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BY LISA KAMPETER

Good Mexican food isn’t hard to find in North County, but in May, the Dining Divas always like to try out a new Mexican place in honor of Cinco de Mayo. We traveled south of the city to Chimichanga’s, once rated the best Mexican restaurant in St. Louis by Sauce magazine. Even at three dollars a gallon for gas, it was worth the trip.

Spring showers kept us from dining out on the inviting patio facing South Grand, but the scene inside did not disappoint us. As soon as I walked in, memories of Cabo came back to me; yet this time I was prepared to avoid waitresses offering jello shots and kept an eye out for a wandering rooster or two. I was safe here, at least until the waitress suggested a margarita. Learning a lesson too many times before, I ordered a small.

A couple other Divas obviously hadn’t learned their lesson before and went for the Grande. It wasn’t too long later that they had a Grande buzz. As critics of margaritas, we’d recommend you stir your margarita here before you drink it. It tastes much better once you have.

Chimichanga’s bright decorations match the lively atmosphere. The place was festive and fun. Not atypical of Mexican restaurants, the Virgin Mary adorns many walls, as well as the “sombrero showcase”, a wall dedicated to sombrero-wearing customer photos.

We dove right into the chips and salsa and most everyone in our group loved it…too much so that once our dinners came, we were already full. Again not atypical of Mexican restaurants, the menu was overwhelming with the amount of choices, but we all seemed to struggle our way through it. The tacos carne were delicious with perfectly seasoned and tender meat, but the sauce was extremely spicy.

Order with caution if your stomach is sensitive. Don’t eat a whole basket of chips before ordering the chili poblanos. It’s too good not to complete. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas…we enjoyed all the regular Mexican fare.

But what we enjoyed most as usual was the conversation, this time before and after dinner. A few more Grande margaritas would have been the only thing to make the “stories” any better. The Colorful Diva shared with us times of “too much alcohol” and “undergarments”. Her dynamic storytelling talent entertains and sometimes surprises us each month. It is a mandatory moment of the Dining Divas outing.

We also shared stories of future dates now started in cyberspace. Grandma Diva is quite the catch with on-line dating, and others in the group are being nudged to get “out there.” With Queenie, as we like to call her, flaunting her long list of “matches,” it’s intimidating to try to compete. Being that many of the single ladies in the group would rather hang out on their decks drinking wine and listening to Johnny Cash, internet dating seems like a sensible decision.

Even the Married Divas have gone to the “other” side and realize that traditional dating for single people just isn’t practical anymore. At least this way you can get to know someone without distractions, like cocktails and stories of alcohol and undergarments.

The only real distraction this night came from a couple tables away and in the form of a screaming child whose cries obviously fell on deaf ears. Her parents ate away and carried on their conversation as if the shrieking sounds were a natural part of their daily dinner. For the rest of us, Grande margaritas were the only solution.

Some Mexican food may not be worth three dollars a gallon of gas, but Chimichangas, margaritas, and the Diva chatter were all worth the trip this month.

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