May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor



Photo from here.

I don't blog too much about it, but I am all about contests!  They are awesome no matter what side of the contest you are on: They're a great way for businesses or individuals to promote products.  And, from the other side, it is always fun to win free stuff, right?!  One thing I've learned from attempting to win contests is to always try.  What's the harm in trying to win?  Some people never do contests because they think they don't have a shot at winning.  I, on the other hand, enter everything that interests me - I either won't win (therefore nothing changes) or I could win something really cool!

Photo from here.

This brings me to a fabulous contest going around the Atlanta area each week.  You've probably heard of the Here to Serve restaurants if you are from here.  They include - Strip, Cantina, Coast, Shout, Twist, Aja, Prime, Goldfish, and Noche.  So far, on that list I've eaten at Cantina, Coast, Shout, Twist, and Goldfish and I've never had a meal that wasn't delicious.  I'm even a little bit obsessed with the food at Coast right now - the side items are to die for (I recommend the Brussels sprouts, mac and cheese, and the jalapeno cheese grits...yum!).

Photo from here.

Anyway, each Wednesday on Twitter the Here to Serve restaurants do a scavenger hunt (this began two weeks ago)!  The prize - anything from play tickets to a free night's stay at an Atlanta hotel - can be hidden at any one of the restaurants I named above.  All you have to do is follow Director of Operations at Here to Serve, David Abes, on Twitter for clues, figure out the restaurant, and go there to pick up your prize before anybody else does!  It's as simple as that!

During the first week, the prize - play tickets and a restaurant gift card - were still chilling at Prime way after lunchtime.  Hello, Atlanta?!  Are you really going to let these prizes slip by?!

Now I live and work at least 20 + minutes from any of the Here to Serve restaurants, but I just could not get over the fact that people were passing on such an awesome prize.  Last Wednesday, I decided that I would take part in the scavenger hunt if the prize was not claimed by my lunch break.  David announced the first clue that morning and I patiently waited until noon.  I took along my friend/co-worker, Brandi, as my scavenger hunt partner-in-crime!  Even though Cantina (the clue included the phrase "south of the border", so I knew it had to be Cantina Taqueria and Tequilla Bar) was located 25 minutes away, I decided to give it a shot since it appeared from Twitter that no one had claimed my...I mean the...prize yet!  Plus, I thought that even if I get down there and the prize is gone, I could at least have a delicious lunch.  It was a win-win situation!

Cantina
Photo from here.

I arrived at Cantina and asked the hostess if anyone had claimed the prize, and to my shock - I won!  The prize was a free night's stay at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta as well as a gift card to Cantina.  I cannot wait to use it!  Then we stayed for a yummy lunch - I definitely recommend the queso, the Trailer Park taco and the Baja taco!

My prize!

The moral of this story is to try.  Brandi told me that she thinks I win things because I am so optimistic.  This might be true...so, get your scavenger hunt on, Atlanta, or I will just have to claim all these awesome Here to Serve prizes myself!  Don't forget to follow David Abes' Twitter for clues.  Last night, he tweeted "1st hint, it will be in Midtown".  More clues should be tweeted soon!

Any may the odds be ever in your favor!

(sorry, I had to throw that last line in there...)

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