Kiki's was one of my Dad's favorite Mexican Restaurants.
If you are ever in El Paso, it's on Piedras Street a few miles north of I-10. Drive up a few miles north, and it is on your left.
My mom and I ate there today as an homage to Dad before we leave El Paso for good.
Now, I have this weird recollection of eating at Kiki's years ago.
I was a big fan of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) basketball and football. During the '88 season, my mom had scored season tickets to the football games.
Now, UTEP, for years had been a below-standard team, but they had hired Coach Bob Stull, an outstanding Coach. The '88 season was magical. It seemed UTEP couldn't lose. UTEP went 10-3 that year and won every home game during the '88 season.
I was such a Miner's fan that I dressed a Paydirt Pete, UTEP's mascot, that year for Halloween. I wore my costume to the game and was invited to walk the sideline with the real Paydirt Pete and got to cheer on the crowd for a while. Man, was that awesome.
After some of the games, my Dad, mom, and I would stop by Kiki's Restaurant and have some world-famous nachos.
Now Kiki's nachos were made with homemade chips, refried beans, and a slate of white cheese.
So after one game, I remember sitting with my parents, eating my Nachos, when this waitress is suddenly chasing this man out, hitting him in the back with her notepad, cussing him out. I didn't understand what she was saying or why she was chasing him out.
I remember the man trying to cover his head and being apologetic, but the waitress is having none of it.
I remember mom and Dad not mentioning it. We ate our Nachos, paid our bill, and left.
For some reason, this moment has always stuck in my mind. I can't tell you why.
I've always wondered what the man did to piss off that waitress.
It's such an odd memory in a slew of great memories from that year.
And I remember so much about that year that I almost remember every touchdown UTEP scored that year.
It was such an exciting year to be part of UTEP football. The Miner's got invited to the Independence Bowl that year but got their butt kicks by a far superior team.
I think what gets me is that I remember that moment so vividly, but I couldn't tell you what Dad or Mom looked like or what we talked about before or after this incident.
But I remember that moment of that lady chasing that man out of the restaurant.
Part of me thinks I'm glad that moment happened. Perhaps that moment is the linchpin to that '88 season because it was so out of the ordinary in a pantheon of memories.
Part of me thinks if that waitress didn't chase that man out, then that '88 season would be part of those memories that are hard to remember.
So whatever that guy did, I'm happy he did it, and the waitress was good enough to chase 'em out of Kiki's.