The last week of August

Monday night's dinner - Ok so a lot of dishes are not photographed - sorry, not sorry. We had not seen Jenny in over a year maybe eighteen months. And despite seeing Cara occasionally, she doesn't get much time off, so this was a good "catch up" on her life too. We had egg rolls, Beijing duck dinner (includes soup and rice), walnut shrimp, and beef chow fun with crispy rice noodles. Fun evening, because, fun people. Manager Kelly filled us in on the family. Her oldest daughter is in highschool!

Dinner Tuesday night at Little Lark. (FB doesn't know it) We had two starters, two pizzas, and shared an ice cream sandwich. We'd go back for the ice cream sandwich in a minute. (Make that 30 seconds!) Terrific service from Megan L. 

We went originally to have PINSA but sadly they only serve them on Thursdays. The pizzas are served as noted  on the menu because we asked for an alteration and were told - very nicely - they come the way they are listed. I chose the pan pizza with pepperoni and hot honey. I would skip the ricotta. Phil ordered the special fennel pizza and he wished he could add sausage to the toppings. Oh well. Have a drink at the bar and order the ice cream sandwich. You'll go home happy. 

Place is on Rockwell just south of Belmont. Lovely outdoor patio and bar. We might get back on a Thursday to try the pinsa and have "a couple, two, tree" ice cream sandwiches.

Wednesday: One more stop at Sochi Saigonese Kitchen before I head back home to Sevilla. Menu items marked. The "globe" was the view across the street from the window. After a close taste testing of the two "rolls" I am coming in with my first place vote - original egg roll for the win. I think the lettuce wrap and sauce, while making it messier to eat, also creates a perfect combination of flavor and textures. All good - which is why it gets a second visit over the summer despite a list of dozens of restaurants to visit while in the States.

Meanwhile, back home things go on- Yes, we have a carrito. We actually used it to move into and fill our apartment in Sevilla with all the dishes, glasses, pots and pans, towels etc. we don't have a car. I would go to the store and buy things and P would fill the carrito take it home and come back for more. I'd fill it again and he'd haul another carrito full to the apartment. Eventually, we were done with the basics. While P does most of the grocery shopping, I do additional grocery runs and trips to the Chinese store with the carrito.  It really does make life so much easier. I guess because we were already Medicare age when we moved to Spain we never had a phase of "never getting one of those." It's our "new car".

Let’s Talk About Los Carritos (from Be Savvy Spain)

You know the ones.  Those little shopping trolleys being pulled through practically every Spanish town by an abuela who clearly has her life far more organised than the rest of us.

To the mercado. To Mercadona. To the frutería. To the butcher. Sometimes apparently just out for a walk because el carrito is coming whether groceries are involved or not.

When you first move to Spain, you notice them.  Oh, that’s cute. Very Spanish.  Then you’re trying to get past three of them strategically parked across the entrance to the mercado while their owners are having an emergency 17-minute conversation about Carmen’s daughter and you think: Right. Carritos.

But give it time. Because eventually something happens. You start wanting one. And suddenly you understand the genius. Why are you carrying six plastic bags home with the handles slowly removing circulation from your fingers when María is casually rolling 14 kilos of potatoes, a watermelon, two bottles of olive oil and half the pescadería behind her?

Who’s the clever one now? But our favourite thing about los carritos isn’t really the carrito. It’s the pace of life that comes with them. Our abuelas don’t power-walk through the mercado wearing an Apple Watch desperately trying to close three rings before lunch. They have time. Time to greet the butcher. Time to inspect every tomato individually because standards exist. Time to ask the fishmonger what came in this morning. Time to discuss the weather.

And, naturally, time to stop directly in the middle of the pavement for a conversation that begins with “Niña, ¿cómo estás?” and somehow ends 25 minutes later with a detailed medical update on six people you have never met. Nobody appears particularly concerned about being late.

And yet… everything gets done.

That’s one of those little lessons about Spain that doesn’t appear in a relocation guide. Not everything needs to be done faster. Not every journey needs to be optimised. Sometimes you can simply walk to the shops, buy what you need, talk to people along the way and roll your groceries home behind you. No aching arms. No car. No frantic “I’ll just quickly pop into Mercadona.” Just you and your carrito.

And yes, newcomers, you may be looking at them now thinking: “Absolutely not. I’m never owning one of those.” We have news. First you understand the carrito. Then you respect the carrito. Then you start comparing models. And one day you’ll find yourself discussing wheel size and insulated compartments with an enthusiasm you once reserved for cars. 

Integration complete.

So yes, we have a carrito - we bought it before we even moved into our apartment in Sevella. 

Got my rabbit before I left for Sevilla❣️ We had eaten at Osteria Langhe earlier this summer but due to delivery issues they had no coniglio. So we knew we had to return for our "fix." The rabbit was as good as ever. It was also great to spend some time with Aldo catching up on his recent and future travel. Highly recommend this place for all their pasta but it's unmatched in my opinion for the coniglio preparation. Warm and welcoming service and a good wine list that isn't priced with outrageous mark ups! It's been in our regular rotation for more than a decade. 

That was Thursday night and Friday Phil went to a baseball game with upstairs Mary. Saturday we stayed home and I made risotto (Phil had been whining about not having any choices but vegetarian risotto these days - so Shrimp risotto for Saturday night. We had our usual Sunday brunch on Saturday because on Sunday we are going (to us) mid afternoon to John & Stephanie's house for dinner and to meet the cats who are now four! So the weeks fly by and by Tuesday we will be in September and the countdown to departure.   

Fell down on the food photos of our "cookout" with John & Stephanie Merrick Blaser but had no problem keeping up with the kitty cat pictures. Both Dodger and Oliver were totally chill with our visit. 😺😺😺 Menu shown even if the food photos are missing.

It was a tough week - we lost Dolly Parton. I doubt you could find a better human being on this planet. 

The world has a big loss with this one. 💔💔💔 We go on... next week is not too full but the following is fully booked and the next week as well... so stayed tuned as we head into the fall....

a brief rant-

 

This was posted by a FB friend- and here is how the "conversation" went- 

I started by replying- 

How about you pay your staff a decent living wage and we assess their service as the basis for the tip. I'm at restaurants more than three times a week and tip well. I have the utmost respect for good servers, and kitchen staff, and bus staff every one plays a part in a great restaurant experience. But why do restaurant owners/operators get a pass on paying living wages to personnel who work hard for a living. Pay them fairly and build the pricing into the structure of your business just like every other business has to. This system is ridiculously burdensome to both staff and customers. And when did 25% become the expected tipping amount. My FB friends list is made up of more than half industry folks and customers who consciously and deliberately support them. I find this sign offensive.

then she said -

 I agree the real fix is what you are suggesting. However,that is not how most restaurants are operating.

then I replied - 

and yet another reason to live in a place where restaurant workers are paid a living wage, have a paid retirement, and full healthcare, and kids college isn't a personal burden. It's interesting to contrast two systems. When we book a table for dinner in Spain it's ready and waiting and when we have finished we are not presented with the bill without asking for it. If tables are turned (not a common practice) there is a notice upon booking that you have your table for a certain period of time. If it's just us we can of course go home and continue our dinner table socializing but for dining with others you are not expected to give up the table - sobremesa is an integral part of dining out in the culture. The "meal" is finished when the conversation is finished. There is a cultural difference in priorities. Life balance versus $$$$$ (and the use of $$$ rather than €€€ is deliberate.) 

I have spent hours discussing this whole issue of the business aspects with chef friends and restaurant staff and management (dinnner on Monday with the GM of a three star Michelin at another place where the owner, manager spent twenty minutes at the table discussing her own place and its plans.) The markups on beverage pricing in the US are literally highway robbery. In Spain the markups are mostly about 25% in the US for mid to higher end places it's not uncommon to see 400%. A friend who owned (with partners) several successful restaurants changed their whole business model a few years back to bars with small but excellent food menus. He said the other models are simply not viable as they are run here in the US. 

At this point in my life I consider myself pretty much a professional diner and I am appalled by signage like that. Being so close to industry people, I find that sign offensive. It doesn't signal any sort of welcome at all. Who would go to a place that without even knowing you would tell you that they expect you to be an asshole and that you better not be. If they expect you to be an asshole maybe they need to look at what energy they are putting out into the universe. Or maybe look into the mirror and start treating their employees like the valuable human beings that they are. T

To say you hit a nerve with those in and close to the industry is putting it mildly. Believe me when I say this, no one is better off by posting signs abusing their potential customer base.

3/4 of the way

We started the middle week of August with a Sunday dinner at Psistaria. Greek tonight, Phil ate a whole lamb dissected into "parts" -  but first he started with a gyros plate and a few bites of the saganaki. I started with the saganaki, some taramousalata, and for a main had the pastichio. It came with a side of spinach with rice. Too much food for me but I got to bring some home for later. My choices were all "portable!" We were both happy with the 2007 Pinot from Eric Hamacher. It was perfectly balanced for this meal.

and - some in between meals thoughts about meals--- LOL

Love this sentiment. For years I ranted about the local show "Check Please!" because we'd have a great neighborhood place we loved and it would be featured and then overrun by suburbanites who would rush in and overwhelm the place. The only thing to do was wait until the fallout was finished and things went back to the way they were. And it usually did in about 9-12 months, as they were the "following the latest buzz" kind of people. Restaurants survive on long term customers, generally from the local area. Sure the starred Michelin places get the "fly-in" style diners but a longstanding successful place will have a steady stream of regulars. The regulars that know the names of staff and who bring their friends to dine with  them to create more traffic for the owners. Food people share amongst themselves. Just last week I had a chef ask me "where have you eaten that you like?" and he wrote it down.

“Look, I try not to f**k places up. You know what I mean? I’m aware of the fact that sometimes if we put this wonderful little neighborhood bar that’s beloved by locals and no one else knows about it, if we put that on TV, that we could change its character forever, or that the owner might be happy for the additional money, but the other customers will be miserable and angry and I’ve basically ruined an important part of their lives. I think about that a lot, and there have been occasions where we won’t even give the name of the establishment that we put on camera. And there have been times where we deliberately shoot in such a way that you’ll never find it.  I don’t want to hurt people. I don’t want to change the world in a bad way, if I can avoid it.” –Bourdain

On Monday we went to Zarella.  There is something wrong with the way things are going these days. Exhibit A - the dearth of 24/7 restaurants. Exhibit B - the fact that people in their 70s (the 2 of us) are closing down both neighborhood and downtown restaurants. Another lovely evening with exemplary service and fabulous tavern style pizzas (because - Zarella TAVERNA) We both started with the margherita pizza and then added. I got the "Iceman" (pepperoni, sausage, pancetta) and P ordered his with double sausage. We shared the soft-serve with peanuts and chocolate. 

But to revisit my above point. What happened to burning the candle at both ends when you're young? I completely understand that things are crappy right now but shouldn't that be more reason to go and do, and not waste your youth going to bed early.

It was air and water show weekend and some guy posted this picture of Oak Street Beach and renamed it Afternoon at the (Chicago) Grand Jette LOL

Wednesday night - we finally got a chance to dine at a long time favorite, Dave Park and Jennifer Tran's JEONG. Always a great evening - exploring Korean influenced creative haute cuisine.  Tonight was no exception. Favorites old and new: old favorites category - the scallop and the salmon tartare.  In the new favorites category, I'd go with the dessert (could have had seconds on that!) and the chilled noodle dish (both of which had names I would no doubt misspell so check the attached menu!)

I cooked Tuesday and Thursday but on Friday we had  dinner with Lee & Nick at yet another favorite. Three steaks and a chicken with starters of two shrimp cocktails and two Caesar salads. Two excellent wines. A fabulous 2010 Drappier Grand Sendree and a very good 2000 Bordeaux. Menu shown. Solid bistro food at a long time local favorite of many!

Saturday at home and Sunday back to the theater and then on to RJ Grunt's for dinner. 

An afternoon at the theater. Although I am not in the cohort this work is directed towards, I got several good laughs and the performances were all first rate. I found the structure of the play and scripting very well done. In the end, I couldn't actually relate to anyone in this dramedy. But being 15 (as all the main characters are) was a long long time ago and when I was fifteen (1969) things were completely different - there were two phones in the house with coiled cords. There were "movie" cameras but they needed light bars to take interior movies. And if you wanted to "write" someone the only communication options were a note hand delivered or a letter that you sent through the mail. How quaint! So I thoroughly and completely recommend this play for younger folks but if you are in the Medicare cohort you might want to think twice.

The "way-back machine" was set for 1971 tonight. We dined at the Original "Lettuce Entertain You" restaurant, RJ Grunt's. I didn't make it to Chicago until the spring of 1980, so this was a well established place by the time I arrived. And it's still going strong. Nice touches like cloth napkins at this burger joint make you feel like you actually have returned to earlier days. The updated take on salad bar in the post COVID era is especially appreciated. Back in the day, they were famous for the salad bar here, as was Mel Markon's which was just up the street. It feels really strange to say this but I was in my twenties when we used to show up to both these places for brunch with regularity.  Comments with the photos.

Sunday night and still a good crowd.

There is a "disagreement" about who invented the salad bar but Grunt's has thrown its hat in the "we were first" ring.

Our large shared salad ordered from the "salad bar"

My blue cheese burger. In a head to head competition I would call Moody's a winner but this is viable competition for the second place (along with Butcher and Burger)

Our table awaits us on the left corner of the photo. Overlooking Lincoln Park.

Always eye dessert but always too full. I need to learn that "Eat dessert first" lesson. If I did the meal backward I'd only have to skip the salad 🥗

So that rounds out the week. This upcoming week we are scheduled to see Cara & Jenny at Sun Wah, try a new place called Little Lark, revisit both Sochi Saigopnese Kitchen and Osteria Langhe. So we won't go hungry LOL