A Love Letter
Through many of the most important times of my life, one name stands out above all... a name I knew I could always count on... the great love of my life... Benny. Or actually, it's called Benny's. Benny's Restaurant & Tequila Bar to be specific. (Don't worry, Jon knows.) I'm not sure words can describe my love for this place, but let's give it a whirl, shall we?!?
Benny's was there during some of the most impactful moments and times in my life. After moving to Denver, Benny's was the first place that I researched, sought out and brought friends to on my own, instead of being along for the ride to places others were choosing. Jon and I had our first date there. Benny's was the backdrop of many nights during the time we were falling in love. Benny's is where we were when we decided we would officially be an "us." We went there for our anniversary every year we lived in Denver. We conceived our child after a night out at Benny's (we have allowed both Troy and Justin, our favorite bartenders, to take partial credit for his conception - there were many jokes made about naming him Benny... or Patron...). Benny's margarita was my first, and maybe only, "pump and dump" experience (all you mommas out there know what I'm sayin'.) It is the ONE place we are sure to go to every time we go back to visit Denver and Benny's queso, chips and salsa have logged more driving miles than I have Southwest miles, just to make it back to KC and give us a small taste of those moments of our past.
So, as you can see, the love is deep. It owns almost as special of a place in my heart as humans that I love, and if it ever closed, I would mourn its passing in the same way.
Do you have a place like that? We're going to take one minute here to think about those places. Isn't it amazing how these places are there to feed us, quench our thirst and provide a space for us to unwind, visit with friends and have fun, but they are so much more than that, no?
Even though the service is really always good, the food is consistently great and we never really have issues with anything when we are here, we would also forgive a lot here that we wouldn't normally at other places. We have brought so many people to Benny's to eat over the years, and although most people do love it, I'm not sure they have the same kind of love for it that we do. That's ok. Our love is unconditional. And situational. And experiential. We love it because of the time we spent there falling in love. And growing together. Yes, we love the food. Yes, we love... loooove the margaritas (see pic below and commence the mouth-watering.) And yes, we so SO loved the years of the bartenders giving us the nod OVER other customers to signal to us that a spot at the bar is about to open up just for us (this is a very special relationship that when you are a part of it, is just, oh, so... special). We love that after living in another city for 8 years now, we will still recognize faces of those who work there. There's something about knowing that the people who spend every day there, still want to spend every day there after all these years.
Restaurants and bars are one of those things, like so many other things, where we want to know about the newest and the hottest. We want to introduce people to the the next best thing and we want to know the coolest spot in town. I mean, I would know, right? I'm trying to build a little thing here with this blog where I do just that. However, while it's fun and cool and amazing to experience those things that are new and fancy and hip in life, when you take a minute to picture those moments when you've had the "best night ever," there's a good chance that the backdrop of that picture is a place that you've been to countless times. These are the places that make you feel cozy and loved and warm and fuzzy. They are the place where you fell in love. The place where you laughed so hard you almost peed. They are that place where you don't have to try to be anything except what you are. So, just love that place that you love. Don't worry if it's not the place that everyone else loves. It's ok to just love it because it means something to you. That is why the best places around exist- because they have somehow captured that thing. They've won our hearts and we reward them by putting them in the backdrop of the special moments of our lives.
Benny's does happen to be a very popular and well-known spot in Denver and I guarantee we are not the only ones with a love this deep. In fact, Benny's has been around for 31 years. So maybe when it comes down to it, it's not the newest and hottest spots that are worth knowing. It's those places that stand the test of time and love us back by continuing to just do what it is that they do.
Benny's was there during some of the most impactful moments and times in my life. After moving to Denver, Benny's was the first place that I researched, sought out and brought friends to on my own, instead of being along for the ride to places others were choosing. Jon and I had our first date there. Benny's was the backdrop of many nights during the time we were falling in love. Benny's is where we were when we decided we would officially be an "us." We went there for our anniversary every year we lived in Denver. We conceived our child after a night out at Benny's (we have allowed both Troy and Justin, our favorite bartenders, to take partial credit for his conception - there were many jokes made about naming him Benny... or Patron...). Benny's margarita was my first, and maybe only, "pump and dump" experience (all you mommas out there know what I'm sayin'.) It is the ONE place we are sure to go to every time we go back to visit Denver and Benny's queso, chips and salsa have logged more driving miles than I have Southwest miles, just to make it back to KC and give us a small taste of those moments of our past.
 |
| 3 hours and 25 minutes after landing in Denver |
So, as you can see, the love is deep. It owns almost as special of a place in my heart as humans that I love, and if it ever closed, I would mourn its passing in the same way.
Do you have a place like that? We're going to take one minute here to think about those places. Isn't it amazing how these places are there to feed us, quench our thirst and provide a space for us to unwind, visit with friends and have fun, but they are so much more than that, no?
Even though the service is really always good, the food is consistently great and we never really have issues with anything when we are here, we would also forgive a lot here that we wouldn't normally at other places. We have brought so many people to Benny's to eat over the years, and although most people do love it, I'm not sure they have the same kind of love for it that we do. That's ok. Our love is unconditional. And situational. And experiential. We love it because of the time we spent there falling in love. And growing together. Yes, we love the food. Yes, we love... loooove the margaritas (see pic below and commence the mouth-watering.) And yes, we so SO loved the years of the bartenders giving us the nod OVER other customers to signal to us that a spot at the bar is about to open up just for us (this is a very special relationship that when you are a part of it, is just, oh, so... special). We love that after living in another city for 8 years now, we will still recognize faces of those who work there. There's something about knowing that the people who spend every day there, still want to spend every day there after all these years.
Restaurants and bars are one of those things, like so many other things, where we want to know about the newest and the hottest. We want to introduce people to the the next best thing and we want to know the coolest spot in town. I mean, I would know, right? I'm trying to build a little thing here with this blog where I do just that. However, while it's fun and cool and amazing to experience those things that are new and fancy and hip in life, when you take a minute to picture those moments when you've had the "best night ever," there's a good chance that the backdrop of that picture is a place that you've been to countless times. These are the places that make you feel cozy and loved and warm and fuzzy. They are the place where you fell in love. The place where you laughed so hard you almost peed. They are that place where you don't have to try to be anything except what you are. So, just love that place that you love. Don't worry if it's not the place that everyone else loves. It's ok to just love it because it means something to you. That is why the best places around exist- because they have somehow captured that thing. They've won our hearts and we reward them by putting them in the backdrop of the special moments of our lives.
Benny's does happen to be a very popular and well-known spot in Denver and I guarantee we are not the only ones with a love this deep. In fact, Benny's has been around for 31 years. So maybe when it comes down to it, it's not the newest and hottest spots that are worth knowing. It's those places that stand the test of time and love us back by continuing to just do what it is that they do.
Comments
Post a Comment