Raleigh-Durham Day 1
Our red-eye flight from Seattle was delayed departing, so our connection in Cleveland was really tight but we made it in the nick of time. Got a bit of sleep on the flight but was disturbed by the poor guy next to me who was just too tall for the seat and kept fidgeting. Not his fault, I can sympathize, but was bummed that I couldn't make the most of my limited possible sleep time.
Our convention host picked us up promptly and took us to breakfast after we confirmed that the hotel wouldn't let us check in early. We crashed at his house for a couple of hours, then joined him on another jaunt to the airport to pick up Dave Arneson and we all checked into the Marriott.
I must say that Marriott is doing a good job of impressing me. Whereas the Hyatt sent an armed guard into the room of one of my employees to search for someone's diamond encrusted phone charger at Origins, all of the Marriotts I've stayed at this year have been great, accommodating, and best of all comfortable! The beds at the Marriott ROCK. I have high hopes that our Indy experience will follow suit.
After crashing and sleeping most of the afternoon away, Pramas and I walked a few blocks to the Brightleaf Square area and had dinner at Chamas. Possibly the best Brazilian meat on swords experience we've ever had. They're missing the salt-encrusted tenderloin of Seattle's Ipanema Grill but their salad bar is to die for. Marinated peppers, pencil asparagus, petite garlic green beans, sundried tomatoes with pesto sauce, six kinds of cheese, poached salmon in a passion fruit sauce, fresh sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella balls, fresh mussels, possibly the best squid salad I've ever had, then mashed potatoes and sweet-cinnamon grilled bananas are brought to the table to accompany the parade of grilled meats. We weren't able to get any caipirinhas but they did make us some excellent caipiroskas instead.
Tomorrow the seminars begin!
Our convention host picked us up promptly and took us to breakfast after we confirmed that the hotel wouldn't let us check in early. We crashed at his house for a couple of hours, then joined him on another jaunt to the airport to pick up Dave Arneson and we all checked into the Marriott.
I must say that Marriott is doing a good job of impressing me. Whereas the Hyatt sent an armed guard into the room of one of my employees to search for someone's diamond encrusted phone charger at Origins, all of the Marriotts I've stayed at this year have been great, accommodating, and best of all comfortable! The beds at the Marriott ROCK. I have high hopes that our Indy experience will follow suit.
After crashing and sleeping most of the afternoon away, Pramas and I walked a few blocks to the Brightleaf Square area and had dinner at Chamas. Possibly the best Brazilian meat on swords experience we've ever had. They're missing the salt-encrusted tenderloin of Seattle's Ipanema Grill but their salad bar is to die for. Marinated peppers, pencil asparagus, petite garlic green beans, sundried tomatoes with pesto sauce, six kinds of cheese, poached salmon in a passion fruit sauce, fresh sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella balls, fresh mussels, possibly the best squid salad I've ever had, then mashed potatoes and sweet-cinnamon grilled bananas are brought to the table to accompany the parade of grilled meats. We weren't able to get any caipirinhas but they did make us some excellent caipiroskas instead.
Tomorrow the seminars begin!
How many squid salads have you had, out of curiosity?
Also, I choose to believe that Pramas and Chamas rhyme.
I'd admit to having had squid salad on at least half a dozen occasions.