Thanks to excessive Facebook status updates, my old roommate, Lex, noticed that there would be an ever so slight overlap in our DC work trips this week. And since my office is located in Alexandria (near DCA), it ended up being super convenient for her to swoop over and meet me for lunch after her plane landed.

I had eaten at Hard Times Cafe once before and was pretty impressed by the intentionally veggie options at such a meat centric place.

I ordered fried pickles as soon as I sat down with hopes that Lex and app would arrive around the same time.  Good thinking, cause it worked.  It should also be noted that these friend pickles were pretty delish sans sauce (since I don’t do ranch).

I ordered the chili salad, nixing everything except for lettuce and tortilla chips. A few shreds of cheese found their way on my plate,  but they were slight enough to push aside.

I was so happy to see the little Lex, even if it was only for lunch!

Are you a picky diner?  What are your signature special requests when dining out?