#damn you wrigleyville

[whowhowhoareyou]

just passed a business sign that said "warm up with daddy." desperately whipped my head around to glean the context but, alas!, the bus hurtled on. the sign will haunt me for the rest of the day

[mrsleopoldfitz]

Random Chicago question for ya: What are your top three restaurant recommendations?

Oh, Nonny. Strap in. You’re in for a ride. 

I saw your question this morning and knew I’d have to sit down and really think about it. I thought I’d give you maybe five places I loved because I knew I couldn’t hold myself to just three. Well, you’re getting 18 recommendations and four places I suggest you skip. 

A word of warning: I’m a North Sider who lived on the near West Side for years, so most of these places are located in those areas. There are a ton of great places on the South Side (seriously check out Hyde Park - it’s a mecca of great food and culture) that I like, but I haven’t been to often enough to call my favorites. They’re absolutely worth exploring though. Start with Jolly Pumpkin and branch out from Harper Court. 

So I guess that means you’re getting 19 recommendations and four skips. Please feel free to reach out and ask me if you have any more questions.

Personal Favorites:

Cafe Iberico - Super authentic Spanish tapas at a great price. There are lots of good tapas places in Chicago, but this is the best. 

Folklore - Small Argentine place with great cocktails near my old neighborhood. 

West Town Bakery & Diner - This was my favorite brunch place in our old neighborhood. Had to get up early to make sure we got seats, but damn was it worth it. 

Bar Eats:

Fatpour Tap Works - Another burger joint that happens to make awesome salads and has an insane selection of beers on tap. 

Cleos Bar and Grill - Great place to watch soccer and get a personal pizza at all hours. Definitely a neighborhood kind of place. The Bloody Mary here is trouble. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way, but there’ always a good story attached. 

Owen & Engine - Best burger in Chicago in an English-style pub. I’m not even kidding. And the rest of the food is great, too. Added bonus? They’re right down the street from Maplewood Brewing.

Brewery Restaurants:

Old Irving Brewing - Hands down some of the best burgers and beers on the northwest side of the city. If I ever leave Chicago, this place will be a must-visit for me. I spend way more money here than I should. 

Lagunitas -  Yes, I know they’re a California brewery, but they’ve done so much for Douglas Park, they’re honorary Chicagoans. The facility is huge and a lot of fun to just look at (plus they get bonus points for a trippy Willy Wonka theme right as you walk in), and the food is good. 

District Brew Yards - Four breweries that allow you to pour your own beer and delicious, delicious Lillie’s Q’s BBQ. It’s a win-win. 

Holes-in-the-Wall:

La Pasadita - My personal favorite taqueria, but there a lot of them in Chicago. The fact that it’s right off the Division Blue Line is just an added bonus. 

Mario’s Italian Lemonade - Best. Italian. Ice. In. The. City. Don’t try me on this, just go yourself if you get a chance over the summer. 

Original Maxwell Street Polish (3801 W. Harrison) - The smell of sauteed onions and kielbasa will tell you that you’re in the right place. Be prepared to sit on the curb or the hood of your car though. You walk up to this joint, order at the window, then chill on the street with the rest of your new best friends as you finish your meal. 

Bars:

Queen Mary Tavern - Best cocktails, hands down. Everyone talks about Violet Hour since it’s right under the Damen Blue Line, but this place is a better find. There are some mainstays (the Navy Strength Old Fashioned is godly), but they rotate the menu out with the seasons. Add in Tuesday movie nights with free popcorn and movie-themed cocktails, and you have my heart. 

Innertown Pub - This is a typical Chicago bar in what was once clearly someone’s living room. It’s cash only and definitely a local find that’s worth a stop. 

Matchbox - Teeny tiny bar that looks totally unassuming but is a brilliant find. Best pisco sour I’ve ever had in the city. 

Typical Chicago:

Johnnie’s Beef - Technically not Chicago (it’s in Elmwood Park), but definitely the best Italian beef in the area. Even Alton Brown said so. (Get it dipped if you’re not a coward.)

Fatso’s Last Stand - Greasy, terrible-yet-delicious late-night food and some of the best fried shrimp you could ask for. It’s pretty much everything you want in a Chicago red hot (hot dog) stand without the tamales. (Yeah, our red hot stands sell tamales. It’s a Chicago quirk I wouldn’t give up for the world.)

Tortorice’s Pizza - In my opinion, the best non-chain deep dish (and tavern-style!) you could ask for. I love Lou Malnati’s, but this place is better. 

Skip:

These places are good in their own right but are definitely overhyped. If you want to stop by, go for it, but there are better, less crowded places out there. 

Pequod’s - The pizza is good, but the caramlized crust is overblown and not worth the wait. Other places do the same thing for a more reasonable price and wait time. 

Weiner’s Circle - It’s fun to go to late at night, but a Chicago style hot dog is a Chicago style hot dog no matter where you go. Skip the line and price hike by going further away from Wrigleyville. I’d suggest Jimmy’s Red Hots on Grand. 

Al’s Beef - Their gravy is terrible (no flavor) and they’re assholes. Like, super racist POSes at the original location. If you’re going to the one on Taylor Street, skip them and go get yourself an Italian ice across the street at Mario’s instead. You’ll thank me. 

Kuma’s Corner - Years ago everyone lost their collective shit over Kuma’s Corner and their burgers. Honestly… They’re meh. I feel like the crazy toppings are covering up for sub-par burgers. They’re okay, but go to Owen & Engine, Old Irving Brewing, or Fatpour if you want a great burger with fewer hoops to jump through. 

[lola-siciliani]

Homecoming ( Part III )

When: July 9th - July 24th, 2021

Where: Wrigley Field / Wrigleyville, Boystown, Sears Tower (fuck what google says), Foster Beach 

Warnings: None. 

Featuring: The Sicilianis (Elena, Nonna, Pops, Aunt Connie, Uncle Nick, The Cousin Squad) 

After spending the whole day at the outlet mall…in true Siciliani fashion, the two of them headed out and went back to the city to finally surprise Nonna and Pops with Lola…little did she know was that the tables were turned when they arrived to be surprised with them at the door. It was a comical sight watching them attempt to scramble down the stairs, Elena facepalming and praying to the highest of heavens that neither of them fell. Lola hugged her grandparents as tightly as she could, excited to spend at least the next few weeks with the exploring the city and sitting and watching General Hospital with Nonna. 

The next few weeks were just as she expected. 

She went to watch the Cubs with Pops and her Uncle Nick, cheering them on and yelling, “HIT IT HOME BAEZ!” And “LOAD THE BASES FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD!” They shared polish sausages with the sweet caramelized onions and mustard and good ol’ Miller Lite beer as they typically did and took a few selfies…mostly for Uncle Nick’s really cheesy instagram. 

After heading home, she was dragged out to Boystown for shopping with her Aunt Connie who returned from a “business trip” in New York (more like went to hook up with one of her sugar daddies in New York, but she was hustling hard) —and was mostly roasting how Chicago’s Pride Parade was unnecessarily extra. In which the younger one showed a video of how wild Santa Monica was. 

“You guys treated Pride like Coachella on cocaine and LSD, and I’m kind of jealous. We just looked like fucking parrots like that Rio movie!” 

Lola laughed, shaking her head. She loved hanging around her Aunt Connie, mostly because she was the cool aunt that traveled around the world and always had a wild story to tell. Plus, she was the one who got her, her first fake ID. However, neither of them were in the mood for going out to the bar, instead, they ordered pizza and had wine, where they sang very loudly to Lady Gaga until the wee hours of the morning. 

As per usual, while Elena had her work meeting and Pops was out doing yard work and gossiping with the neighbors, Lola and Nonna watched The Price is Right, General Hospital, Family Feud, and Wheel of Fortune all while cooking and learning to master the art of making the perfect ciabatta bread in the comfort of a nice air conditioned home. Between the occasional giggles and Nonna playfully scolding her in Italian, it was everything she had needed to clear her head. 

Then came the pivotal moment, Lola finally braving the Sears Tower’s Sky Deck (and if anyone ever told her it was Willis, she’d scoff…and maybe tell you off). She was always roasted for getting nauseous the moment she stepped into the glass box, but this time, she’d take a leap of faith with her mother and bravely stepped in and laughed excitedly. She took a picture of her feet and sent it to her siblings’ group chat and found out that poor AJ had been home alone as Ivy had finally taken time to jet off by herself. That notion made Elena scoff. She knew her kids way too damn well. 

As all good things, her time in Chicago was coming to an end, mostly because she wanted to go out and enjoy the rest of her summer back in Santa Monica. So she took a “mini road trip” to Foster Beach to lay in the sun, reminisce, and reflect in front of the sparkling Lake Michigan. They sat, grilled hot dogs, burgers, and laughed about how their lives had all changed…with Lola being one of the youngest, her life was going through rapid changes and having that reassurance and genuine encouragement reminded her that she wasn’t alone navigating through this weird maze called life. 

Upon the final drive to O’Hare Airport, Lola felt at ease and Elena could see that in her daughter. Sure, her mental health would have to be closely monitored, but overall, Lola felt better about herself and felt better about her next chapter. Maybe this was one of those moments where she just needed to ground herself back at home before taking the final plunge into the unknown. 

She hugged her mother tightly. 

“Go get ‘em, kid. I believe in you and call me when you land, okay?” 

“I will, ma. I love you.” 

“I love you too, Lola-bear,” the older woman pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter’s head. 

Just like that, Lola was headed back to Santa Monica with a clearer headspace and ready to take it on. 

[canaryatlaw]

okay, it’s way late and I need to get to sleep. fortunately I at least don’t have any evening plans tomorrow so I can at least sleep in a bit (probably till like 1 like I’ve been doing) and still get a solid amount of work done. today was pretty decent. I knew by how tired I was last night I was never going to be able to convince myself to get up for church so I just didn’t try. I woke up to the alarm at 11 so I didn’t sleep in too much and could get brunch still, Jess had just messaged me asking about it so I got ready and met her at the usual place. I actually changed my order a bit because my acid reflux has been really bad lately and my usual order can set it off sometimes, so I opted for just the normal french toast which was still very good. So we had a nice brunch and then returned to our respective apartments. I was supposed to meet a boy for ice cream at 3, so I just kinda laid on my bed and was lazy for a bit until I started to do my makeup and get ready. I headed out with what should’ve been plenty of time to get there, which was somewhat more than normal because the bus I was taking goes down the main street of my neighborhood which is currently blocked off for the midsommarfest event they host every year (my neighborhood has very Nordic roots) so I planned on walking down to where that ended and catching the bus there, but when I got to the corner the bus was right there, it’d apparently been rerouting to the road closer to me to then turn down the main road, so I just got on there, which would’ve made me get there pretty early, but when we went to turn onto the usual road there was some issue and we were stopped for a bit and the driver was like out of the bus trying to look at something underneath it, but then we pulled onto the road and after a few blocks we stopped and the bus driver apparently announced that we needed to get off and get on another bus coming because there was something weird going on with the front of the bus related to strange vibrations or something like that?? I say apparently because I had my earbuds in and was thoroughly enamored with my phone while the announcement was happening and I didn’t even realize it was taking place until people started getting off the bus lol, yay for millennial stereotypes. so we waited for another bus that came after not too long, and took that bus to the ice cream place. It was in Wrigleyville, aka the neighborhood surrounding Wrigley Field where the Cubs play, it’s like 90% bars lol but there’s some other stuff too. The guy was already there so we got our ice cream, which was slightly disappointing because they were out of my favorite flavor from them (they’re like a small chain with super unique and original flavors, my favorite is cream puff but they were out) so I went with “sweet cream biscuits with peach jam” which is a bit of a mouthful lol and it was good but not as good as the other one, but oh well, it was free ice cream so that’s always good. The boy was thoroughly bleh, he was wearing a polo shirt and I was wearing ripped jeans and a leather jacket....lol. But we finished and then walked around the neighborhood for a bit until I was like “I should probably be getting home” after a total of a little less than an hour, so we said goodbye there and I got on the bus back north and went home. Not long after getting home I got a text from him that was like “it was nice meeting you but I didn’t really feel like we had a strong connection” and I was like “lol yeah same but nice to meet you too” so at least I don’t have to worry about potentially ghosting him. From there I went on my laptop for a bit and watched more Anthony Bourdain before talking to Jess and deciding to get dinner at a Thai place close to her since all the restaurants we’d normally hit up with blocked off for the festival. so I walked over there and we went to the restaurant, I was crazy about my main dish but the meal was still nice I suppose. so we did that and then I went home and turned on the Tony awards. I was a bit late tuning in but I have it recorded so I’ll go back and watch the beginning, it looks like I didn’t really miss anything I actually care about other than Ali Stroker winning which I’ll have to go back and watch because I need to see that happen, as the first person in a wheelchair to perform on Broadway and is now the first person in a wheelchair to win a Tony, that’s pretty damn historic and I’m very happy for her (though apparently she had to wait backstage because they didn’t make the venue accessible for her to actually get onstage, which is.....bad). But yeah, it was good from there, I actually tuned in right as the performance from The Prom was being introduced so it was truly perfect timing, and they totally killed it. I fully expected them to keep the kiss in but it was still great to see. I’m sad for them that they didn’t end up taking home any Tonys, especially for Caitlin because I do think she deserved that leading actress in a musical Tony, but it’s like that sometimes and I don’t begrudge Hadestown for any of its wins because by all accounts so far it’s an awesome musical and deserves to be acknowledged as such. I was kinda pleased Burn This didn’t take anything home lol which sounds mean but like, it just wasn’t a good show and didn’t really deserve the nominations in the first place, my guess is they mostly resulted from there only being so many revivals to nominate for that category, and they felt semi-obligated to nominate Adam Driver since he’s a hollywood actor and all that (bleh). The only other show I’ve seen that was nominated was King Kong lol, which did lose the 3 technical Tonys it was nominated for, but they then did a video with two of the announcers with the puppet talking about the show and announcing they’ll be getting a special Tony award for their achievements in mounting such a crazy production, which feels kinda like a “good effort” award being that they weren’t good enough to actually win any of the normal Tonys lol but I was ultimately happy for them because while the artistic portions of the show were total crap, the technical elements were stunning and groundbreaking and they should be recognized for that, even if it doesn’t fit into an existing category. I’d been wondering for months if they’d manage to bring the puppet to the Tonys, but I think the way they did it was good. And yeah, that’s about all my thoughts on it, not bad overall. Once it was over I watched a little bit of the news and then some more Anthony Bourdain before getting in the shower and starting to get ready for bed, and now I am here and it is late late late so I will end this here. Goodnight babes. Hope your Monday doesn’t suck.

[viewwrangler]

Chicago elections 2019

So it appears that as a result of last night’s effectively-a-primary election, Chicago will have

1) its second black mayor ever

2) its second woman mayor ever

3) its first black woman mayor ever, and

4) there’s a very strong possibility that it will have its first LGBT mayor ever

Not too shabby for one night’s elections, really.

Chicago poised to elect first African-American female mayor after Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle advance (chicagotribune.com)

Chicago will elect its first African-American female mayor after former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle won enough votes Tuesday amid a record field of 14 candidates to move on to an April runoff election.

It’s only the second time Chicago has had a runoff campaign for mayor, which occurs when no candidate collects more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round.

Unofficial results showed Lightfoot with 17.5 percent of the vote, Preckwinkle with 16 percent and Bill Daley with 14.7 percent, with 96 percent of precincts counted. [...]   One of them will become Chicago’s second female mayor, following Jane Byrne, who served one term from 1979 to 1983. And if Lightfoot is elected, she would become the city’s first openly gay mayor. Both would become the second African-American elected Chicago mayor after Harold Washington, who served from 1983 until he died in 1987....

Historic Chicago election draws national spotlight, praise from black, LGBTQ communities: 'I think Chicago is potentially ready to turn the corner' (chicagotribune.com)

[...]  after Tuesday’s election winnowed down 14 mayoral candidates to two African-American women, one of them openly gay, both Chicago voters and national political groups are focusing instead on how the city’s politics are set to change. [...] Longtime Chicagoan and former presidential candidate the Rev. Jesse Jackson said in a Facebook post that he “could not be prouder” of Chicago. “For the first time in history, the next mayor of Chicago will be a black woman,” Jackson said. “Two progressive African-American women will square off in the April 2 mayoral runoff. I could not be prouder of my beloved city. We made herstory tonight.”

Live Chicago election results (chi.vote)

It will be interesting to see how the votes redistribute in the April final election. Turnout will be sharply lower, one suspects -- it generally is in what feel like special elections -- which may favor Preckwinkle. Assuming that she can shed being attached somewhat indirectly to a big, spreading corruption investigation in City Hall, that is. (There was a big hand-wringing Tuesday morning and afternoon about turnout being sharply lower in this election -- they were predicting it could be the lowest and oldest and whitest turnout this century -- but there was a late surge that was bigger, younger, and browner. ‘Cause millennials -- and damn near everyone else -- gotta work, y’all. It may be a rule/union requirement that some people get time off for voting, but hell if there’s a single business going to let ‘em, you hear me?)

I am kind of impressed that the whole thing about Lightfoot being a lesbian -- and married with children, even -- is more or less relegated to a sort of, “Oh? Yeah? Interesting. But how’s she going to handle the unfunded pension mandates without raising taxes?” issue. As it should be. (Also, pretty sure the pension issue can’t be handled without more tax increases, unfortunately.)

Elsewhere in our elections, we seem to have a theme:

Chicago’s Election Signals Break from the Past — in Wards and at City Hall (propublica.org)

...  That evening, as totals streamed in, it became clear that voters demanded a change. Hadden overwhelmed Joe Moore, a 28-year incumbent, with 64 percent of the vote. She became the first openly queer black woman elected to the City Council, and one of the first black aldermen ever to come from the North Side....

[...]  Months ago, Moore sensed that his re-election bid in the city’s far northeast corner could be tough. He watched from afar as 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez toppled another Joe, longtime U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, in a diverse, liberal New York City district not unlike the 49th Ward. In the age of President Donald Trump, Democrats seen as compromising or shopworn are sometimes viewed as part of the problem....

[...] By Tuesday afternoon, Hadden thought she had a chance. “But if nothing else, we’ve got new people voting, new people involved in the campaign, and we’re going to keep organizing,” she said. “In some ways, we’ve already won by putting the community’s vision first.”Within a few hours, she had won the election, too....

Teary Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney claims victory in fight versus Ricketts family (chicagotribune.com)

A teary Ald. Tom Tunney claimed victory in his Wrigleyville battle against Cubs owners the Ricketts family [...] Fighting back tears, Tunney told supporters that he has sought to make sure the neighborhood is “successful with Wrigley Field in it.” 

At his side was Mayor Emanuel, who said it’s important to support people who work hard, build schools, and invest in public safety and neighborhoods. “Tom's done that, and the people obviously reflected that,” Emanuel said."I think when you have somebody come in and say they're going to try to bigfoot the voice of the constituents, it's very important to see results like this," Emanuel told the Tribune. Asked if that was referring to the Ricketts family, which funded a group that sent out mailers against Tunney, the mayor brushed the question aside....

I should think the mayor would “brush the question aside”, yes.

Ald. Tom Tunney Holds On To His Seat In 44th Ward (blockclubchicago.org)

Incumbent Ald. Tom Tunney is poised to hold on to his seat in the 44th Ward.

With 95 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Tunney had 63 percent of the vote, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. Challenger Austin Baidas was at 26 percent and Elizabeth Shydlowski was at 11 percent.

Tunney addressed supporters at a campaign party at El Jardin  in Lakeview with outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel by his side.

“I’m grateful to the neighborhood for their support and will continue to work with the Cubs to make sure Lakeview remains one of the best neighborhoods in the city,” Tunney said. “I always have and always will believe in being a collaborative leader for the city.”

In the lead up to the election, the Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, were linked both openly and behind the scenes to efforts to unseat Tunney... [...]  Tunney, owner of Ann Sather restaurants, became the first openly gay alderman when he was first elected in 2003.

Apparently the Ricketts believe that the proper position for an Alderman in a ward in which they have major interests is supine, preferably beneath their feet. (Full disclosure: I know and like Tom Tunney, and it’s not as if the Ricketts have never gotten anything they want regarding the Cubs, as long as the requests are reasonable and can be balanced with the interests of the people who live there and whom Tom actually, you know, represents. He’s not particularly obstructionist. They just don’t get everything they want, they frequently don’t get it the way they want, and they don’t get it anything like as fast as they want. They get something, the people who live there get some concessions as well. Isn’t that the way this is all supposed to work? But I digress.) 

We may even wind up with a few outright Socialists (well, US style socialists) on the city council (chicago.suntimes.com) after the April runoffs.

And apparently we have a vote buying scandal in the 25th ward? Really? Huh.(It looks like the ward was having all sorts of issues, in fact, since poll watchers had been sent to observe for an entirely separate problem.) It seems to have been at least somewhat successful, since the person buying the votes made it to the runoffs -- to replace an alderman who is leaving office because he was wired for sound in a corruption investigation, and now appears to have gone to ground. Seriously, you’d think that maybe someone would realize that people would actually be paying attention to the ward under these circumstances. (Irrelevant side note: the political conspiracy in the film “Widows” assumes a lot more competence than is sometimes in evidence in this city.)

That said, being indicted for federal crimes is apparently no bar to a campaign; Alderman Burke was re-elected without even having to go to a runoff. (”He may be a crook, but he’s OUR crook!” kind of sentiment, I guess. And allegedly, he was competent in his corruption. At least, he knew better than to buy votes on the day of the election in the polling place, anyway.)

[sheusedtobesassier]

Day 10,785

172 days until I hit my thirties.

So. An assortment of 172 good memories from my twenties.

001. Addey hype mumbo jumbo singing along with Moana before she was really talking.

002. Being asked to say the big thank you at SOE graduation.

003. Isaac’s face when he peeked at Omar’s new shoes at the East Towne Starbucks.

004. Drinking Mike’s honey moonshine while we played Euchre in his starry cicada humming backyard.

005. Taking Mama on the water taxi rides when she visited me in Chicago.

006. Grandma Kathy calling me, “My pink haired granddaughter.”

007. Sneaking into camp with the Hines girls to write up collaboration glass bottle poems in the Prayer Chapel.

008. The slow and steady hike up to the Hollywood sign.

009. The night I kidnapped Mini Farm kittens to snuggle for a movie and accidentally left the gate open releasing the rest to the Wisconsin wild.

010. Sunday afternoon sipping Stella Artois in the perfect sunny front room of our Albany Park apartment.

011. Zoë giving me all her wallet cash so I could buy bare minimum groceries.

012. Taking turns reading The History of Love aloud in our Winter Staff Forest Springs apartment.

013. The Halloween/Hillside round of Murder in the Dark with All Stars only.

014. Acting a fool in the unfinished Lodge room filled from floor to ceiling with Tempur-Pedic mattresses.

015. Doug lounging in the giant crate of laundry bags in the laundry room.

016. GUBS INSIDE JOKES.

017. St. Patrick’s Day 2021, hahaha.

018.  Beyoncé: Lemonade in the empty downstairs apartment with Mary.

019. Accidentally getting kayak drunk from a backpack bottle of Ménage à Trois.

020. Daylight skinny dipping with Amber to inaugurate the new pool.

021. The perfect stray cat that came around the second half of 2018.

022. Renate being the first to cry with me post breakup. Bill supplying sparkling water to prevent dehydration.

023. Doing drag makeup in Bekah’s bathroom while her and Marissa giggled at each other in the tub.

024. Every kitchen island conversation I’ve ever had with Steve Hines.

025. The perfect colors the night we snuck up on the helicopter landing pad on that Dallas hotel.

026. FACILITATING THAT SAME WEEKEND’S GAME OF ASSASSIN, BEFORE IT GOT UGLY.

027. Becoming buddies with all four Williams brothers.

028. When Mercy told me I’m her favorite Williams brother.

029. Hahaha the Camp Clean Up I put Elliot on my crew for my own amusement and told him his only responsibility was to walk around with me the whole time.

030. The time Blaine and I were avoiding the long lunch line together and Nimanim was like, “Wait so this is like an actual friendship huh?”

031. Tanner enthusiastically reenacting Gandalf’s YOU SHALL NOT PASS as I came up the path.

032. Will realizing I’d Facebook stalked him without sending a friend request.

033. Magically finding Pop Rocks the morning of my perfect 22nd birthday.

034. My perfect 26th birthday weekend in Minneapolis with my dreamy local girl gang.

035. Tauri’s blossoms on the Sky Lodge trees in the spring.

036. Encountering and becoming completely enthralled by the Enneagram.

037. OLIVIA FUCKING GATWOOD APPRECIATING MY PINK HAIR.

038. Clementine von Radic writing that Greyhound always loses her luggage too.

039. My stretch of obsession with Hemingway’s love interests.

040. Becoming friends with Fat Boy Tucker pup.

041. Becoming friends with rescued best dog Star girl.

042. The night Doug was my ride from the airport and he pulled his truck over so we could take a good look at the gigantic moon.

043. That hilarious flirtatious moonlight wander of the horse trails with Omar and Edith and Caleb.

044. Jake Nelson giving me a surprise scoop of chocolate custard as a peace offering after his grumpy bedtime attitude.

045. THE DISCOVERY AND CAPTIVATION OF HADESTOWN.

046. Getting to have Alia in every day for a while there.

047. Les Mis at Overture Center because Ally bought our family tickets.

048. Pat Coakley telling me I don’t know how special I am.

049. Spit handshake with Janelle swearing we’ll never think any boys are cooler than we are.

050. Marissa picking me up without explanation to take us on a quiet sunset drive of her favorite county road.

051. Jayden imagination playing with Blue, Guy, and a motorcycle for a whole night then waking me up with them the next morning.

052. Genevieve asking to borrow my lavender romper for her rehearsal dinner.

053. Getting to be Cali’s sidekick the week leading up to her wedding extravaganza.

054. Houston YMCA hallway phone call from Justin’s dorm room asking me clarify which of the boys was Nick, Schmidt, and Winston.

055. The absolutely ludicrous old woman I got drunk with in the Amtrak dining car.

056. The absolute ludicrous glass skull light up cocktail I drank at Freehand’s hotel bar.

057. When Dan Hartke told me I’m a mother hen.

058. When the most beautiful Sora from Korea told me, “You always flowers.”

059. Hannah’s hand me down Steve Madden sandals.

060. Runaway trips with Amber Bamber to watch Shakespeare in the woods.

061. Storytelling with Jack Thomas.

062. Drunk bar darts after Corn Fest with Marissa’s gang.

063. Leaving the reception with Emmy to go curl up in Amber’s bed and giggle about how it was the last place she slept as a virgin.

064. The night Riana and Zoe and I took turns putting our heads out the car windows to howl like wolves.

065. Falling asleep on the couch with Zelina and Chelle beer buzzed watching Jersey Shore.

066. That perfect little basement Thai place a couple blocks from Emmy’s apartment dorm.

067. When Dan forced me to get out of his car and left because I’d annoyed him too hard on our library trip.

068. Vicki suggesting we go live together overseas.

069. Depop photoshoot with Taurilyn.

070. Mykenza bluntly declaring true things I couldn’t confirm or deny.

071. Norm announcing to the full room he was teaching that I was a rascal.

072. Zochella.

073. Noah Gundersen and Brett Dennen at The Majestic.

074. Every damn time we ate beautiful food at High Rock Cafe.

075. The nights I felt capable at TOCHI.

076. LENA DUNHAM’S GIRLS.

077. Jordan suddenly ballroom dancing Genevieve around the kitchen.

078. Staying up late crying to my mom about trying to take good care of the lesbian teenagers at Sky Lodge.

079. The night Caleb very suddenly showed up with a bowl of sangria then tried to leave a dozen times but we convinced him to stay.

080. Rachel swearing that the man in the Wrigleyville bookshop had love at first sighted me.

081. Making the list of how many musicals I’ve been affected by.

082. Discovering weirdo La Llamada then driving straight to Carlsons’s to immediately watch it again with them.

083. Writing heartfelt correspondence back and forth with Kat for a few years.

084. All the funky cards I’ve received from Amber.

085. Finding that PERFECT dress at Goodwill for Tauri’s Winter Ball.

086. An actual friendship with Paul Bierdeman.

087. COUNSELOR MEETINGS.

088. The night Emily Holverson and I stood outside the Lodge trading sincerity about Sky Lodge and the complications of ministry.

089. Blunt conversations with Josiah, hahaha.

090. The Lower Lakeview round of Murder in the Dark when I killed every single person playing before anyone could call, “Dead body!”

091. When I suddenly caught him listening to my singing in the tunnel.

092. Putting together outfits from Lolita’s wardrobe.

093. Driving into such an unexpectedly lush part of Missouri.

094. A nighttime surprise of Big Ben and The London Eye and Buckingham Palace and St James Park in the falling snow.

095. MY PERFECT ABODE IN ST. LOUIS, MO.

096. OUR PERFECT ABODE IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM.

097. Becoming one of Steve’s best friends.

098. The evening Elorine and I didn’t go with and REALLY talked.

099. THE UNDENIABLE INHERENT GOODNESS OF MERRY’S KIDS.

100. Farrell’s crying apology on the sidewalk outside of Maple.

101. Alex’s irregular sudden extreme compliments.

102. The females I’m close with over the internet due to mutual admiration.

103. Lars from Hinge, hahaha.

104. Sitting at the end of a long table with Janelle making a napkin list of our all time favorite manic pixie dream girls.

105. The handful of LotR marathons we’ve accomplished.

106. When Kat told me she understood the Harry Styles crush but that maybe he wasn’t right for me.

107. Reading so many Donald Miller books and getting others to read them too.

108. Kisses on the cheek from Esther.

109. Getting raspberries for Mike’s turtles as an apology for making death threats.

110. Tipsy dancing alone with my eyes closed for like a hundred songs at Sheryl’s Club on New Years 2021.

111. The flattering comparison to the wonderful Harley Duke.

112. Aw omg, our happy hammock stacks at Observatory Hill. 

113. Telling slumber party stories on stage for Women’s Retreat.

114. BEING THE MIME FOR LIFE GROUP’S FAVORITE.

115. Fatigued watching The Kissing Booth and laughing harder than ever.

116. Spastic goofing around with Ashley AND Brittany the day we moved Amber into her new home.

117. Sitting on my closet floor showing crying Riana baby videos of singing piano playing Janelle.

118. Giggle running through Piggly Wiggly parking lot at closing with Rene with like $400 of alcohol on Ally’s birthday.

119. Fireball shots ALL NIGHT with Jeremiah and his uncle on Christmas Eve.

120. Listening to the delicious details of Emmy’s Europe romance.

121. Zion giving me his Adidas crewneck as sentimental goodbye gift.

122. Arguing with Austin over our differing zombie apocalypse ideologies.

123. Drunk Discord/Among Us with Hunter and Bekah and Nick and Marissa.

124. How soft Kenny’s absurd speeches made my heart.

125. MINUTE LONG VOICE MEMOS STACKS WITH ROSIE. ♡♡

126. Listening to Lizzy McAlpine in an afternoon candlelight bath.

127. Listening through John Mayer’s The Search for Everything mowing the ball field.

128. Emotionally painting my old house in Birmingham.

129. Being really damn good at that Heads Up game with Omar.

130. Compiling worthwhile stuff for Foreman training.

131. GROWING MY PLANTS.

132. The stretch when Bryanna was usually wrapped in my blanket.

133. Talking about going to Colorado with Alex.

134. The notorious reputation of knowing everybody at CCCA.

135. GETTING ALL DRESSED UP FOR DINNER THEATER.

136. Calling Ally from a parking lot at Emmy’s bachelorette party because I was SO CONFIDENT I was a hot person that I had to talk to her about it.

137. Playing the stupidest laughingest game of The Floor Is Lava with Jackson when I came to visit them all in Dallas.

138. Feeling really really really at home in my apartment at Sky Lodge.

139. How Ryan Boon would struggle to talk through his laughter.

140. Belonging to myself at Fiddleheads Coffee in Cedarburg.

141. THE UNDENIABLE IMMEDIATE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN ME AND COURTNEY HART.

142. Big Falls County Park. Every time.

143. Kayaking down Blue River with Duke, Jeremiah and Addey, Hunter, and Hunter’s friend.

144. That perfect burger at Pier Burger in Santa Monica.

145. Riding The Brown Line down to The Loop and all the way back up.

146. Aw. Welp. Every lengthy truthful phone call with Sam.

147. The four seasons I was compiling four second videos.

148. Ashley’s and my perfect roommates stretch, featuring our perfect couch.

149. The night we forced so many to come to our Blackfish showing then sign our petition opposing Sea World. Hahaha. #emptythetanks

150. The night Ben and I sat in the corner giddy burning through TriBond cards.

151. The night I showed up at Doug’s and Lueck’s door losing my damn mind over The Dress.

152. Community Soccer at the local elementary school gym.

153. Frigid stranded in the Chequamegon National Forest with Mary and Caleb on our return drive from our nightmare trip to Duluth.

154. The final night of being “cats in a bag” sleeping in Janelle’s bottom bunk.

155. Filling up the broomball courts under a negative degrees meteor shower.

156. Getting another wonderful summertime of Delala.

157. The Sunday service the pastor wouldn’t quit snapping his fingers and a bunch of us were txting each other like, “OMFG NO AHHH HOW DO WE MAKE HIM STOP????”

158. Oomph. The perfect veggie omelette (no cheese) at Sparks.

159. Dad’s soft voicemail about his admiration for Adele.

160. Their neighbor lady Maddie’s outfit for the Christmas cantata and her disappointment with the unfamiliar song selection.

161. Raquel’s completely irresistible fun streak.

162. Listening to folklore with Jayden and the girlies first thing when I woke up every morning for a while there.

163. Going through Met Gala looks cuddled up with Omar.

164. The way it felt reading Anthropology of an American Girl.

165. The giant primary colors crochet blanket mom made for me.

166. Noah scooping me up in that hug in the Waterloo parsonage kitchen.

167. When Omar completely surprised me with what he can do to a piano.

168. Deciding I am a Pinot Grigio girl.

169. Omfg, the Nest Night we intensely debated our way through a Staff Wives wrestling bracket.

170. Dismantling multiple purity talks and dress codes like it’s my calling.

171. Laying on blankets in the middle of many fields in different places for the sake of being very very very very sunkissed.

172. Regularly running into Bill at Kwik Trip.

[mkayylee14]

So we went to the Christkrindlmarket at Wrigley yesterday since the main one on Randolph had already closed on Christmas Eve. Watched people ice skate. Had hot mulled wine in the negative degree Chicago windchill. Thanks for not letting me slip on the slush and ice, haha. Warming my face with some heavy duty hot packs that you took from Rush 🙈. Walking around Wrigleyville.. stopped at a liquor store because the place we were eating at was BYOB. Spontaneous cancellation of sushi reservations to eat at a hole-in-the-wall Korean joint. Amazingggg food. Wow.

But anyways. When we were at the liquor store, we were debating what kind of beer to get. He saw this beer called Daisy Cutter...and without skipping a beat said “this was the beer I had the night we first met.” (Which I definitely remembered as well.) And he paused and made me finish the sentence with where we first met. Such a dork.. :)

But it was definitely that moment.. the fact he remembers the exact beer he had the night we first met?? Damn.. like I’ve tried some interesting beers with him, but it’s not like I remember the name of every single one!

It has been a thrilling few months with you. I can’t wait for many more to come. Thankful for you. xo.

[foodarillo]

What’s On Tap

I love the changing of the seasons. The sun angle gets higher or lower. The thermometer climbs and descends. The leaves come and go.

And the menu at the Imperial Tap Room in Canyon changes. It just doesn’t get much better than this. Every three months, a new menu comes along reflecting what is available from farm to table. If anything, we are forced to mix it up and climb out of any culinary rut into which we may have fallen in the preceding months.

Now that the Tap Room has been open a full year, they are now into their second seasonal cycle of delicacies. The Fall 2017 menu debuted on Tuesday 10th October, and we were there to mark the occasion, as well as observe pint glass night with Avery Brewing Company. How can you argue with a twofer like that?

We have already reviewed the Tap Room before here at Foodarillo, but a new menu effectively makes it like a new restaurant. Well, in our minds, maybe, and certainly in our mouths. If you haven’t yet made the trek down to Canyon for the ITR, you must do so. And if you haven’t been since September, then you are remiss in your duties.

The Fall menu is a blend of old and new compared to last year. Deanna and my oldest daughter, Becca, joined me for the menu launch. Excitement filled the air (for me, at least) as three new beers were on tap to pair with entrees. Giddy up, y’all. I was in heaven. Two beautiful ladies, great beer, and amazing food. Mmmm.

For starters we selected the new fried pickles and a bowl of brie and cheddar beer soup (with cinnamon pecan oat crumble). Oh my. It was epicurean foreplay of the highest order.

Now please note that I love fried pickles. I even fancy myself a bit of a fried pickle snob. These were lightly battered spears, cut lengthwise as they should be (and not in little slices). The only fried pickles I have had better than these were at the former Goose Island Brew Pub in Chicago’s Wrigleyville (before the father/son duo sold out to AB/InBev).

As for the soup, I’m just glad that Deanna wasn’t as hungry as was I, for I commandeered the bowl after a gratuitous offering of a sample to both her and Becca. Mine. All mine. Who would have thought that beer could be in the soup? I raised my glass.

For our entrees, Deanna and I both chose the Pot Pie (house veggie filling, with cheddar scallion biscuit), while Becca selected the Salmon (honey-glazed salmon, with soba noodles, house broth, wild mushrooms, and charred scallions). The potpie can also have chicken, steak, or salmon added, although we went with the straight veggie option.

Returning from the Fall 2016 menu, the Pot Pie was certainly a crowd-pleaser the first time around. The gigantic biscuit atop was tweaked a bit to add just a little extra punch of flavor. Although served with a large spoon, you need to start with a fork before moving on to scoop up the soupy contents beneath.

And oh, what contents! You don’t have to be vegetarian to enjoy the basic model, although if you prefer meat, you can make this dish dance on the table. It is a bowl full of the summer’s bounty.

As for the Salmon, Becca suddenly became rather quiet, as she was lost in the flavorful expression of fish-on-noodles. There was enough there for about three meals, meaning we could have ordered one entree, had we all wanted fish. It was tender. It was pink inside (as salmon should be). And it was an explosion of honey goodness that looked barbecued, even if it wasn’t.

For our encore, we agreed that one dessert for three would be enough, so we went with the Pumpkin Jar and three spoons, a glass vessel filled with ginger molasses cookie at the bottom, topped with marshmallow creme, pumpkin, whipped cream, and candied pecans. It looks a lot like one of those crazy 1970s-era terrariums with multi-colored sands and soils, but edible.

Oh my. We were all in a food coma at this point, and practically had to call an Uber. Beers from Avery had nothing to do with it. For real.

Imperial Tap Room is one of our Amarillo-area favorites, and we find ourselves there frequently. You should, too. Owner Ben Johnson has done an amazing job with the Tap Room, and has helped start a foodie revolution in Canyon. It won’t be long before Canyon has two other downtown restaurants under his umbrella (Recreation and Barrel & Pie).

A few years ago, who would have thought that Canyon could serve up anything good? Since voting itself wet, the city has turned the corner, and now people are making the drive (and it is a short drive, y’all). We’ll look for you there.

Nick & Deanna

Would We Go Back: Yup. Like tonight. Right now. And kind of like we did last Saturday night.

Price: $$-$$$ Dinner, drinks, tax, and tip for three was $102.

Dress: It’s as laid back as you want it to be, or as dressy as you care to get suited up. If you are of the tats and piercing persuasion, you will feel right at home among the staff…but suits and dresses are also fine.

Comments: I cannot wax poetic enough about such good food and atmosphere. The Tap Room does not need a lengthy menu. By rotating through five or six main courses every three months, they are able to specialize on a few items, and do them damn well.