Chima

So, last night I went to a restaurant called Chima Steakhouse in Tyson's Corner. It was a "Brazilian Steakhouse." For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a beef lover's heaven. Seriously, it's like a crack house for people who like beef. Look it up.

Anyway, a friend of mine invited me to a social networking event there. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go at first: schmoozing with strangers is not my thing. But my friend was very convincing and he's never led me astray before, so I decided if it was something to do, sure, why not?

I'm impressed from the get-go. Complimentary valet parking. Sure you may have my keys, Mr. Valet Parker. The place is beautiful on the outside. It's in a tall, circular building surrounded by new office parks. Very chic.

I walk in, see my friend, and immediately start getting introduced to semi-VIPs. Not Barack Obama or anybody, but local celebrities. Very cool. Then we get to the appetizers.

O.M.G. This stuff is free? This was not pigs in a blanket, folks. This was steak. This was chicken. This was pork. Hot sausages. Crab balls. Cheesy bread with a fancy cheesy dip. Light and fluffy slices of some kind of moussey cake. The service was impeccable. "Would you like something to drink ma'am?" I look around to see what everyone else is drinking and give my friend a hesitant look. Finally I ask for a glass of white wine (I hate wine). But I didn't want to get gangsta with it right off top and ask for a Long Island, so...

I am not a country bumpkin by any means. I know how to handle myself in a schmoozey atmosphere (although I hate such environments usually). But I was really impressed by this place...the ambiance, the decor, the crowd...very classy. I would definitely go there again. Which is probably why they agreed to sponsor the event, to lure in people like me.

I would encourage people to attend these types of events in the future. Shoot, some folks probably make a career out of coming to these things, scoring some food, drinks, and business cards, whether you're supposed to be there or not. Like "The Wedding Crashers" for young professionals LOL. I definitely met some new people, took in some new faces, and had some new experiences (smoking a cigar).

Here's to the next one. Big ups to L for the invite.