A girl walks into a bar….

No, this is not the beginning of a bad joke. 🙂 This is play-by-play action of our dinner last night. Imagine if you will…

The Setting: A Local Tavern & Grill

The Cast of Characters: Tyler, Restaurant & Bar owner; Kelli with an “i”, Barkeep from Boston; Keith, my sweet husband & biggest fan; and me.

Scene I:

Keith and Melissa walk into the restaurant and have seat at the bar. Little did we know, Tyler, the restaurant owner was perched on the seat to our left. Kelli, with an “i”, was wiping down glasses. So begins our story.

Me: It looks like they’ve added some new menu items. Some of these sound really good.

Keith: I do see a few new things on here, but still not sure what I want.

Tyler: We’ve added quite a few new items. If you haven’t tried the pork chops, they’re wonderful.

Keith: My wife, Melissa, made the best pork chops for dinner last night. They were grilled with Raspberry Chipotle sauce and served with Asian orzo and patty pan squash grilled with dill.

Tyler: Wow. That sounds really good. Well maybe you’d like to try our new chicken sandwich. It’s a marinated chicken breast and really juicy and tender.

Keith: Yeah, Melissa made this really great roasted chicken with a Blueberry Alfredo the other night. It was one of my favorites yet.

This was becoming a little comically uncomfortable, but I sat and continued to listen.

Tyler: That sounds great too. Well, we also make a really great Shepherd’s Pie.

Keith: Did you know you can substitute sweet potatoes in Shepherd’s Pie for added nutrition? Melissa does that all the time and it’s so good. You know, I think I’ll just have a burger.

Me: Um. I’ll have the same.

Tyler Exit stage left.

We have a drink and then see Tyler bringing our order. He hands Keith his cheeseburger. He hands me a job application.

What just happened here? Guess I have a new “Plan B”.

Bacon Wrapped Chorizo and Pineapple Jalapenos

* An idea adapted from my good friend, and master griller Tony Sharpe.

• 8 jalapeno peppers, seeded and deveined, (you can sub poblanos)
• 1 container Marscapone cheese, (you can sub cream cheese)
• 1 can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 links cooked Chorizo
• 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar, shredded
• 8 slices bacon (We prefer turkey bacon and that was used in the photos)

          

Directions:

In a stand mixer blend cheeses, pineapple and Chorizo. Fill half of the jalapenos with cheese mixture and top with second half of the jalapeno. Wrap each stuffed jalapeno with bacon. You can secure with a toothpick if needed. Place on the grill and grill until peppers are a little soft and cheese is melty.

Tip: If you have leftovers, these are FANTASTIC cut into slices and put into a big pot of chili!

Life is too short to eat ugly food y’all.