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I can think of few things more divine than a weekday lunch date with girlfriends.

Except perhaps a post-audition weekday lunch date downtown at Tom & Chee with a fellow actress/blogger/Texan girlfriend when we’re both all gussied up and looking stylishly fab in our dresses, hued tights, pretty scarves, and fancy winter coats.

I can’t speak for Allyson, but dresses and tights are not in my typical repertoire of daily garb, so it kind of special to don something a little more snazzy than my standard uniform of jeans, a v-neck tee, a cardigan, and snow boots.

Anyhow, before we were even friends we both scheduled an audition with the same company, for the same day, and at nearly the same time. As fate would so-slyly have it, we met, became friends, and discovered the happy coincidence.

Neither of us died and/or barfed at the audition, and neither of us horrified our auditioners or traumatized ourselves out of the industry, so I’d call that a success. As any actor will tell you, auditions are hit or miss. You may think you stunk something awful and be elated to discover you were cast, or you may have seriously rocked it out but just weren’t what they were looking for. Only time will tell.

Nonetheless, we celebrated our attempts by re-feeding our outrageously overpriced downtown parking meters, bundling up in our warmest ware and walking a few blocks down and over to Tom & Chee, which as the name implies, specializes in gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup. I’m a Groupon/Living Social fiend, so naturally, I’d come well-prepared with a half-price voucher. And on this blustery day, tomato soup and grilled cheese was the comfort food of champions.

I spent about a year contemplating the menu. Luckily we had about the nicest red-headed kid in the whole entire world at the counter, who not only put up with my indecisive shenanigans, but was also funny and sweet. He told us all about the menu and gave excellent recommendations to boot. That kid deserves a serious raise, as does anyone who works in customer service and deals with the crap people dish out all day. Anyhow, after much indecision over Gouda v. brie, and rye v. sourdough, and pesto v. hummus, and turkey v. bacon, and chunky tomato basil v. creamy tomato basil, a decision was made.

Allyson went with a tasty classic – a three cheese on wheat with chunky tomato basil soup.

(You can always tell a blogger, taking pictures of food.)

And I absolutely could not contain my intrigue and ordered the grilled cheese donut with a side of chunky tomato basil soup. Yes, grilled cheese donut. Hot, melty cheddar and mozzarella cheese goodness smothered between the halves of a steaming, sweet, glazed donut.

I’ll give you a minute to process that.

Okay.

Some of you are likely intrigued, as I was. Some of you are likely beyond disgusted. And the rest of you are probably clutching at your swollen arteries as you recoil in horror and cry out for a defibrillator. These are all appropriate responses.

As insanely unhealthy as this is (Oh, and it is. Just add bacon and you’ve got yourself a one-way ticket to cardiac arrest), I truly could not help myself. I like new experiences and I love discovering new foods. It was going to happen sooner or later, so might as well, right? And it was delicious. That sweet & salty combination gets me every time. The soup hit the spot too. Next time (because at that cheap-o price of $6 for $12 worth of food, you better believe I wasn’t going to buy just one half price deal. After all, my next date – Ted – loves grilled cheese just as much as I do  and I know a good deal when I see one) I’ll likely be indulging in a gouda or brie grilled cheese with hummus and pesto on sourdough. If only they offered avocado as a topping (Are you listening Tom & Chee?). We wined and dined (okay, we didn’t wine, but I think we both wished we could have) and dished and it was wonderful.

And then we both went back to work. Like working girls do. And promised to do this again, soon.

When was your last lunch date?