Eating in a Chinese Restaurant

I have loved Chinese food all my life. Well, the type of Chinese food you can get in Minnesota anyway.

When I was in high school my friends and I would have lunch at the Minneapolis Nankin as often as we shopped downtown (often I have to say) and I always felt so grown-ass womanlike sitting on the balcony with a little delightful teacup and teapot sitting on our table while I ate pork chow mein and crunched on egg rolls.

Minneapolis Nankin 1958

The whole experience, every time, would make me feel seriously grownup and I would take my little paper box home with me and eat the leftovers directly out of the box like I had seen in movies shot in New York where all New Yorkers could order takeout (there was no such thing as Chinese delivery when I was in high school)

My momma loved to eat at the House of Wong in St. Paul (the website says Roseville, which is technically true). She and I ate there hundreds of times and when my girls got old enough I took them there with us.

I had a girlfriend when I was in my 20s and she and I would meet for lunch there every week. We both worked nights at the time and it was a great way to catch up and have leftovers to bring to work. In a little paper box.

When my mom was so sick back in 2004 I would bring take out from House of Wong to her house in North Branch, Minnesota on most Sundays and we would eat out of the little paper boxes. So good. Some really good memories for me now that she is gone.

Not much to look at on the outside, but awesomeness on the inside.

We still go there and now it's Pup and his momma I drag with me. Momma Betty loves her some chicken chow mein and Pup is a big fan of their turkey dinner. I know, I know. He isn't a fan of Chinese so Momma B and I are happy he has something to eat when we go there.

Last night Pup, Momma Betty, Lorenzo, and I headed out. It had been planned for a week or so, but I was thinking all week, "what will I order??" Let's face it, Chinese isn't the best choice when you're starting a new and whole food approach to your eating.

I poked around the menu a while and found that egg foo yong isn't a bad choice at all. Made of mostly vegis and eggs it seemed perfect. I had a bit of rice along with it as well. Stayed away from the fried rice (which I'd arm wrestle you for normally).

Came away from the experience with a full tummy and a guilt-free mind. And a little paper box.

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Yesterday, 9.11.11, was my daughter Bella's birthday.

We had a family BBQ. Pup and The Big B sat in the living room and watched hours of football while Bella, Lorenzo, Lorenzo's boyfriend BT, and I commandeered The Big Room (which is so lovely I want to sleep with it - pictures someday I hope) and watched some crazy movie on the Netflix stream.

The two youngest young uns were a tad hungover we discovered while Bella and I planned our next outing, shoe shopping for her birthday present and another closet makeover and styling session for Bella.

Another fun family dinner with our family. And yes, it was on 9.11.

10 years ago on 9.11.01 it was my daughter's 19th birthday.

I had taken the day off from my downtown corporate job to stay home and make Bella's favorite meal, my homemade spaghetti with red sauce and meatballs. It takes all day to make the "gravy" and I wanted us to be able to eat at a normal time rather than the 6:30 or 7 when I would normally make it home from my long 2+ hour commute (still cannot believe that I used to drive around 4 hours a day back then).

I was upstairs making beds and getting dressed for the day. Lorenzo was in the living room downstairs waiting for ride to school while watching GMA.

"Mom! I'm leaving! You better turn on the television. Something is happening."

I went downstairs and turned on the television. Of course, nothing's been the same since.

I don't remember too many details on how I felt that day. Numb, dumbfounded, incredulous. Our family had no direct connection to New York except a love of the city we had visited a time or two. Watching everything unfold I did feel like I had a connection. How could I not? This was way beyond that. This was everything we ever held dear to our hearts.

Our freedoms, our unshakable belief that we live in the best country in the world, our core values.

I do remember spending the entire day in suspended disbelief. Maybe not truly drinking in what this would mean from that moment on.

And I was angry. So angry. As the day spun away and we all waited for word, I wanted everything to be fixed. Fixed. I had no idea how broken everything was.

So, yesterday, we did celebrate our Bella's 29th birthday. We laughed and cried at a dumb movie. We endured Pup's constant haggling (annoying, lovely man), we ate burgers, pasta salad, awesome little wonton thingys Lorenzo made.

Pup hung a new flag on the front of the Chez Emerson.

In the back of my mind I thought of how it's been in the past 10 years.

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Family Dinners

With tax season over, and with that the 20 hour days that accompany the season, and the promise of four hour days looming for the summer, Pup was feeling free and easy and sent out a text message to the young uns saying

Let's celebrate, who wants to go to Fogo?

Pup, giddy with man-crack excitement
(still learning the camera - craptastik photos)

That would be Fogo de Chão, awesome Brazilian steakhouse in downtown Minneapolis. Simply put, this place is man-crack. Not the kind you see on the backsides of plumbers, but the kind where men go CRAZY with steak.

Bella handling a big piece with her dainties

Hot, juicy, sizzling, meat, fresh off the grill, in all the grilled preferences. Tons of it. Dozens of Gauchos running around with skewers of different meat cuts (there's some chicken for the feint of heart - none for me thank you!) ready to slice you off a delicious hunk as you wish.

The sides that no one touched

Rookie-mistake salad bar - I love it though

There also happens to be one of the most amazing salad bars I've ever seen to start with. Most of the boys I've ever gone with to Fogo totally skip this step. They don't want to waste precious room or time with nonessentials. Meat really is the thing here. MEAT!

Mojito!

You are seated, offered a drink from the full bar (Lorenzo and I indulged in Fogo's version of a Mojito - I forget the special name theirs had - delicious!) and given a little, round, button about the size of a drink coaster. Green on one side. Red on the other.

When you're ready for meat, green. When you need to take a break, red. Simple!

Pup and The Big B were ready. Sarah-Bella loosened the belt on her dress to prepare. Lorenzo and I had worn leggings so there would be no clothing interference issues. We were ready. Bring on the Gauchos!

Yes it's true, The Big B never takes off his hat

Activity at our table was fast and furious for quite a while. The boys out eating us soundly. Bella was determined to keep pace with The Big B, but she actually likes to chew her food so she fell behind quickly.

Sarah-Bella is slowing down

The boys always start out briskly, but I do have to say that while the girls do not enjoy the QUANTITY that the boys can intake, we far outdo them with the ENDURANCE of eating. We were still picking away long after Pup and The Big B were trying to sit back as far as they could to let their bellies stretch. Ha!

The service at Fogo is excellent and the manager liked hanging out with us because - well, because we're just that fucking entertaining. I love family dinners. The conversation is fast and furious. We do a lot of laughing and we do a lot of chattering.

Pup pays the huge-ass bill - worth every cent according to him

The best time ever!

The family can still smile even though we cannot move

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