Most of the time my job is not glamorous. Yesterday, for example, I printed posters, argued with the post office about stamp prices and whether I was mailing "printed material" or "parcel" to the UK, and felt guilty because I hadn't blogged in ages. But then sometimes I'll get to travel around Europe for a month, or be a celebrity guest at some big gala, or ... best of all ... go to soft openings of new restaurants.
Yes, I know. I like food. A lot. I like Tex-Mex more than most foods, and I will travel far and wide -- even to Indiana -- for the Creamy Jalapeño Dip that comes from Chuy's. They don't just bring it to you with the regular chips-n-salsa; you have to ask for it. And when you ask your server if you could "please have some creamy jalapeño" (manners, folks!), she will smile and know that you're "in the club," so to speak.
My faithful readers know that I flipped out when the first Chuy's opened in Louisville last October (by Oxmoor, the old Bahama Breeze building). I suspect that Louisville having a Chuy's is part of the reason I didn't bother going to SXSW this year -- no need to drive a thousand miles for a Texas Martini (trust me, order one).
Despite the fact that the vegetarian menu is limited at Chuy's, I never ever tire of it. In the past two weeks, I've eaten there three times. (I know, I should really just give in and go to the grocery store already.) I've ordered a regular bean & cheese burrito (but please add vegetables), the guacamole tacos, and the vegetarian combo (a chile relleno and veggie enchilada). Truthfully, I shouldn't bother to order anything because I'm always so stuffed with chips-n-salsa-n-creamy-jalapeño by the time my meal arrives that I pretty much just get a ToGo box on the spot. But then that means I have days of Tex Mex sitting in my refrigerator because of the Texas-sized portions, so win win.
On Monday night for the soft-opening of the brand new Clarksville Chuy's (1440 Veteran's Parkway, please don't ask me directions, I'm lost outside of the Highlands), FWT and I went for dinner with two other friends. We got all shared the appetizer platter (minus the chicken in the deluxe quesadillas), which could have been a meal in itself. Kris was the meat-eating brave one who ordered the Elvis Presley Memorial Combo, which, as far as I could tell featured one of everything (picture above).
I have one request, and this goes out to the Chuy's folks back in Austin who, I imagine, must control the menu: please make a vegetarian queso. I love that your refried beans are not made with lard, but why put meat in something so alread-perfect as queso? But clearly, that's not keeping me away from your fine establishment, so I guess it's not that big of a deal.
Anyway, I'm thankful that the Chuy's in Clarksville didn't open before the Louisville one. Otherwise I would have had to break down and buy a new car.
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