mal día (bad day)

we all have bad days. and i don't mean the "oh man! i broke a nail!" days. i mean the days where you peak out from under the warm safe covers of your slumber with one eye and go... "yeah, forget this." the days where you wake up to rain sloshing on your window, an eighth of a tank of gas, and your cellphone is turned off. the days where you realize the ratio of coffee to water is just not going to cut it. i recently had one of THOSE days. i was to be at work and the gas in my car was not going to suffice. my bank account was giggling at me with a pointed finger. and the only way to contact my boss was through a facebook message. yes, it was a bad day.

the beautiful thing about a bad day though... calories don't count. you can eat whatever you want and your favorite jeans will still fit the next day! comfort food is different for everyone. some people prefer a box of dove bars. others prefer mom's cooking or their favorite brand of super sized fast food. nonetheless, we all have a food that on any other day is just crap, but on *this* day.... this day it's our mental medicine. me? i prefer mexican. chips and cheese, chips and salsa, enchiladas, chimichangas, nachos... come on down!

roomie knows all too well that on my bad days, showing up with a bag of hot smelly mexican will perk me up faster than a pot of strong coffee. even better... driving me over to my favorite mexican restaurant in knoxville... mexico lindo! it's a small restaurant located off of cedar bluff road right next to aaron's. we walk in, choose a booth of our choice (which is usually in the back near the giant tv) and within seconds are greeted by our favorite waitress in town. she's absolutely lovely. we always get our food hot, on time, and most importantly... with a sweet smile.


so we arrived with roomie's sister in tow. we took our seats, sister on the inside because she likes the claustrophobia of it all, roomie across from me, and i got the coat check side of the booth. which in girl terms basically means, i get to hold the purses. we were greeted by our waitress who fell right out of the happy waitress tree. she took our drink order and returned with the FREE chips and homemade salsa we all crave bringing extra lemons for her resident electrolyte lovers. we ordered queso dip to share for the chips because what's a bad day without cheese? i ordered the chicken chimichangas. extra guacamole salad. no frijoles por favor. (which in english means no beans please -or- hold the flatulence thanks.) it seemed that this would heal the hurt and give me enough energy to deal with the onslaught of christmas shoppers i was no doubt going to encounter in just a couple of short hours. our food arrived complete with extra condiments in record(ish) time and i was already vacuuming in crispy tortilla and perfectly shredded and seasoned chicken topped with sour cream and lettuce before she could say "enjoy!"

mexico lindo is known for their tamales. homemade tamales. did i mention the all you can eat mondays? it's a whopping $8.99. i spend more at taco bell when i'm looking for an all i can eat experience, so to say that this is a deal would be cheating them out of advertisement. this place is not for the gastrointestinally weak. the portions are large, the prices are amazing, and you will need a to go box (unless you're me and can eat a small cow on bad days). they have all the comforts of mexican on the menu... everything from their homemade tamales to your basic taco. you name it, they have it, they make it well, and their prices are unreal for the amount of food that arrives for your munching!

we leave mexico lindo with smiles on our faces and a rice baby cooking in my belly. (i love rice, it doesn't love me back but i eat it anyway because it's SO good, especially from mexico lindo.) our bank accounts are pleased with us and all is well and wonderful again. bad day what?

moral of the story... if your bad day needs mexican like mine does, mexico lindo will heal your heart and fill your belly with a price tag your bank account will love. call in a to go order at (865) 692-9515 or drive yourself over to 462 N Cedar Bluff Rd, Knoxville, TN 37923. feliz de comer!