Vegas Episode 6: And Now We Eat

On the evening before we departed for Las Vegas, my list of things to do could circle the globe.  I had bullet points. And sub-bullet points. And sub-sub bullet points. I dug up our life insurance policies, social security statements, and power of attorney papers. Pediatricians were notified. Copies of insurance cards and birth certificates were made. Hotel and air information was confirmed. I could go on for hours.

Joe's list was significantly shorter:

• Look up restaurants highlighted on the Food Network
• Set alarm clock

For as much as I thought my contributions were more valuable, Joe's restaurant selection ultimately made our trip. Actually, it was one restaurant in particular that we kept going to over and over: House of Hash a Go Go. 

Our first waiter Edmund set the tone. Edmund was very relaxed and patient with my husband who can agonize over a menu for hours. Joe likes to monitor various food orders as they come out of the kitchen. He then carefully watches people's reaction as they eat. He quizzes waiters on his options and insists on detailed reviews regarding taste and texture. Joe sometimes even looks to me for input, but my advice is usually disregarded (I'm a notorious bad orderer. If there's one horrible thing on the menu, I'll find it).

Edmund the waiter played along and continued to smile:

St. Edmund - a man with great patience and endless coffee.

We finally opted to split the choice highlighted on Man vs. Food - Andy's Sage Fried Chicken:

The food: reasonably priced and a single entree can feed a family in Somalia for a month.

When our order came out of the kitchen, Joe smiled.  Again.  For like the 5th time during our vacation - a personal best  Our entree, on the other hand, was a force to be reckoned with:

I have no idea why I can't lose the baby weight.

The first bite sent me directly to heaven.  There were mashed potatoes and fried chicken and eggs and fairy dust all mixed together.  As Joe's eyes rolled to the back of his head in a moment of utter food ecstasy, he commented:

It's like each bite is just exploding with chicken-y goodness.

I think they should add that quote to their menu.

Anyway, Edmund continued to deliver on his best-waiter performance and brought me a free drink when I mentioned House of Hash a Go Go was going to make the blog.  One of our friends indicated  she was going to use the "I got a blog" technique to get free drinks for the rest of the week.

Honestly, why can't I get rid of these saddle bags?

We eventually rolled ourselves out of the restaurant and encouraged a manager to open one of these joints on the southside of Chicago.  We'd be the first in line. 

Two additional visits would ensure I would not be wearing my skinny clothes for the rest of the trip (disclaimer: "skinny" for me is not a size 0, but rather the lower end of plus-size clothing).  I dove directly into the fat pile and ate like a queen.

Seriously, why won't these last 15 pounds come off?