Tripe

Ok, somehow I have lived the past 22 years without anybody being kind enough to tell me about tripe. I, before tonight, was oblivious to the fact that I shouldn't order it. Never. Nobody told me this. I'm blaming you.

Calder and I went out to a Thai restaurant that we've been to a few times, and every time previous I've had pad Thai. I really like it and am of the mindset that if I know I really like something, I don't want to risk getting something I don't like. Especially when I have to pay for it.

This said, I decided to act out of the box tonight and try something new. I saw Beef Laab on the menu and it looked delicious. Lime, green chilies, mint, cilantro, beef tripe. yum. I told Calder he pretended to look at it on the menu and said it looked good and I should get it.

My first hint that I was making a mistake was when the manager came out and described it as a very authentic dish just to make sure I knew what I was getting. I figured it is Minnesota and we weren't exactly in an area that I consider to be very open minded about food (I know, I'm one to talk) so I didn't think that much of it. Until my food came out and large chunks of something gross were all in it. I, still not understanding, tasted one. It was VERY SQUISHY.

To me, texture is huge. So I went through, and picked it all out of my food, and gave Calder one. Calder then, as I am starting to choke down the rest of my food (which still had small bits of the squishy stuff) decides to tell me what he things it is.

Intestine.

Not ok.

I covered up the bowl that I had put it all in and couldn't take another bite of my food.

Luckily and thankfully, Calder was nice about it (since I tried it with an open mind) let us get dessert (delicious banana egg roll things with ice cream) and then got me some egg rolls to eat so I didn't starve.

So now I feel an obligation to warn everybody about tripe. If you see it on a menu, be really careful and don't order it. Gross.