Some meals are remembered less for the food than for the conversation shared across the table.
Some of my favorite afternoons are the unplanned ones.
While visiting Chicago, I met up with a friend I’ve known for years. We settled onto the patio at Maya Del Sol in Oak Park with nowhere else we needed to be and nowhere we’d rather have been.
Over mango-braised beef nachos, beef barbacoa tacos, chicken enchiladas with house mole, a sangria for me, and a strawberry margarita for her, we reminisced, laughed, and caught up on where life has taken us. Before we knew it, hours had passed.
The food was wonderful, but what I remember most is the conversation. It’s a reminder that while great restaurants bring people together, it’s the people around the table who make the meal memorable.
Arriving
A neighborhood favorite in Oak Park with one of my favorite patios.
Patio Dining
Warm weather, good company, and no where we need to be.
Nachos
Mango-braised beef nachos alongside sangria and a strawberry margarita.
Lunch Together
Beef barbacoa tacos and chicken enchiladas with house mole.
What I Learned
- Sometimes the best meals are the ones that aren’t planned.
- A beautiful patio and good food make it easy to stay longer than expected.
- Catching up with old friends is one of life’s greatest luxuries.
- The people around the table are what make a meal memorable.
Liz 'N Lux 