The Dining Divas Add Singing,
Dancing, Comradery to the Menu

It was really enjoyable meeting up with the Dining Divas in person once again, and because it was May, keeping with the “Cinco de Mayo”-themed tradition, we picked a Mexican restaurant. This time, we went to El Mezon in St. Peters.
El Mezon is right across the street from the Dierbergs 79 Crossing on Salt Lick Road. There’s a new, “fancier” El Mezon in Lake St. Louis too, but we chose this one for convenience (and
so we didn’t have to be fancied up!)
Being just a day after Cinco de Mayo, we assumed the restaurant wouldn’t be busy, but many of us found ourselves parking in the Days Inn lot next door. It was like the celebration had continued 24 hours later. Muy cliefntes. Margaritas galore. Mariachi music. It was quite the party.
Getting employees to show up to work has been an issue during this pandemic, and the restaurant industry has been affected greatly. Diners have had to adjust their expectations as many restaurants are operating short-staffed. Considering this, El Mezon’s employees did a relatively good job of keeping up with the demands of a larger party. It really didn’t feel any different than a “normal” outing.
A new tradition for us, each month one Diva brings a creative “raffle prize” for someone in the group to win. We collect cash donations and then draw a winner. The money collected goes to a local charity. This month’s prize included the fixings to a great Mexican fiesta with drinks, snacks, and even a piñata. The Never-A-Winner Diva couldn’t believe she, for once, wasn’t a loser.
At the request of the Mini-Sombrero-Wearing Diva, the Mariachi band serenaded us with “Bailondo”. And even though we had
no idea what they were saying, we sang (and embarrassingly, seat-danced) right along with them. Apparently, this band used to play at Pueblo Nuevo in Hazelwood, so it was like a reunion tour for a few Divas.
As well, a few Returning Divas joined us once again. It was great to catch up on what’s been going
on with them the past several months. And although there were some somber conversations, you can always count on this
group to find hope enlighten spirits.
When at El Mezon, try the Strawberry Coronarita. It’s delicious. The Lightweight Diva had a huge Strawberry Daiquiri with whipped cream, and it was tasty, but she swore it didn’t have any booze in it. And because she didn’t need any help walking out of the place, she was probably right. On the other hand, the Non-Drinking Diva had one margarita, and the alcohol went straight to her funny bone because she laughed most of the night.
With many Mexican restaurants the menu items are all similar. But according to a couple Divas, El Mezon’s Chicken Soup is a specialty. Now because I don’t ever think to order chicken soup from a Mexican restaurant, maybe all of them have them, but both Divas agreed that El Mezon’s is really good. Try it. We also had the fajitas, the chimichangas, chicken dishes – Pollo Acapulco, Pollo Fundido, and so much more. The food was a lot like the other Mexican restaurants around. But what made this place better was the lively atmosphere and the comradery throughout.
And after the year we’ve had, that’s just what we all need right now.

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