The Power Couple of Downtown: Hunter and Megan

Tonight's guests, two people who are only putting positivity into the world, Hunter and Megan! We went to a new place for all of us, La Bahía. Couple of things different about this week, first time I have dined with a couple, and I think the first time I have done a dinner instead of a lunch. But the good food and good conversation was the same. So great that these two agreed to have a meal with me tonight.

You may recognize Hunter from a previous It's My Treat outing as he was our waiter at Guido's and posed for a picture with Darian and I. Been to Guido's a few times now, so I have seen the two regular combo of Hunter and Megan as waiter/bartender for the lunch shift. Didn't know at the time that they were married but isn't that lovely that they have the same schedule and get to work together. Loved them when they were waiting on us and love them even more now that I know a little more about them.

First the food. Started with some chips and salsa. Added some cheese sauce. Chips were good and the cheese sauce was just spicy enough to be delicious. When we got there, they brought out a little seafood broth type sample of soup. Not much of a seafood guy, but Megan said it didn't taste like fish, so I gave it a try. Even that was good. Off to a great start. Meal came, I had tacos, Megan had a tamale, and Hunter had something (I should really get better at remembering what people have.) Maybe you can look at the picture and figure it out. Ha.

Speaking of pictures, if you notice the picture of the two of them, you will see that I am not the only one who is taking pictures of the food. You can see them taking pictures too, because they run the website iheartdowntown.com and the Facebook group facebook.com/groups/downtownchampaign If you live in Champaign, you should definitely check out both of those sites. The Facebook group is all about spreading positivity about the great things that are happening downtown. Hunter explained that they started the group as a way to get more people downtown; one for the selfish reason that the more people downtown, the more potential customers for them to serve, but also probably the more important reason is there would be more people to get to talk to and get to know. That seems like a similar spirit to why I started this project. It is always great to get to know new people. Both projects seemed to have turned out well for each of us because we all got to meet each other.

While the Facebook group good for the frequent posts and stories, the calendar and events feature on the iheartdowntown.com website is outstanding. Hundreds of events each month. It is easily formatted with the category in all caps first, then the event heading and then the location. Each category has a different color on the list, so it is easy to see just what you are looking for. If you want some ideas for what to do give it a look, and I am sure you will find something fun. Also, a great resource if someone is new to town or just visiting. There are a lot of resources when it comes to finding things to do in Champaign, but what makes these unique is that they are curated by actual bar workers. Hunter and Megan have been working in bars in the area for years. They have a perspective that you aren't going to see in some of the others. I'd trust their recommendation on where to grab a beer or a meal in Champaign.

The other fun thing we talked about was their dog! Completely forgot the dog's name, but if you know me, you know that I am horrible with names so you will not be surprised by that. Hunter had pictures and videos. Such a good boy. It was a big dog (the only good kind) -- maybe a Labrador? Not sure, but it was big and adorable and loved jumping in puddles and running around. Perfect. Hunter and Megan told stories about going to the dog park and walking around and letting their dog run. Did you Urbana has a 60-acre dog park? What! Why didn't anyone tell me? Now I want to get a dog just so I can take him to the dog park. Apparently, I am not the only one who did not know, because our waitress overheard them talking and was super excited to get information about it, so she could take her own dog there.

Here are a few woo-woo things that came up tonight. Have you ever noticed that positive energy attracts other positive energy? That is what it felt like tonight. We were all putting out our positive vibes and we just got drawn together. Both Hunter and Megan work for tips, so I mentioned my theory of tipping Karma that I discovered when I was delivering - the more you give in tips in your non work life, the more tips you receive at work. They agreed that it was a thing. I don't work for tips anymore, but I have still noticed the effect. The more I give the more that seems to come back to me.

And lastly, Megan mentioned she moved to the area because it was a lot cheaper than where she was before. When she got to town, she put an ad on craigslist looking for a place to rent for under $700 (which was much less than the small place she was at before). She quickly got a response about a 3-bedroom house that was available. She moved in and eventually bought that same house. Kind of weird how thing just sort of gel when the circumstances are right in the world.

It is getting late, so I will close it up with a thank you to both Hunter and Megan. It was great sharing a meal with you tonight. If you are ever in downtown Champaign, stop by Guido's for their great service (and don't forget to leave a big tip). Good night.