Paradise

One of my most favorite lunch places is right across the street. Although I can't see it out my 7th floor window since my office faces east (instead I have a killer view of both Camelback and Superstition Mountains), if I walk down the hall a short ways it stares me in the face.

And lucky for me, some genius finally convinced the City of Phoenix a year or so ago to build a pedestrian tunnel crossing Camelback between 24th and 26th. So now I can just zoom down the elevator, slip out the big glass door, and immerse myself in the sunlight as I walk across the street to the Biltmore. And there awaits my Paradise.

Today, I dined outside. It couldn't be more beautiful. A crisp, but not too cold, perfect February afternoon. My "Choose 2" combo of a half club on a croissant and small Southwest Caesar was just what the doctor ordered. Oh - and the cookie. Yes, the famous Paradise Bakery chocolate chippers. You really can't pass them up even if you wanted to since one comes with your lunch combo. But then again, who would want to? Actually, my girlfriend, Jackie, who works with me once gave me her cookie (she wasn't even dieting) and said she really didn't care for the Paradise Cookies.

WHAT? How can that be?

I have to say that I even though I make a mean chocolate chip cookie myself, there's just some magic mojo in those Paradise Cookies that speak love to my lips. I even succumbed and bought a second one (I mean two) for later (hey, it was buy one, get one free.) I thought maybe I'd bring the two cookies home to share with the fam...but then I thought again. I mean really - how can you share just 2 cookies amidst 5 peeps? You can't even split them equally and make it fair, so really...I'll just save myself the trouble and chaos and eat them myself. he he he. Like I need them. Good thing I've got 5 miles on my running schedule for tomorrow morning.

I’ve often said, I run so I can eat. And I mean that.