It has been a truly successful summer of becoming a resident of Chicago rather than just someone who happens to go to school on the South Side. The irony of finally feeling like a citizen of Chicago is that it is both time for me to leave it temporarily (i.e. tomorrow) and perhaps for a long, long while (graduation is what, about 40ish weeks away?). Hungry and I embarked upon our summer in the 773 six weeks, fifty blog posts, two festivals, fourteen (or so) outings, and thirty food establishments ago and now I am the only one left in our lovely condo. Tomorrow, I will fly home to MA to stay until mid-September, when those of us who are involved in Orientation Week return to prepare the way for a whole new class of UChicago college students. Hungry is probably in China at this point and eating his way to happiness. We’ll see each other soon enough because we’re co-workers this year in Broadview Hall.

There’s plenty for me to do when I go home: eating my mom’s food, turning to my utterly neglected LSAT preparation, preparing documents for my faculty recommenders, spending time with my family, moving my cousin into college in Toronto, seeing old friends, meeting my brother’s new kitten…I’m obviously still plenty busy but the summer is surely ending.

I depart with the last two restaurant reviews and a new project in the works: Dangerous Dan and I will be blogging about our last year of college and madly running about Chicago whenever we can for last hurrahs. We would like to have many of our friends join us on these adventures and perhaps act as guest contributors. We want to become a helpful resource for to where to go in Chicago for whatever it is you’re looking for and create some tried and true food crawl routes for those who come after us. We hope you will join us in our farewell to this great city.

***

Great BBQ in Wicker Park: Lillie’s Q BBQ

Tuesday was DD’s last full day in the city before heading off to Israel to see his grandparents for a little while so he suggested we try this new joint out. It definitely lived up to the good buzz surrounding its opening and its BBQ-competition winning chef.

Sauces to try from left to right: Ivory, Carolina, Carolina Gold, Smoky, Hot Smoky

The entire place came off as very "New South" to me, like what you see in Garden & Gun, the old and nostalgic (like cotton napkins and a copper still) with the natural and new (light wood and aluminum chairs - see below).

They had an impressive beer selection that I look forward to trying when I turn 21. The lemonade however, was disappointingly not house-made. Probably should have gone with iced tea.

DD and I both got the Tri-Tip Sandwich (smoked beef on a brioche bun) "Southern style," which means with coleslaw on top. The coleslaw was adequate but nothing special whereas the meat was spot-on beefy and smoky and great even before the application of sauce. The bun also held up very well throughout the eating process, which makes a big difference in my enjoyment.

We got fries with "Carolina Dirt" seasoning (most reminiscent of Lay's BBQ chips) because 1) DD loves potatoes and 2) because we wanted something with which we could sample the house sauces over and over again.

Our sauce palette revealed the two Smokies to be sweet and smoky (duh), the Carolinas to have more tang to them (the Gold almost reminded me of curry and had a mysterious green component streaked through it), and the Ivory to be an interesting take on spicing up mayo or ranch dressing. DD and I ended up eating our sandwiches in segments, applying different sauces and sometimes mixing two sauces together before dipping the sandwich into the new condiment. It was actually harder to improve upon the sauces because they were all so complete within themselves despite being rather distinctive from each other. We had a lot of fun nonetheless.

There are so many more Southern delights at Lillie’s Q BBQ that I would like to have: beer battered fried pickles, boiled peanuts, pulled chicken, pulled pork, shrimp & grits, low country boil (my next priority), house-made bacon…we’ll be back.

Good brunch in the West Loop: Le Peep

Today was a beautiful day both inside and out; I had finished moving my things out of the condo last night and could spend today doing my last errands out in the sun. I was also taken by Broadview boss to her favorite brunch spot close to Harpo Studios.

Cute name

Omni omelette with applewood smoked bacon and ham, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms served with buttery, savory brunch potatoes, and rye toast.

The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed, the food was very good, and the company was even better. A perfect low-key way to end a hectic summer.

***

Goodbye until the fall,

Cranky

Cars really can make life easier, even in the city! Thanks to the kind lending of a vehicle, I am now done with packing and moving (until graduation that is…). And I finished my internship today. The feeling of freedom hasn’t quite set in yet because I’m tired and I know that I have lots to do even while on “vacation,” but I am still happy with a sense of accomplishment. And in honor of that feeling, another double restaurant post!

First up: Big & Little’s

Just a few blocks away from work, I heard about this place’s seafood tacos from Dangerous Dan and got over there ASAP. My first visit was with my fellow interns before they departed and I had the daily special, a big ole piece of Mahi served taco-style, and a grilled squid taco. Both were delicious and well-priced at about $4 and $3. For my second visit, I was equipped with a camera:

A modest enough storefront...I wonder how they feel about the placement under the Bible verse

A decent foreign soda selection - me likey

My second visit - Crab Tostada, Truffle Fries, and Shrimp Taco

Generous amount of real crab meat was sweet and mineral-inflected. Tostada was crisp rather than brittle.

I don't know what truffles taste like so I don't really know what I was supposed to be tasting - the fries smelled richer and hit the mouth with a sharp salty edgy that then eased into deep, savory earthiness?

Underneath all the lettuce hid about five plump shrimp

Success, possibly the best shrimp I've had in Chicago - firm and sweet and well-dressed with tangy mayo(?) like all the other tacos

Cheap, good quality seafood tacos not too far from the Loop means that I’ll be back here soon enough. I’m actually not sure if they have any meat tacos. I know that they have a burger…more importantly, I haven’t tried their fish and chips yet!

Second up: Franks ‘N’ Dawgs

I saw this place for the first time when Hungry and I were walking to the North/Clybourn stop after seeing Iron Man 2. The second time I heard about this place was from work, as two of our clients were facing off as a part of Franks ‘N’ Dawgs monthly gourmet hot dog celebrity chef challenge where two Chicago chefs face off with encased meats and creative toppings and whoever sells the best at the end of the month stays on the board. So I finally made a trip of it with Queen Victoria. And now I have to go back until I’ve tried every one (except the FU (tofu) Dog – I can live without that one).

This place is run by a nice Australian

He recommended this root beer that is not really root beer by pastry chef Gale Gand. It was still a very good approximation of root beer.

I feel like I've been seeing a lot of LA-esque restaurant interiors - hip, modern art paired with industrial elements

QV got the Southerner, the current Charitable Dawg. Proceeds for this month went to a children's hospital. I believe it was a onion-y pork sausage topped with very good cornbread, BBQ sauce, and scallions.

I picked one of the celebrity chef dogs - The Frank 'N' Stein from Chef Todd Stein, most recently of Cibo Matto and soon-to-be of the Florentine. Short rib and Foie Gras(!) sausage with caramelized onions, crispy shallots! mustard aioli, and parsley. Intensely flavorful and almost too salty. So delicious.

The buns they use are buttered, toasted, and brioche-like in taste and texture. According to the Franks ‘N’ Dawgs website, which is updated far too infrequently, the buns are “pain de mie,” a French-style bread. Wonderful supporting player to the gourmet sausages and toppings. Will be back here soon.

-Cranky

Last Sunday, QE1 and I headed off to the Art Institute to see the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit. The first pleasantness of the trip was the fact that our UChicago Arts Pass not only covered the cost of admission, but the special exhibition as well. The last special exhibition I had seen at the Art Institute was Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer, which I had loved, especially the Hopper. I really enjoyed Cartier-Bresson too (I’m a sucker for realism), especially his photo essay on China. I’m thinking of tracking down the paperback of his China photos for my father. After a few hours perusing photos and being gratified that we could read the French magazines, we ended our visit in the Modern Wing (not realism, obviously) and crossed back into the Loop via the lovely Nichols Bridgeway. It was a beautiful day to be out:

Look at that skyline

Lake in the near distance

I find the architecture of the Modern Wing more aesthetically pleasing than most of its contents

Pritzker Pavilion

After the Art Institute, QE1 and I headed up north to MANA food bar, a cute and chic street side cafe just southeast of Wicker Park located on the same block as a clothing boutique and bakery. Really ideal location. All vegetarian menu.

Nice touch - water served in frosted glass bottles. Oh, and QE1's lovely left arm.

Beautiful color - watermelon juice

Smoothie - Oatmeal, almond milk, and peaches

Bleu Cheese Tart with Caramelized Onions and Red Cabbage

Favorite item of the meal - (perfectly) Seared Collard Greens

Piping hot and melty

I thought I had taken photos of QE1′s food as well, but apparently not. She had a Sweet Potato Pancake with fruit chutney, made with either apple or peaches, and creme fraiche on the side as well as a side of black beans. Great spot for all the vegetarians and vegans in your life!

Only a few more posts left!
-Cranky

Undaunted by vagabond conflict, DD and I proceeded to the very busy Piece and were informed that the wait would be an hour and 45 minutes. Right. We wander aimlessly for a bit. I rule out Mexican because I’ve been having way too many tacos. This constrains our options greatly. We waver in front of Cumin but ultimately decide that we’re not dressed nicely enough. We try Big Star, thinking somehow in our heads that it was a burger joint and not a bar/warehouse with tacos. We are perplexed for a little while. We don’t go to Sultan’s Market or J. Wellington’s because we’re trying our best not to repeat restaurants. I get hungrier and crankier because I hadn’t eaten anything since my glorious Dutch Baby at OPH in the morning.

This Baby will last you most of the day

So we finally settled on Santullo’s New York style pizza – but we experienced failure there too! They have a special slice of the day and DD and I both definitely wanted a special slice that wasn’t available. Gahhhh. My “Hipster” slice was good but laced with defeat.

Roasted Red Peppers, Goat Cheese, and Defeat

Replenished by the Brooklyn-worthy portions of pizza, DD and I set off toward Logan Square to redeem ourselves as Chicago eaters. As we walked by the Western Blue Line, we spotted Belly Shack and were drawn in by its LA-ness. Inside, it was dark, cool, and industrial with a small but solid menu of Korean/Mexican/Japanese? accented food.

Apologies for the blurriness of the photos:

There must be an industry term for these doohickeys

Yuzu Lemonade: light on the tongue, perfumed with citrus, utterly refreshing

So LA

I love Japanese spice mixes and butcher paper. These were the very hot and light variety of thin french fries.

Sweet and substantial. Dotted with fried garlic chips. Kimchi was mild and cool. Wonderfully warm flatbread.

Trivia: DD actually got to hear Bill Kim (Chef-Owner of Belly Shack as well as Urban Belly) talk about being a cool guy who makes food in his class on the anthropology of food.

Victory from the ashes of defeat! I was very happy with our second dinner at Belly Shack – perfect food for a night out, light but wholesome. DD and I persevered in the face of Saturday night adversity and got to play with a kitten in Lincoln Park afterward to boot. I should mention that Belly Shack also had 3 or 4 housemade soft serves that I would have loved to try if I had had any room left after my second dinner. Intriguing combinations like Vietnamese Cinnamon Caramel.

However, I have also spent quality time with the family, and also enjoying some of the things I love about my city. One of them is the annual Cincinnati Masters, a hard-court tennis tournament that is part of the lead up to the US Open in September. Because my dad occasionally gets tickets from his work, I got a chance to see a first round match Sunday evening between Croat Marin Cilic and Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.

Cilic sets up his serve. Sponsored by Corona.

Baghdatis prepares to smash the ball back to Cilic.

While Dad wanted to stay in before starting work the next morning, Mom and I got to see a pretty good match. I was rooting for the younger Cilic the whole way through, but despite a strong start in the first set, Cilic trailed off after having his serve broken by Baghdatis. The game ended, 6-4, 7-5, Baghdatis. After little more than two hours, a disappointed Cilic exited Center Court, first round of this year’s tournament.

The crowd here tends to be a bit rowdier than those at most tennis tournaments, especially Wimbledon, giving the tournament more the feel of a quieter baseball game. Andy Roddick the perennial favorite, even though you can tell that most of the crowd doesn’t really watch much tennis. They’re here to see the top American play.

The atmosphere of the crowd leads to some displeasure on the part of the players, and this leads to some tense matches. The difference between TV and Live Tennis is the crowd, whose wave of emotions and attitudes can set the mood of a match, even for the players. And many top players maybe aren’t pushing full steam, in preparation for the upcoming US Open, leading to the upsets, always the upsets. It’s hard to predict who will win, because the lower tier events are a chance for lower-ranked players to make a name for themselves.

I find the Cincinnati Masters an endearing event. For one thing, it is the only chance to see live tennis in the Midwest. Moreover, I have led field trips of young tennis enthusiasts here, come often with friends, and one year even got to cater for the players and VIP’s (the catering itself being a memorable occasion, let alone the tournament).

Besides tennis, I’ve also gotten reacquainted with some signature Cincinnati cuisine (No, Cranky, not goetta). I don’t know what to say about Skyline Chili, though Cranky might be able to tell you about my love for this food. My first trip, every time I am back, includes a 4-way and a Cheese Coney, which is just as delicious as it sounds. The 4-way includes spaghetti, Skyline Chili, shredded cheddar cheese, and kidney beans. The Cheese Coney takes your everyday hot dog and bun and turns it into an irresistible morsel with mustard, onions, Cincinnati Chili, and shredded cheese.

They’re enough to give a Cincinnati boy the homesick blues. Fortunately, with the help of a spice packet, I’ve gotten pretty proficient at my own blend of Cincinnati-style Chili.

What goes into Cincinnati Chili, you ask? Some special Greek spices add a distinct flavor (the Chili being first cooked up at Greek diners in Cincinnati). A little bit of chocolate, and lots of tomato paste and ground beef. Simple, but irresistible when all the flavors are forged together in the slow heat of a giant, simmering pot.

With just the right amount of meatiness without being too chunky, and the heat of the spices accentuated with the odd drop of Tabasco sauce, this chili makes all others pale in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, I love chili as much as the next guy, but Cincinnati’s takes the cake. A really large cake, with chili on top.

Signing off for now,

-H

Last night, we went to the well-reviewed Ed’s Potsticker House in Bridgeport with our Boss and her family to give Hungry a little send-off. I had been there once before, riding my modest bike there from 57th to 31st, and had been suitably pleased with the food. There are quite a few eating establishments in Bridgeport, but it’s definitely an area of Chicago not as well-served by the CTA as it could be. No photos taken but the food was very good in the Manchurian style. Service was neglectful. I’m now leaning more toward taking my family to Kam Fung in Chinatown when they come for graduation. After a dinner of sweet and sour ribs, salt and pepper fried seafood, Chinese water spinach sauteed with garlic (my mom’s favorite too), perfect scallion pancakes, Ed’s special house potstickers, and braised oxtail, we headed over to Saint’s Alp (that is their official punctuation heehee) for dessert drinks. The sesame black milk tea cold is definitely not as good as the sesame black milk tea hot because of sesame powder clumpage. Yurk. I did try a bit of one of their crepes for the first time and it was powerfully eggy, vanilla-y, and sweet. Yum. The Boss remains faithful to her Creperie.

I think we’ve done a good job of sending Hungry off – Thursday, he and Miss C&W did an earlier volunteer shift for Taste of the Nation and I had the Will Call shift from 6-9. So while I dealt with the crush of people, some VIP and some not, wanting to get into the event, they were walking around in a ballroom filled with food and drinks and desserts. When I finally finished my shift, they had the glazed-over look of the very well-fed. I put in a pathetic performance of only half an hour of sampling before I was full, and I didn’t even get upstairs to the dessert! Although, since the Aragon is definitively not air-conditioned, the ice creams and sorbets were probably not their best by the end of the night.

Before the live auction began, the event organizers played this really intense video:

And then kicked off the live auction with items like two nights in Las Vegas, a celebrity chef dinner based on your favorite rock album, walk-on role for two on Curb Your Enthusiasm…obviously above our pay grade though Hungry was sorely tempted by Curb Your Enthusiasm. What a great cause, what a great event (Street Food themed!), what great chefs and restaurants (we saw Rick Bayless in person!). Very happy that Hungry and Miss C&W decided to volunteer at the last minute with me. Maybe we’ll do it again next year, wherever we are!

Anyways, I’ll be in Chicago for another week and change. Summerinthe773 is definitely ramping down, but I’m sure there will be a few more posts left in us.

Cheers,

Cranky

Speaking of not winning, the Boss and I had this awesome day planned out where we would get brunch from Calumet Fisheries and then go to the Indiana Dunes on Saturday. And this did occur, but not without us getting lost in Indiana for a combined total of perhaps 2 hours (the drive was supposed to take 45 min to an hour one-way). It was still kind of nice to be driving about in the greenery, but it was also frustrating to know we were surely very close to where we wanted to be! The lake, sand, and dunes were indeed very lovely when we got there. I want to go back when it’s cooler. Maybe we can take the South Shore line instead and leave the traveling up to the train engineers.

I didn’t do anything else the rest of the weekend besides a lovely get-together at PBR’s (air-conditioned!) apartment Saturday night and finishing the first draft of my altogether too long and too fanciful personal statement. We did have a strange incident where a squirrel gnawed through the screen of one of the sun room windows and had to be persuaded to leave with some purposeful rattling.

Our intruder

Hungry is departing this weekend and soon it will just be me in this large apartment. I’m going home in two weeks and I have to say that I’m very much looking forward to it. In the mean time though, there is more to do and more to eat!

But before I say goodbye to this wonderful summer in Chicago, I once again said hello to two old friends from high school. One attends school here, but there is never any time during the year to meet up. The other goes to school in far away Kenyon College, but we’ve managed to stay in touch over the years.

This past weekend, despite the awful traffic thanks to Lollapalooza, we roamed up and down Lake Shore Drive and the Red Line, exploring our share of the city. Saturday: Art Institute, Millenium Park, and Chinatown. Sunday: Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory, Lincoln Park, Montrose Beach, then back downtown for dinner.

The theme of the weekend was food, food, food. Besides sightseeing, we went to more than our share of eateries, some old favorites of mine, and others soon to become new ones. Here’s the list: Friday: Portillos, then dinner at The Snail. Saturday: Dinner at Lao Shanghai (My favorite of Tony Hu’s trilogy). Sunday: Valois breakfast, Baladoche in Lincoln Park and lunch at a new mom and pop store, the Kabob Inn, and finally, dinner at a fine Italian place in Streeterville, Volare.

Because there’s too much to go in depth, I suppose I’ll pick two highlights.

First: UofC students, especially those of you who have not taken advantage of the Arts Pass, need to go check out the Art Institute before August passes by. The shiny Modern Wing started out somewhat of a disappointment. All was made worth it by the time we reached the third floor, European Modern Art. It’s astounding how many of the famed great works are kept here, along with some lesser-known gems. In the main museum rests one of my favorite paintings, Edward Hopper’s haunting Nighthawks. There is also the awe-inspiring Impressionist exhibit.

But besides the Modern Wing, I’d seen these all before. The highlight of this trip was the special exhibit of photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s life work. Ranging from Maoist rallies in Red China to sex on the river Seine to a chillingly forlorn Albert Camus, this enourmous exhibit of photographs traced the history of the latter half of the 20th century through its record of daily life, people famous and banal, and world-shaking political events. This exhibit leaves sometime in September. If I weren’t leaving in a week, you’d find me back there, staring back at Camus’s weathered expression.

Second: It’s a tough gig opening a new restaurant in Lincoln Park. Empanadas, crepes, and a whole army of excellent food awaits the occasional visitor from South Side. That’s not mentioning Crisp, a most delicious fried chicken and Korean rice bowl place. But hopefully the new Kebab Inn at 2908 N. Broadway Ave. will survive. Getting something to go eat on the beach, we three hungry gents each ordered a falafel sandwich (reasonably priced at 4.99). While we waited the warmly smiling waitress directed us to a table and served a refreshing cinnamon iced tea, complimentary with our take-out order. Sweetened with just enough honey, it was perfect after the heavy gelato and stroopwaffles we had consumed at Baladoche.

Although taking a bit longer than I might have preferred for take-out, the sandwiches were well worth the wait. Grilled on the outside, the pita’s soft and crunchy layers embraced a warm and garlicy tzatziki sauce, with your standard pickled cucumbers and tomatoes. The falafel was broken apart for an extremely densely packed sandwich.

I’m a big fan of falafel and falafel sandwiches, but they usually miss the mark by containing big, dry clumps of falafel that fall on your lap as you try to wrestle the contents back into their pita home. Kabob Inn’s approach makes sure that the falafel gets its share of flavor throughout, and also insures a constant supply of falafel instead of the big chunks. A bit on the small side, this sandwich was more than satisfying because of its heavy contents.

The past two days, I got to explore more of Chicago than I’ve ever done in a single weekend. It was a good all-out send-off for this summer of reading and exploration.

Signing Off Soon,

Hungry

Tonight/today’s post features Sultan’s Market in Wicker Park and the brand spankin’ new Mac and Min’s in the West Loop.

Sultan’s Market
2067 W. North Avenue

I had passed by Sultan’s Market on a previous visit to Wicker Park (with Dangerous Dan no less) when we were eating at J. Wellington’s (a very good burger with Parmesan dusted sweet potato fries). It’s romantic exterior and dark interior caught my eye and I made a mental note to revisit. Seeing it featured as the Best Middle Eastern Food in Chicago Reader’s Best of 2010 renewed my interest, so I met DD at Wicker Park Monday night.

We drew our cameras at each other - I think I won

The door gave me a bit of resistance at first and because it was dark inside, I actually thought it was closed for a few seconds. But another guy going in behind us gave me a “What are you, slow?” look and I figured out that I just needed to give it a good push. Immediately inside was a large salad bar stocked with veggies (of course), cold appetizers like stuffed grape leaves, and other tasty morsels like marinated squid (my eyes grew big at the seafood items). But we were here for the shawarma – the lamb shawarma to be exact. DD, being the Iraqi. Kurdish? Jew that he is, is a big fan of lambs. His affection for lamb is rubbing off on me. The hot items were at the back of the restaurant, cafeteria-style. Piles of grilled meat and rice and falafel. I ordered the lamb shawarma dinner with curried rice (DD ordered the same) and a falafel sandwich. Actually, what I wanted was one falafel ball, not an entire sandwich. But the counter guy was working fast and on autopilot and I wasn’t familiar enough with the ordering process to catch on until it was too late. But at $3.75 for a hefty pita sandwich, I was content to eat a bit and save the rest for lunch. The food was hot, fast, delicious and reasonably priced. I was pleased and drank salty yogurt drink (Ayran) to wash it all down. Sultan’s Market also has an attached cafe that does custom smoothies. Very nice.

Actually, the Israeli salad was mediocre/mushy

I got spicy sauce for this; it was quite spicy. I was also amused to see bottles of Sriracha floating around the restaurant.

If I lived in the area, I’d definitely be a regular.

Mac and Min’s
1045 W. Madison St.

Cute awning

Mac and Min’s was not my original intention for dinner. I had wanted to go to La Palma in Humboldt Park but failed to catch a taxi. Being a commuter oftentimes gets in the way of my eating. I probably should thank the CTA for looking after my health. Anyways, Timeout gave this new place a pretty good review and I’m always game for a fried oyster po’ boy.

Rode the number 20 bus west down Madison to get there, was pleased to have ridden yet another route (I also took the number 66 for the first time recently). The West Loop has quite a nice vibe! To start, I got the freshly made lemonade (two thumbs up) and noticed that all of their disposable drink ware is green; a pricey decision for a new venture but props to them for trying. I then ordered an appetizer of sweet potato fries with debris gravy. Thin, sharply-edged fries with still-fluffy centers were pleasing to bite into but not the best shape to pick up/soak up salty, beef-rich gravy. Still, a very good appetizer, enough for a meal and one of the better priced items at around $6.

~Cranky and Hungry trivia question: Which one of Cranky’s friends loves potatoes but hates sweet potatoes? See the end of this post for the answer!~

Anyways, as I was halfway through this starter, ActuallyBlonde shows up for our dinner and Miss Chocolate and Wine is not far behind. Miss CW doesn’t like the heat so we move from the small aluminum cafe table where I had been waiting for them to a larger cafe table inside the restaurant. The decor was obviously New Orleans without being overtly loud about it like Heaven on Seven. Miss CW and AB both selected the Alligator Sausage po’ boys for novelty whereas I go with the Fried Oyster po’ boy because of my great affection for that shellfish. We got the half size for about $7 each. Mac and Min’s is also supposed to be offering fresh oysters on the half shell when they “get their act together.”

I ordered the wrong thing. The oysters were minuscule moments of half-hearted brininess trapped in shells of either very slightly but problematically undercooked or unhappily soggy batter. The kitchen also needs to work on its timing. While the register at the front gives fair warning that warm po’ boys are cooked to order and may take time, I should not have received my order before my dining partners. Particularly because my item cooks the fastest and should have been cooked just minutes before their sausages were done. That way I would not have waited several minutes for them to receive their dinners while my oysters cooled (which probably compounded the problem of undercooked batter taste). Miss CW and AB were fairly enthusiastic about their alligator sausage though, and after catching a glimpse of the roast beef po’ boy, I’m willing to guess that Mac and Min’s probably does a better job with its meat than its seafood (they also have fried shrimp).

Disappointing

A final complaint about the sandwich – the bread. Multi-grain or white, the po’ boys are constructed on a rather narrow baguette that does not allow the diner to feel as if the contents of her sandwich will remain between the pieces of bread rather than ending up in her basket or on her lap. It actually turned out okay with only the usual amount of shredded lettuce falling out, but when eating something as potentially messy as a po’ boy – which could be dressed with beef gravy or hot sauce and mayo – I want bread that I can believe in. And it just wasn’t a lot of sandwich for close to $8 even if the ingredients were good. Bar Louie provides po’ boys of about equal tastiness that are larger and priced the same. I am glad though, that my dining companions seemed pleased with their selections – I feel responsible for other people’s enjoyment of the meal when I select the location.

The Alligator Sausage Po' Boy

I also got a small coffee, which at $1.75 for Intelligentsia, one of my favorite brands, is quite nice. It came in a satisfyingly heavy silver French press with chicory upon request. Smooth enough to drink black.

Beverages were the highlights

Another thing to mention is that there was only one person working the front, ringing people up and bringing them their food after ordering. I’m not sure if this is the best food delivery system for the space since there are seats in front of the restaurant as well as inside and the poor cashier/waiter isn’t going to get many tips when everyone is bussing their own table after their meal. There is a tip jar by the cash register, but when you’re ordering food in a fastcasual set-up, it’s not obvious that you’ll be receiving additional service from your cashier. I expected to pick up my own order and take it back to my table; I didn’t tip until my second round of ordering and I would have preferred to pick up my food myself rather than see the cashier/waiter dash into the kitchen to retrieve orders, dash outside to give people their food, and then dash back to take the orders of the people who have come in in the meantime. Business was coming in at a fair clip – probably as a result of the positive press. I had really wanted to like this place and the fries had been a good start but the damn oysters were just such a letdown after a long week.

Every new place has to work out the kinks. Good luck to them.

-Cranky

Saturday EDIT: Heehee, forgot to give you the answer to the trivia question! If you haven’t read the comments already, Dangerous Dan loves, and I do mean loves, potatoes, but always gives me crap for eating sweet potato fries.

It’s a relief to be pretty much done with the application. After I get it reviewed by the helpful advisers we have on campus who concentrate on overseas grants, I’ll be set until a round of interviews in the fall.

The more time I spent on the application, the more excited I became on actually getting the Fulbright. That’s not to say I wasn’t eager to do it originally, but I think it started to dawn on me that it might actually happen, and I might actually get to spend a year abroad, pursuing my interests while meeting folks in a foreign land, new to my senses.

I’m applying for the ETA, English Teaching Assistantship, in Macau. If I get the grant, then I’ll be a teaching assistant for an English class at a university. Plus, I’ll be in Macau, which is a former Portugese colony and a current autonomous zone of the People’s Republic of China. It’s in the south of China, and my heritage lies in the regions near Shanghai and Beijing, on the central and north coasts, respectively. It would be a new cultural environment, albeit with some familiar elements that have adopted Macanese characteristics. Did I mention that it’s gorgeous?

Here’s what Google Image has for some glimpses of Macau:

Old Style Portugese Architecture...

...And shiny modernity.

I’m getting increasingly excited to explore this city. Things that I’ve taken time to pursue with my free time this summer, and others that I’m looking forward too with the approaching school year, I can spend time doing in Macau. Macau is in a bay area, across from Hong Kong, meaning ample fishing. Its proximity to Hong Kong and Guangdong provinces means an abundance of Southern Chinese Kung Fu, including Wing Chun, one of the foundational concepts of JKD. Also, there is apparently a group teaching Brazilian JuJitsu has set up shop in Macau (thanks, I suppose, to its cosmopolitan environment), so I’ll have an opportunity to develop my grappling game, which needs a lot of work.

Macau aside, I’m also looking forward to getting back to work, both school and real employment. The employment because I miss having an income, but also because I will be tutoring Calculus again. Yes, the freshmen have given me my share of grief and grey hairs, but there is an element of me loves the one-on-one teaching opportunity afforded a TA.

On the school side, the BA will have to get revved up. Plus, some conversations with professors this summer have aimed me in directions that I’m excited to explore. Those being, psychoanalysis of nation-state formation and the impact on academia from major oppression by events such as McCarthyism and the Cultural Revolution. All of this means more reading and more work. Cranky and I agree, this summer has highlighted that there’s so much to do, too little time, and even less to enjoy it.

A member of the staff from my high school told me last summer, time will only continue to accelerate as we age. Besides being really depressed when I remember her statement from time to time, I realize that she was right (only further depressing me).

Well, it can’t be helped. For now, I get to rest knowing that I’ve accomplished one of the things I set out to do this summer. An old friend is coming in town tomorrow, and another is coming up from the suburbs to spend the weekend. Come Monday, the Law School Personal Statement and LSAT prep resume! Will I ever get back to reading?

Cheers,

-Hungry