Slightly Gross

Tap-dancing on the line between intelligent and grotesque humor...

A colleague of mine recently flew down from Canada to work with me on a project. I took him to a nearby Tex-Mex restaurant for lunch, which is known for really fabulous enchiladas and tacos. As usual, I made a recommendation of a couple of different things that I know people like, but he chose to give some rather unusual instructions to the waiter: He wanted a chimichanga, which is a rather large rolled up, meat-filled tortilla, covered in--lumpy, brown chili sauce. It was kind of a custom order that isn't on the menu.

I must admit, when it came to the table it looked shockingly like...well, not food.

Even the cook must have thought it looked a little excrement-ish, because he carefully, yet ineffectively, threw a garnish of parsley on one corner, something this restaurant never does...

I can almost see what my face must have looked like when the meal arrived. I had to balance out nausea and the overwhelming desire to belly-laugh. I ended up biting my molars together and politely averting my eyes. My Canadian friend, unshaken, methodically sawed off pieces of the monstrous, turd-shaped burrito and ate it completely, declaring it delicious.

Seriously, the enchiladas are great! Why couldn't he believe me?