it was the one bit of dirt we had on this truly nice guy.  I'm truly grateful I asked him to room with me, and hope we can do it again next year.

Now, to the odd mental organizing device that may or may not work, starting with:

Food

For the most part was good.  One thing I heard complaints about was the 2 nights of Mexican fare (and some had Mexican on other nights as well) since the theme of the event was based on the Mexican Bingo (la loteria).  Personally, Mexican food is good, and it was different enough those to nights, tacos one night, enchiladas and steak the next, to be good for me.  I liked the food at the hotel a lot better this year than last.

Eating is of course, best as a communal experience, and sometimes I'll go out of my way to have dinner with people I want to have dinner with.  Sometimes that means going to places like Sushi Garden.  This is not a place that I would go on my own, nor would it be a place I would suggest, but when you already know that Alex (darke), Jay (jaybear), Kevin (sonoranbear), and his partner Steve, Matthew (mamoosh) and John, Richard (bear_with_me), and John (renbear), as well as many others would be there.

So I looked at the menu at the hotel, and thought that the steak and shrimp would work for me.  I had run off earlier with Blake and Kevin from Denver and Rob (robearal) to TGI Fridays so I could stand to experiment a little, if need be.  Of course the Miso soup arrived first, and unnoticed by most of the crowd, I did try a few sip.  Nothing to write home about.

The meal, arrived after a while, as the wait staff, especially the lady helping us were pretty frazzled.  Many people had shown up for the early bird day - Thursday, and while this was only one of four locations they could have gone to for dinner, we still had about 30 guys, and apparently most of the locals. Tucsonians like Asian cuisine. I'm not sure if it's the transplanted californians or what.  As for Fiesta, apparently the early bird day is getting popular, as at least 40% of the total crow seemed to be around that night.

The only utensils were chopsticks, and the steak was cut into strips, and the steak and shrimp, little as it was for $17, was laid across a large bed of veggies.  Oh happy day.  I picked the meat off of the platter, and left the rest as I conversed with both locals and those I knew around me, including the rather aggressive cub from Vancouver.  There were large wooden boats full of sushi rolls going around, including one from a couple of guys who were apparently bar owners who were trying to get our attention.  Kevin told us that they were the bar owners of the bar that had fallen out of favor with the Bears, and they were looking to get business this weekend.

Richard and Kevin looked to take the broccoli from my plate, as I wasn't going to eat it.

Now let's say that I never went hungry on the trip.  There were a couple of times that I had to work out some deals, like when I didn't get lunch after going out on a tour (more on that in a minute) so I begged poor bobaloo to take me out for a burger.  That was the first burger I had for about a week or so, and man was it good.  I've been trying to eat few burgers in the last half-year, but sometimes when you're really hungry, damn.  Bob was nice enough to drive my ass to Carl's Jr., since we don't have any near my home, and I got to taste the wonderful power of old-fashioned White Supremacy (mmm).  Sure, I could get something similar from Wendy's, but why not get it from somewhere you can't get back in Texas?

Still, it was 4 o'clock and I had don a 4 hour waling tour and was really hungry. I slammed down the Double Western Cheeseburger in Bobaloo's car while he went to get booze at Fry's supermarket (the one with potato chips, not electronics). it was the only time I really needed food.

Still, again working to be one of the crowd, the peer pressure did get me to go and try Dim Sum.  Being without car, you're sort of at the whim of those cute people who do have their vehicles, and though I did object a little, there is some mileage to be gained of trying something new with friends.  All you hope is that their not going to lead you into something really horrible.  Sure, the great Thai experiment in Austin last year wasn't so hot, but occasionally everything's not lost.

We piled into Bobaloo's whale of a car, I getting to sit next to dreamy Brian (brianmn), and went down to the Palace, or whatever it was called.  Since Pete and I had been pulled out of the pool earlier to go, we had missed the chance to join the big table of about 25 guys, but it was probably for the best, we had 8 guys when Alex and Jay joined us with Pete, Bill (blakes_7) and Carlos (carlosito).

They brought all the little metal dishes with mysterious foods that they guys tried to explain to me.  I didn't know that the tea was part of the tradition until today when I was trying to explain the experience to my team at work today.  Lisa was already not only surprised that I had tried it, but immediately grossed out by it, especially when I tried to explain Pork Buns and the Sticky Rice things.  I thought someone on my team might be a fan, since we have some sushi lovers, but this was new territory.  I looked up Dim Sum on Wikipedia, which, unlike the picture of me eating it on Alex's site, isn't blocked at work, told me about the connection to tea, and dim sum pricing.

So I won't give it a thumbs up, but it was OK.  The pork strips with the crusty stuff was good.  The meatballs were OK.  The pork buns seemed a bit wrong.  I think the whole thing could have used a tortilla  Again, what made the experience was being with the people, and if occasionally I take a little bit of ribbing for having weird eating habits, then so be it.  I can take that. 

What I really want to see is our pictures of trying to sell the chopsticks, that Bobaloo made us take, in some sort of weird sort of America's Next Top Bear Model (Who's the Bottom?) kind of thing. 

Of course, after going there several times for breakfast last year, we had to go back to Frank's at least once. 

It was a chance to get to ride in Sean (schnitz_mi) and Will's (bigchicagobear) rented convertible, too.  As we went from the hotel to the Franks, I sat in the back and did a half-hearted Drew Barrymore impression  from "Riding in Cars With Boys" while Will and Pete (Sean was on a tour) were my Whoopi and who ever else was in that movie.  The other guys piled into Bobaloo's car.  The service was the same as last year, but apparently the word hadn't spread, like last year, which was too bad, or we were there a little late, cause really, I got lunch, having already gotten breakfast at the hotel, which did a better job this year in their remolded kitchen. 

What I missed at Franks was the Grateful Dead loving waitress we had last year 

Monday morning, after being up too late the night before, and getting Pete onto the shuttle to the airport, I hoofed it over to the Bagel place, and had a damn good bagel.  Really, I think Houston is hell for bagel making.  Einstein Bros is our only chain now, and the local shops are few and far between.  While there I ran into Jeff (quirkypandacub) and Ed (darkphuque), and Stephen (dakoopst)and Trey (arkanjil) came over, also looking for a bite, and sat down with us for a while.  We hadn't seen much of them since the first evening, but they seemed to be having a good time.   Schnitz and Will came by just before we left as well, and I'd be seeing them for the Adios, Amigos lunch.

The last event, like last year, was at the Old Pueblo Grill.  It was expensive, $25, but the buffet had all you can eat steak, and it was pretty good, so I didn't complain much.  Plus I really hadn't spent that much for food over the weekend, with dinners most nights being covered.  We had a table with Matty (mattycub), Will, Schnitz, Alex and Jay, and Steve and Kevin were about.  It was sort of the last stand as everyone had a flight to catch.  I was somewhat worried since there were no more shuttles, but my flight wasn't until 4:30, specifically planned so I could attend this lunch.  I think because of the price, a lot of people skipped this year, but it was a really good meal...They might want to re-think it a bit, though.

Still, despite the warmth of the sun, you could feel a cloud over all of us. 

It felt bad getting home, having Jerry (goofycubb) drop me off, and having dinner on my own again. All in the chill of a Houston night.

I can't believe I wrote that much about food, and didn't even cover a ton of other things...well, I'll get to all of that soon enough in another post.  Dang these recaps.