Monthly Archives: July 2010

The funny thing about blogging is that when you start, it’s just you alone in front of your computer screen typing up words, pressing publish, and then hoping that somehow someone was going to read it.

But pretty quickly, you realize that there’s an entire community of people doing the exact same thing. Over time, blogging becomes more than you just writing into cyberspace, and turns into a community that you’re interacting with. Most of the time that’s just through blog posts and comments. But sometimes,  the blog worlds and the “real” world to collide, and you actually get the opportunity to talk to someone face to face.

Why am I getting all sappy on you about this? Well, last night I had my very first blogger meet-up, or, as EC has been referring to it all week: my blind date. Blogger meet-ups are a strange thing. Even though you don’t really know the people you’re meeting, you sort of feel like you do because you stalk them online follow their blogs. So even though you’ve never spoken a word to each other in your life, you have a pretty good idea what to expect.

Last night, Becky, Bekah, Lindsay, Melissa, and I all met at Don Jose Tequila’s in Federal Hill to take  advantage of Providence Restaurant week. This was my first time at Don Jose’s and it did not disappoint! Unlike most other restaurants during Restaurant Week, we were able to choose food off the full menu. Dinner included a drink, appetizer, entree, and dessert. A whole lot of delicious food.

Because I know that each of these lovely ladies will be posting a recap on their lovely blogs (that you should check out), I figured I’d just tell you 5 little lessons from my night at Don Jose’s.

1.) Federal Hill actually has good food that’s not Italian.

If you know anything about the Federal Hill area of Providence, it’s that it’s known for its collection of amazing Italian restaurants. And I’ll admit, whenever I have dinner there, I overlook all other restaurants and pick an Italian place. But not anymore! I was so impressed by how delicious the food was at Don Jose’s. Oh, and the drinks – those were pretty amazing too. I got a glass of Sangria – perfect drink on a summer night.

It’s important to balance your alcohol with plenty of fresh H2O

2.) People never actually talk like you would imagine them to.

It’s a funny thing to “hear” someone’s voice through their writing and then really hear it in real life. I’m always surprised – but in a good way. I think reading their blogs from now on will be like what happens when you see a movie before reading the book. Once you’ve seen and heard the actors, you can’t help but picture them and hear their voices while you’re reading. Now that I’ve heard how these ladies talk, it will be impossible not to hear that voice through their writing, which will make it even more fun to read.

Appetizer #1 – chips and fresh guacamole

3.) Blogger Meet-ups are not awkward.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this was surprising, but it’s true! Just because you read someone’s blog, doesn’t necessarily mean you have things to talk about in person. And I’m not the most out-going person in the world, so I knew I wasn’t exactly going to be the life of the party. But when you get a group of people together that all have similar interests, the conversation comes easy…especially when you have this woman to regal you with stories about the little ones she teaches. Oh my goodness…public health is definitely way less exciting!

Appetizer # 2: Ensalada de Mango – The stars were definitely the mango and goat cheese. An amazing combo. I’ll admit that I didn’t know what those pink things were – but I avoided them for fear they were onions

4.) Mexican food is not very photogenic.

Okay, so this wasn’t exactly a surprise or a lesson, but it’s true! I opted to just get the veggie burrito for my meal, and even though they tried to make it pretty with a drizzle of sour cream, you tell me – does that pile of brown mush look particularly appetizing??

Regardless of how it looked, it was pretty delicious. Typically, vegetarian burritos just contain beans, rice, and cheese…tasty, but boring. I really liked that Don Jose’s filled the burrito with actual veggies (zucchini, peppers, etc) and then served the beans and rice on the side. And I also appreciated that the guac was in a separate little cup so I could add on however much I wanted. I hate how it usually gets lost in burritos.

5.) If you have a fear of being the center of attention, don’t go to Don Jose Tequila’s on your birthday.

The entire restaurant is involved in the celebration. While we were eating, the music suddenly got extremely loud and a festive version of “Happy Birthday” started piping over the speakers. Several waiters walked out with dessert and a huge sombrero for the unsuspecting birthday diner.

Sadly, we didn’t have anyone celebrating a birthday in our party, but that didn’t mean dessert was any less amazing. Never before have I proclaimed dessert as my favorite part of dinner while at a Mexican restaurant. But last night, Don Jose’s surprised me again. I ordered the Chocolate Tamale – one of the fudgiest, most delicious desserts I’ve ever had.

It’s hard to say what was in this exactly, but it was some sort of half-baked brownie pudding cake. From now on, I will make all of my brownies like this! Even after a drink, chips with salsa and guacamole, a salad, half a burrito and beans and rice, I had no problem polishing this baby off.

After taking pictures of all this food, I realized that we didn’t all actually take a picture of the group. So if you want to see what these ladies look like, you’ll have to head over to their blogs!

All in all, it was a really fun night. The food and conversation were both amazing. When EC texted me later saying: “How’s your date?” I could honestly tell him that I had a great time. It’s funny to think that these people live right by me, but I never would have known if it weren’t for blogging. I love how the internet has a way of making the world feel small.