XOXO, Gossip Girl… I mean… XOCO

So here’s how this went down: Last night I watched the Bizarre Foods episode about Chicago. Andrew Zimmern & Rick Bayless toured the Maxwell Street Market & ate amazing tacos. I’m highly suggestible & that meant  I needed Mexican food. ASAP. Today was 50º (In February. In Chicago.) (In case you haven’t spent a winter in Chicago, this doesn’t happen. It. Was. Magnificent! Tomorrow is supposed to be almost 60º.)  & I had lunch plans w/our friend Genie. Since she works downtown (aka: not near amazing tacos) we decided to hit Rick Bayless Street.

What? It’s not called that? Give it a few years. It will be.

Side note: I’m sure I don’t need to tell you all who Rick Bayless is, right?) Ok. Moving on.

Not eating here today.

Frontera Grill & Topolobampo: Neither are our lunch destination. Soon.

Hello lovely!

Xoco: The lucky restaurant that got to play host to the two of us. Amazingly, there was no line & it wasn’t crowded. I’m not sure how this happened, but I’m not going to complain. Maybe I’ll try walking in to Girl & The Goat and see what happens.

Hello lovely!

Guacamole & Chips: Frontera guacamole, tomatillo salsa 3-chile salsa, just-made chips.

This is the perfect guacamole. If you disagree, I’ll kick you in the shins.

Tasty, but not the tastiest part of the meal.

Milanesa (Griddled) Torta: Crispy Gunthorp chicken, black beans, artisan Jack cheese, pickled jalapenos, tomatillo-avocado salsa.

Good but not great, next time I’ll skip the torta. Soup-or-Salad-or-Guac-or-Churros (or, you know, all) are the way to go.

Mexican ramen?

Pork Belly Vermicelli (Fideos): Crispy-tender pork belly, toasty-tender noodles, woodland mushrooms, zucchini, avocado, salsa negra.

This broth was mindbendingly delicious. If there’s such a thing as a Mexican ramen, it’s this. If there’s not, there is now. (That folks, is what we call covering our bases.)

Fresh from the fryer.

Churros & Aztec Hot Chocolate: fresh-ground chocolate + water + chile + allspice

Everything was great, but when you end a meal with those churros… everything just seems exponentially better. *sigh* churros…. I’ve got some Girl Scouts Samoas in the kitchen. Not the same thing, but I’m off to get one.

Mayor of Wells Street

Hey! Remember that time I was mayor of two of my favorite shops in Chicago?

Me too. It was pretty great.

Also great was when I was the mayor of my lifelong Dunkin’ Donuts & the home of the greatest duck in the world.

But I’m not mayor of those anymore. At one point for about 6 months I also dominated a boot store in Nashville where I got my amazing cowboy boots. Either way, now that I’ve got The Spice House & Old Town Oil I can pretty much quit foursquare, it’s never going to be better than this.

And let’s ride…

For the month of December I’m participating in & blogging the daily prompts from reverb10. Some people are taking this seriously. I am not.

December 15 – 5 Minutes – Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)

I realize that is about 5 minutes, but with my insane love for all things Mike Patton reading the prompt instantly put Peeping Tom — Five Seconds in my head.

Anyway… 2010.

THIS: Blackhawks Stanley Cup Victory Parade — 6/11/10

NOT THIS: Mets/Braves at Citifield — 7/10/10

THIS: Sun Golds from Green City Market — summer

NOT THIS: *shudder*

THIS: Carlin — always cute.

NOT THIS: Painful.

THIS: Patterson's Grand Gesture — 2/14/10.

2010′s been pretty damn alright. How could it not be? It was the year that introduced us to Doctor Who.

Not a Goose

For the month of December I’m participating in & blogging the daily prompts from reverb10. Some people are taking this seriously. I am not.

December 14 – Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

DUCK.

I so badly wanted to entitle this post “Not Ducking Around”. I didn’t. You’re welcome Patterson.

This year brought me to Sun Wah for my first (and second, and third) time. Amazing duck, carved table side & then served to you on a platter, in a soup, and in a heaping plate of fried rice. That’s 3 types of deliciousness, in case you weren’t counting. Peking duck, you’re appreciated.

Lao Sze Chuan

For the month of December I’m participating in & blogging the daily prompts from reverb10. Some people are taking this seriously. I am not.

December 10 – Wisdom — What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)

HOT POT!

I don’t keep a running tally of smart decisions I make. The wisest thing recently decided was to get the full spicy broth in our hot pot at Lao Sze Chuan. Closely following in wise moves was the company (hi Patterson, Felicia, Pone & Luke!) and the decision to stuff ourselves silly.

lava.

food stuffs to be placed in the lava.

meat & unused sauces.

fish, veggies & goodies.

two platters of meat, fish, veggies & noodles and three broth refills later.

Last time we got the half & half.

half and half.

Full spicy is the way to go.

Lifeline

For the month of December I’m participating in & blogging the daily prompts from reverb10. Some people are taking this seriously. I am not.

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

I've even packed this moka pot & taken it on trips with us. Along with a bag of Intelligentsia, of course.

Today we ate a slew of things in the fridge that were already made. So the last thing I made was my coffee this morning. Which is a ritual in and of itself. Now’s as good a time as any to admit this. I love coffee more than most things and people in this world. It’s ugly. Years ago I discovered the moka pot and haven’t looked back. My drip coffee maker went into a cabinet & hasn’t been pulled out since. I should probably get rid of it, but I know as soon as I do I’ll have a slew of guests over that all want coffee at once.

The other little thing pictured along with my precious moka pot & grinder is a Vietnamese coffee maker. If you’ve never had a Vietnamese iced coffee you’re missing out on a divine little treat of chicory coffee & sweetened condensed milk. Try it next time you have the chance. Goes very well with a bahn mi. Nhu Lan can expose you to the delights of both.

Isn't this just the cutest french press you've ever seen?

At a friend’s house last night he made me a cup of coffee in this. The tiniest french press on the planet. I squealed with glee. SO CUTE!

Snowy

For the month of December I’m participating in & blogging the daily prompts from reverb10. Some people are taking this seriously. I am not.

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

First snow of 2010. While it’s pretty now, I’m sure I won’t feel that way in about 6 weeks. No, this doesn’t apply to the prompt at all, but it’s pretty, isn’t it?

Not a Writer.

For the month of December I’m participating in & blogging the daily prompts from reverb10. Some people are taking this seriously. I am not.

December 2 Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

Doesn’t apply, as I’m not now, nor have I ever been, a writer. That’s cool. Neither is the guy who graffitied that box. And that box is not a tardis. Why pretend to be something you’re not?

Seen on Ashland — 9/11/10.

Seen on Ashland — 9/11/10., originally uploaded by dupreeblue.

Lots of these popping up in people’s photostreams lately. Thought I’d share mine. Saw this on Ashland a few months back. Not sure why they’re everywhere but they are.

You’re Not Famous Until You Have a Blog Post Written About You

I guess Patterson & I hit our first level of fame today. Click the link to go to a post by our friend Felicia. You’ll see how amazing she is, and how great she thinks we are.