A Restaurant Fit For A President
Lately, I've been spending my Saturdays doing Habitat For Humanity with some friends of mine. This past Saturday seemed like a big waste, as two church groups flooded the worksite with a deluge of unskilled, clueless laborers who made up for their lack of skills with enthusiasm. Realizing that too many cooks spoil the broth, we decided to leave at 11 AM and sought lunch elsewhere.
One of the guys in our group suggested "El Pinto," the place where President Bush ate the last time he was in Albuquerque. I asked him if it was a classy restaurant, as I was afraid my dirty sweatpants wouldn't fit the place's dress code. He claimed that the restaurant wasn't very classy, so I relented. Perhaps I should have put my foot down when I heard that the restaurant was at 4th and tramway, on the northern outskirts of town (and way out of my way.)
As soon as I saw the waterfall inside El Pinto, I realized that my friend was a dumbass. El Pinto is one of Albuquerque's classier restaurants; not quite what you'd expect for a presidential restaurant, but certainly the place where the average Joe would only go on a special occasion. I felt out of place there (in my dirty sweatpants,) and my comrades weren't dressed much better. I had the Huevos Rancheros. While the food was great, I have no desire to pay over $15 for lunch again.
I guess I learned a few lessons from the experience:
1) El Pinto is a nice restaurant, but I'd only go there for a special occasion.
2) If somebody suggests that I eat at the same place where a president has eaten, chances are it's probably too classy and too expensive for my tastes.
3) The person who suggested we eat at El Pinto has lost his restaurant-choosing privileges for three weeks.
One of the guys in our group suggested "El Pinto," the place where President Bush ate the last time he was in Albuquerque. I asked him if it was a classy restaurant, as I was afraid my dirty sweatpants wouldn't fit the place's dress code. He claimed that the restaurant wasn't very classy, so I relented. Perhaps I should have put my foot down when I heard that the restaurant was at 4th and tramway, on the northern outskirts of town (and way out of my way.)
As soon as I saw the waterfall inside El Pinto, I realized that my friend was a dumbass. El Pinto is one of Albuquerque's classier restaurants; not quite what you'd expect for a presidential restaurant, but certainly the place where the average Joe would only go on a special occasion. I felt out of place there (in my dirty sweatpants,) and my comrades weren't dressed much better. I had the Huevos Rancheros. While the food was great, I have no desire to pay over $15 for lunch again.
I guess I learned a few lessons from the experience:
1) El Pinto is a nice restaurant, but I'd only go there for a special occasion.
2) If somebody suggests that I eat at the same place where a president has eaten, chances are it's probably too classy and too expensive for my tastes.
3) The person who suggested we eat at El Pinto has lost his restaurant-choosing privileges for three weeks.
posted by Mr. X at
5:09 PM
