The Soup Diva

20 years ago, it was June 22, 1998. I was a 20-something single girl teaching at a Montessori school, enjoying my apartment and my dog and the singles group at my church. However, a couple of weeks before, I had met a 20-something single guy, who had showed up at the group and flirted with me. After bumping into each other at the annual Riverbend Festival and spending most of the night on the phone, we had planned our first date for that night at a local burger restaurant. Little did we know then that, 20 years later, we’d be married and still celebrating that first date.

This year, we decided to celebrate at Embargo 62, a local Cuban restaurant, which serves its own versions of beef and fried starchy vegetables. I had the Cuban sampler, which included a beef empanada, masitas de puerta frita (fried pork chunks), yucca fries, fried plantains, and ham croquettas; hubby had oxtail with yellow rice and black beans. We enjoyed both meals very much, and will definitely go back soon!

After our date 20 years ago, we went to walk on the local pedestrian bridge (very close to Embargo 62), where we shared our first kiss. This time, it was pouring rain, so we decided to go grocery shopping instead.