Lunch date

Before our Spanish visitors could leave, we had to make it out to at least one sit down restaurant with them. So much of our time together revolved around food (Thanksgiving being a day of eating almost for sport), but most of it consumed at home. We had Thai take out for dinner, Good Burgers and shakes for a fast food lunch, Peter Pan donuts for breakfast, and even a morning of pancakes and bacon. So why not venture into uncharted territory all together and try Vietnamese for lunch?  Silvia and Jose were adventurous enough to agree and so we met up with them on their last day in the city and took them to Pho Banc in Elmhurst, Queens. The girls did their best to sit still and nibble on some homemade snacks while we got spring rolls and shrimp rolls brought out in minutes. Yes, service here is nothing short of lightning speed, which makes it a good place for the weary traveler. Elisa loves her beansprouts and also pleasantly surprised me by chowing down on the chicken fried rice I ordered her. I love it when she acknowledges that she likes a food. It makes lunch so much easier. Carolina wasn't thrilled with anything, but she happily chomped on my ice and tried to suck down some of my Vietnamese coffee (the straw!) before I pulled it away--only to have Elisa finish it off. 

I know there are thousands more places like this our fair city, but sometimes when you find one that works, you just like to stick with it. The waiters were prompt but not pushy and the food comes so fast you get to really enjoy the experience of eating and not anxiously entertaining hungry kids. Plus, the chopsticks make excellent drum sticks.  So we'll probably be back for more pho or vermicelli on a day we need a little help getting lunch together. And I think our friends are now looking for a Vietnamese restaurant in Madrid. I hope they find one!