Chicago's vibrant nightlife and delicious food filled most of my free time during my first few weeks of training. No matter which DMC location you end up in, all new hires go through training in Chicago. I was lucky enough to do this in the middle of the summer, and I fell in love with the city. As part of my welcome to DMC, I was able to choose a location to host a welcome party. Chicago has so much to offer that it was a difficult choice, but in the end, I decided on a Latin fusion restaurant called Carnivale in the city's West Loop neighborhood.
Originally, Adam and I were supposed to host the party together, but unfortunately, an onsite project called him to Kentucky that week, so it was up to me to decide on the welcome party location. I knew I had to pick somewhere unique, that I wouldn't be able to get at home in Dallas.
Carnivale
My Chicago co-workers mentioned Carnivale to me while I was brainstorming where to host the welcome party. To me, it sounded like a fun opportunity to try something new, and it exceeded my expectations! The inside of the restaurant was terrific. The restaurant's artwork covered walls are festive and brightly colored, giving it a bold ambiance. It was a unique experience and felt like we were in the middle of a real Carnivale celebration!
The restaurant features food from all over Latin America, including Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Chile. We had appetizers like grilled lamb racks, shrimp skewers, and al pastor sliders.
After dinner, Mary made the extra effort to find a place to continue the party. The West Loop location of Carnivale made it easy to find another place for an after-party.
The After-Party
We moved on to Green Street Smoked Meats, which was only an eight-minute walk away. We snacked on smoked brisket and a couple of different sides. Several of us shared pitchers of different kinds of beer
From Dallas to Chicago
In all, the party was a great experience. I tried some wild cocktails and new foods, and I bonded with a lot of the team. Training in Chicago and having a welcome party with such a big turnout helped me feel part of DMC.
I’m in the Dallas office now, but even though there are several offices across the country I don’t feel separated because I’ve met a lot of DMCers already! The welcome party experience helped me acclimate to my new job, and I made some great memories along the way.
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