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Monday, December 8, 2008

Road Trip to Tucson

I went down to Tucson yesterday with my friend Michael to see my other friend Michelle play in her band Kevin Daly's Chicken & Waffles. It was part of the KXCI 25th anniversary celebration happening all month. This event was held at El Casino Ballroom, an old VFW-looking place in the back corner of South Tucson.

When we got to Tucson, we were hungry, so we decided to go in search of grub. In South Tucson, your options are Mexican, Mexican, or Mexican. We found a cute little place near El Casino called Mi Nidito. We waited about 30 minutes for a table, which is apparently a short time for this joint.

While we were waiting, we noticed several photos of famous people who had visited Mi Nidito (my little nest in Spanish), including Bill Clinton. They were so proud that the former president had visited that they placed a plaque with a star on it at the spot where he sat to eat this fine Mexican food, along with several photos of the event. I made sure to pick up a postcard of the occasion for my scrapbook.

Back at El Casino, we sat sipping Dos Equis & listening to the bands on stage. Not many people were in the mood for dancing, except for a gaggle of children, & one couple who did not stop dancing the whole time. Only the surf band stilled their twinkle toes.

On the way back to Phoenix we stopped for gas at a TA truck stop. I was amazed at the offerings inside: showers, a barber shop, an auto parts store, a TV room that doubles as a chapel, & an A&W counter. We decided to order some onion rings to tide us over until we got home. The people in front of us in line said in a lilting southern accent that they wanted "ass cream". Before the counter man could send them over to the pharmacy area of the complex, they pointed at the soft serve machine. Ooooooooooh! Ice cream! Gotcha.

We made it back to Tempe by 10:00pm. It was nice to get out of town.

2 comments:

Charlie said...

What did you eat there? Was it good? I miss good Mexican food so much! I was in heaven when I visited my friend in San Diego.
Mmmmm...nopal quesadilla and potato cilantro tamale!

Nancy Lewis said...

Wow! That sounds yummy. This was an authentic Mexican restaurant, which meant that the beans were full of lard. Alas. But I did enjoy my nopalitos con chile, & the chips & salsa were tasty too.