We were seated at about 8:30 PM. I was immediately impressed with the menu here. Not exactly the fare you'd expect in a small town. I ordered another Fat Tire while we decided what to get. We settled on the appetizer of Thai Chile Calamari which was awesome. It had a slight spice that built up over a few bites, but it wasn't overwhelming. I had never had anything like it, at least with calamari.
For my main course I decided on the Buffalo Ribeye cooked medium rare. I've been eating steak so much in the past week, I chose to keep that streak going but this time with buffalo. I'm glad I went with this choice because it really was great. The steak was lush. The asparagus was fresh and crunchy. The mash potatoes were perfect. There was also a garnish of fried cactus which was really sweet surprisingly. Everyone else's dishes looked equally appetizing. I really liked this place.
Saturday was the Air Force v San Diego State football game. We arrived at the stadium at about 10:30 am to tailgate before the noon kickoff. We had a few beers and breakfast burritos while meeting some of my uncle's colleagues and classmates from the Academy. This place definitely has a very loyal alumni following. At about 11:30, we made our way up to the stadium.
This stadium is pretty nice and it also helped that our seats were great. Pregame traditions are pretty cool at the Academy. They had the cadets marching out onto the field and people parachuting down just before kickoff. There was also a fly-over just before kickoff. I took a video but it didn't exactly turn out well because of my camera's lack of zoom.
The game was a good experience. The Falcons took a comfortable 16-2 lead into the half. The San Diego State Aztecs made the game somewhat respectable with 2 lucky touchdowns late in the game to make the final score 26-14. The game was good and it was a gorgeous 69 degrees out with not a cloud in the sky. It was a great way to spend a Saturday.
After the game, we came back to the house for some beers, snacks and more great conversation. My Aunt Lisa made this "Taco Soup" as she called it for dinner. I devoured two bowls of this chili. I don't have a picture because it didn't really last long. It was great with corn bread and Frito scoops. I don't usually love beans, but this one had 3 kinds in it and I still killed it. I honestly think my aunt is an amazing cook. The risotto, the chili, her french toast this morning. It's all gooooood.
Following an AMAZING meal, we sat outside on the deck with brews in hand. More great conversation ensued and my cousin, Nick, and I proceeded to quote movies for a LONG time. I'm beginning to see that the Cicere clan loves to quote movies. It's hilarious and I love it.
Today, we're going on a hike. This should be fun since I'm still out of breath just from walking up the stairs at this altitude. More on this later.
