Tag Archives: mexican food

52 in 52: Pueblo Viejo – Hillsborough, NC

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52 in 52 is a weekly series that I publish on Friday afternoons where the hubs and I visit / try out a new restaurant in the area that either one or, preferably, both of us have never been to. Then we review the restaurant! The goal: 52 different restaurants in 52 weeks of marriage. :)

Pueblo Viejo | Hillsborough, North Carolina | Facebook | Website

[Shirt: Target, Skirt: Express, Boots: Thrifted, Sunnies: Target, Headband: Target (similar), Bag: Longchamp, Denim Jacket: LOFT]

This is Pueblo Viejo. Two years ago on July 15th, it was called Casa Ibarra. And it’s the place where John and I went on our first, real, non-Toby-Keith-concert date. I awkwardly asked him after work what he was doing that night and suggested we go eat Mexican food.

We ended up at Casa Ibarra.

Coincidentally, it is RIGHT NEXT to the place where we had our wedding reception. Who knew that two years ago whilst sitting at dinner at Casa Ibarra / Pueblo Viejo, we’d be married less than two years from that point RIGHT next door…?!

So, since we hadn’t been back to Casa Ibarra / Pueblo Viejo since that night, we decided to go on the two-year anniversary of that night and use the restaurant as a 52 in 52… you know cause it’s a new restaurant.

The food was the same. Delicious, traditional Mexican food. You can’t really go wrong. Is it the BEST Mexican food we’ve ever had? No. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But it is good. And nostalgic for us.

And to make matters more awesome? They just HAPPENED to sit us in the SAME EXACT BOOTH as the night we went there on our first date. We didn’t even ask them to… It was kind of awesome.

So, Casa Ibarra Pueblo Viejo wasn’t a let down. It was delicious, affordable, quick and easy… and honestly? That place kinda means a lot to us… even if it’s not the BEST ever. Although their Queso dip was pretty dang stellar.

Where should we go next? Have you tried any new places lately?

Overall Stillman Rating: 3 out of 5 Stillman Stars

Happy Friday! YAY OLYMPICS!! GO USA!

-all for now. molly <3

52 in 52: Cinco de Mayo

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Cinco de Mayo | 1502 East Franklin Street | Chapel Hill, NC 27514

 | Phone: (919) 929-6566 | Website |

It’s no secret I love Mexican food.

Like, I love Mexican food. A lot. A lot. A lot.

So, I’m always on the hunt for the next favorite Mexican restaurant. And Cinco de Mayo in Chapel Hill does NOT disappoint. As far as Mexican restaurants in Chapel Hill go… it’s the best. It’s my favorite.

The service is SO good – it’s fast! The wait staff is kind, knowledgeable, and on point (especially with the rate at which I down Diet Cokes, they are IMPRESSIVE with the refills). They have TVs around the restaurant, LIVE salsa dancing on Wednesday nights (AND salsa dancing lessons!!), and their patio has GREAT outdoor seating.

Chips + Salsa, FTW!!

Arroz Con Pollo (no vegetables – vegetables ruin this dish. keep it simple. chicken. cheese. sour cream. hot sauce. YUM.)

Their lunch specials are the bomb and their dinner specials are always reasonable. Now, of course, it’s a similar Mexican restaurants to MOST Mexican restaurants. However, their food is FRESH. The plates aren’t boiling hot when they come out because they aren’t just tossing pre-made plates in the microwave. Every meal is prepared fresh on location rather than pre-prepared in some regional warehouse and shipped out to restaurants in the area.

Seriously. Try Cinco de Mayo. Tell me how much you love it.

Now I want queso dip.

Drat. I’m a monster.

:)

Any restaurants you’ve been to this week? Comment below with your recommendations or awesome culinary finds!

Love Your Enthusiasm. Live Your Passion.

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“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

I wanted to start of this week on a little bit of an inspirational note. I don’t want to sound like a motivational speaker, but frankly, I needed to talk about this topic: Enthusiasm and living your passion.

Last week, someone said made a comment in passing to me that made me 1. confused and 2. a bit miffed. So I love social media, I love networking, I love writing, I love Mexican food, and I LOVE comedy. For me, I get the most joy out of making someone laugh. Well, this person made a comment that I was “too enthusiastic” about my work and that I should “consider taking back my enthusiasm a notch.”

*CAR SCREECH NOISE*

What?!?!?! TOO enthusiastic about my work? TOO passionate about what I do? I get excited and my face lights up when I talk about the things I love? And that’s… bad?

That comment got me thinking. I really take criticism, especially constructive criticism to heart. I am always trying to better myself and improve every single day. (If you don’t try to get better at what you do and what you love, then why work at all?) So, I started to self-assess my work, my approach, and my goals. And I had just so happened to see that quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson in an e-mail a good friend of mine sent me. And I immediately knew that I was okay. I’m not over the top, I’m not in your face, I’m just passionate, and I love what I do.

Do you think Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went all the way to the moon complaining?
Do you think Michael Jackson recorded “Got to Be There” and hated that it sold over five MILLION copies worldwide?
Do you think Julia Roberts would have rather worked at McDonald’s then star in Mystic Pizza?

Of course not. They loved what they did.

Why should I apologize for loving what I do? I may not have a full-time job, I may not make a million dollars a year, I may not drive a fancy car, but what I do makes me happy.

I want to know more, learn more, and improve. Because if I’m not going to be enthusiastic about what I do, then frankly, I’m going to be pretty B-O-R-I-N-G!

And Molly Buckley is anything but boring. Am I right?

So, I leave you with this: love what you do and be as enthusiastic as you WANT about it. Don’t let the cynics, the critics, and the grumps get you down. I hope your face lights up when you talk about what you love.

Emerson was right. [End rant.]

All for now.

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