I have lived in Crystal City for five years. For the first three years I refused to eat at the Palace. In my mind it was totally sketch. It's right next to the 7-11 and the only nudie bar around. The place is open 24 hours, so it's a popular spot for cabbies. The whole block it's on is just dirty looking. I just wasn't interested in eating there. Then I went to India.
When I returned from my almost-month-long trip, my visiting teacher wanted to go out to dinner and hear about my experience. I let her pick the joint. She chose Kabob Palace. Since I had let her choose, I didn't feel like I could say no. Plus, in comparison to what I had just come from it suddenly didn't seem so bad. So we went.
And I fell in love. So much so, in fact, that I became a regular, one of the Palace community. They knew my order (#1, no salad, chick peas and spinach), my schedule (Friday nights, usually), and my name (it's on the credit card receipt). Last year during Ramadan, my favorite guy came and sat with me one night to break his fast. It was the moment I knew I had arrived. We sat and talked about India, his mother country, and about his journey to America. I love these men who run the Palace. It's like Cheers, but with ethnic food...and without the bar...
It's been almost two years since India, hence, two years since I started going to the Palace almost weekly.
It's so bad that when I got really sick this summer and was banned from lots of foods, including meat and anything spicy (and, frankly, anything that tasted good), for months, it still didn't stop me when a friend texted to meet at the Palace in 20 minutes. I went...and ordered bread and water. I actually had to sneak out of my house because I knew my roommates absolutely would not trust me to behave in the Palace. But honestly, I was really sick. I actually had no desire for meat or spicy food at that point. I just wanted to go to the Palace and feel normal. I love the eclectic crowd it draws. I love the sense of community. And I love their food.
I love Kabobs. I love the Palace. I ate there tonight. My tummy is full. I'm still a little hiccupy from the spices. It was hot tonight. And I loved it. And that is my confession.
3 comments:
best confession ever. It really made me laugh.
Hey - I finally remembered my confession (that I already confessed to you, but thought I might as well go ahead and share with the world). When I was a kid I loved the movie Labyrinth. Even more frightening - I thought David Bowie was HOT (how old was I then? Eight?). The biggest confession of all? In some really weird warped-memories-of-my-youth kind of way, I still find Jareth the Goblin King strangely attractive.... I went and found pictures online just to confirm how scary this confession is. Shh! Don't tell anyone :D
um... I LOVE this place. Will you please call me when you go? I used to eat at this one indian rest. in Provo once a week with my best friend... who is Indian. Ah, something grand about those kind of traditions :)
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