Don't Get Too Comfortable

I'm not sure how the work of David Rakoff first came to my attention. It might have been on NPR. Or it could have been from a recommendation on amazon. Or it might have been some other way. Regardless, I picked up his book, Fraud, at a second hand store in Chicago and enjoyed his humorous essays. His erudite writing is similar in a style to David Sedaris (before he gave in to quantity over quality) or Sarah Vowell (whose new book is next on my list to read!).


Last June, I posted my reading list for summer 2008. I didn't accomplish as much as I hoped, but I have finished reading Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, the Torments of Low Thread Count, the Never-Ending Question for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems. In addition to the indignities of the subtitle, this book explores the problems that arise when you dine at over-rated pretentious northern California restaurants; have time to scour the earth of Brooklyn for edible greens, berries, and mushrooms; cruise on the Concord; and seek high fashion. Getting a facelift is another "First World Problem." The clip includes the author reading an abridged version of his piece on that incident. I'm not sure about the graphics or the author's rendition of the piece... I think I prefer reading it for myself.

Reading anything by Rakoff will enlarge your vocabulary. Here are a few words he uses: anomie, auteurism, coruscating, gorgons, hypertrophic, japery, oleaginous, priapic, purling, putative, reticulation, spurious, tumescence. All part of the average person's everyday speaking vocabulary, wouldn't you say?

Firefly Grill - Effingham, IL

Bread Pudding with Poached Pears & Caramel Rum Sauce

Firefly Grill (1810 Mid America Avenue) is a pleasant culinary surprise in Central Illinois. Located at the cross-roads of I-57 and I-70 midway between St. Louis and Indianapolis, Firefly is tucked away behind the unsightly freeway staples of franchise fast foods and big box retailers.

From their website: "Firefly's menu changes daily and boasts fresh seafood, oak fired steaks and brick oven pizzas. Firefly uses local ingredients whenever possible and fresh herbs and vegetables straight from their very own garden!"

The interior is open and airy. There is a porch with more tables overlooking a "lake" behind the restaurant. Casual business attire was worn by most in the lunch time crowd. The truckers and weary travelers found at some other Effingham restaurants weren't present at the Firefire Grill. Chopped wood for steaks and pizzas is stored in the front of the building. Native-style grasses are planted around the building. A more detailed review is available from Chicago Tribune.

Porgy & Bess

George Gershwin's music to the "American Folk Opera" Porgy & Bess is a melding of blues, jazz, classical, gospel, and folk music. Set in fictitious 1920s "Catfish Row" of Charleston, South Carolina, the opera tells the story of Porgy, a crippled black man and his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her pimp, and Sportin' Life, the drug dealer. It is based on the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward and a subsequent play adaptation by his wife, Dorothy Heyward. Both of the Heywards and George's brother, Ira, collaborated with George on the creation of the opera. The Lyric Opera of Chicago is currently presenting the opera and is seeing strong demand. An additional performance has been added which I am planning to attend next week.



Familiar songs from the show include: Summertime; A Woman is a Sometime Thing; I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'; It Ain't Necessarily So; Bess, You is my Woman Now; and Oh Lawd, I'm on my Way.

If you want to hear more check out these youtube clips from a filmed version: one, two, three.

Bongo Room - Chicago, IL

Bongo Room (1152 S Wabash Avenue) is one of my favorite South Loop breakfast/brunch places. They have an interesting and changing menu although I often opt for the sweeter and richer creations offered. This time I had Chocolate Tower French Toast (half order) and a side of turkey sausage. Other tempting items include Banana Peanut Butter Chip Pancakes, White Chocolate & Caramel Covered Pretzel Pancakes, Red Corn & Fresh Cranberry Flapjacks, Pumpkin-Carrot Pancakes, Pear Tarte-Tartin Hotcakes, Smoked Salmon Benedict, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burrito, and more!

Chocolate Tower French Toast

bittersweet chocolate chunk bread stuffed with maple mascarpone,

banana creme brulee sauce, bananas & shaved chocolate

The restaurant is on the southeast corner of the block with windows on two sides letting in plenty of natural light. The service is friendly and quick and the decor is simple and colorful.

Food: *****

Ambience: ****

Service: ****

(out of 5 stars)

Macy's on State Street - Chicago, IL

The Marshall Field's Store (now called Macy's on State Street) takes up an entire city block in Chicago's Loop. It is one of three Macy's flagship stores. Currently it is the second largest store in the world with 12 stories (or more in some parts of the store). This was the first department store with an escalator and the first with a bridal registry.

There are several atria in the store. The one on the left is 13 stories in the northwest part of the store. The other two are in the central atrium with escalators and elevators. There is a fountain at the bottom.

A Tiffany & Co. mosaic dome caps a 5-story atrium in the southwest corner. The Tiffany Dome is over 6,000 square feet. It is the first iridescent glass dome and it continues to be the largest glass mosaic of its kind. It took over a year and a half to make.

The store is all decked out for the holidays. There are lights, ornaments, and other decorations in every department through the store. The 3-story tree on the left is in the Walnut Room on the 7th floor. The Walnut Room is a restaurant where many shoppers dress up for a special occassion dining experience. The exterior is also decorated with horns attached the entire block along State Street.

The store windows along State Street each have a display that tells a story. It seems that many people of all ages have a holiday tradition of walking along the street and looking at the windows.

If you want to know more about the store, take audio or video tours from the store's webpage.

Cafe Levain - Minneapolis, MN

Cafe Levain (4762 Chicago Ave South) is located in the back of a bakery. They take the time and make an effort to create a pleasant dining experience with creative and inventive food combinations. Overall the food is "home cooking" but with a contemporary twist.

While waiting for the entrees, they serve tasty, chewy bread with butter and pesto aioli. (see photo) This was good enough that I nearly didn't need dinner!

The atmosphere is elegant but casual. There are no white tablecloths, just white paper on the tables. Cafe Levain is only open for dinner so it is subdued without bright lights or loud noises. We went at 5pm (opening time) so there were only a few patrons. If you attend, be forewarned that prices are more than Subway or McDonald's. Appetizers are about $10, entrees about $20, sides about $5, and desserts range from $5 to $10.

Here is the food we enjoyed... note the pictures were taken after some food had been eaten.

Dayboat Scallops . . . (left)
Red Lentils / Mirepoix / Fischer Farms Bacon / Dijon

Local Mushrooms (side)
Shallot / Garlic / Chive / Parsley / Lemon

Roasted Kadejan Farms Chicken Breast . . . (right)
Thyme-Sage Brine / Fingerlings / Roasted Chicken Jus / Lemon

Cabbage (not pictured)
Char / Sweet-Sour Apple / Raw Apple / Dijon

Food: ****

Ambience: *****

Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Wow Bao - Chicago, IL

Wow Bao (Three locations: 835 North Michigan Ave./1 West Wacker Blvd./175 West Jackson Blvd.) is one of my favorite places to stop for a quick lunch or light snack in Chicago. I often get the Combo with a cool Thai salad and two bao (usually bbq pork, chicken, or coconut custard). If you don't know, a bao is a steamed "dumpling" or "bun" that is stuffed with meat or another filling. The service is fast and friendly. The food is always fresh and tasty. The ambience, however, varies by location. The North Michigan location is on the ground level of Water Tower Place with no seating nearby. Diners can take their order to go or head up the escalators and sit at a table in the atrium area. The tables are often busy and not always clean. The Wacker location has a nice seating area that is casual and comfortable. If you're near Wow Bao, stop in! Let me know what you think.

Food: ****
Ambience: depends on location
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Obama Rally - Chicago, IL

Attending the Election Night Obama rally in Grant Park, Chicago, was a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. (Yes, I know that sounds cliche!) But I don't anticipate being in attendance at an election night celebration with the new president again.

If you wish to see professionally filmed footage of the evening, check out CNN. If you want to see better quality video of someone who was at the event, click here (this videographer was several yards in front of me). If you want to see what my camera phone captured in the moment, I've included it below!

Although I was within view of the stage where President-elect Obama was speaking (I did get tickets to the event!), I wasn't the man on whose shoulder Oprah cried. Instead, you can see the view I had from far back in the field. I didn't think it was worth pushing to the front (or even the middle) to get a better view. After all, I was across the room from then-Senator Obama when he visited my workplace a couple years ago.

Tens of thousands of people were on the ball fields for the rally. Each one had to leave! Here is a scene from the exit.

The biggest impact I felt from the event is that the people in attendance there seemed to me to be "America" - The United States of America. Of course, the demographics reflected the demographics of Chicago and the state of Illinois, but it seemed clear to me that "everyone" was there - rich and poor, old and young, white and black, Hispanic and Asian, working people and students, etc. (This is in contrast with the demographics of another political gathering). To paraphrase the next First Lady, it gave me reason to be proud of the US considering its ugly past and the improbability that, even 35 years ago when I was born, the US would have an African American president - especially one with a "funny name." Now the harder task begins for the President-elect and the rest of the country: working together to make progress on the country's - and the world's - most important issues.

Campaign Songs

Presidential campaigns have long used music as part of their strategy to persuade voters to favor them. Music is also played at rallies while people await the candidate's arrival, as the candidate takes the stage, or after the speech has ended. Here are some songs from this and previous year's presidential campaign as reported by various sources on the web. (Click on the link to hear the song.)

• America (Neil Diamond) - Michael Dukakis '88
• Born in the USA (Bruce Springstein) - Ronald Reagan '84
• Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac) - Bill Clinton '92
• God Bless the USA (Lee Greenwood) - Ronald Reagan '84
• Only in America (Brooks & Dunn) - Barack Obama, John McCain, George W. Bush '04
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered (Stevie Wonder) - Barack Obama
• Take a Chance on Me (ABBA) - John McCain
• Yes We Can (will.i.am et al.) - Barack Obama

This list is by no means comprehensive. Do you have others to add?

Note the youtube selections were chosen for the music, not the visual imagery.

Ted Drewes - St. Louis, MO

For frozen custard in St. Louis, you must go to Ted Drewes (6726 Chippewa). This location has been serving customers from its location on Historic Route 66 since the early 1940s. Their specialty is "concrete" (shown above). Other dairy chains might name their replica specialty desserts after a winter storm, but Ted Drewes' concrete is an "original". Stop by on a summer (or spring or fall) day and get some refreshments. The adjacent residential neighborhood is the perfect place to stroll while you enjoy your treat. This quiet neighborhood has neat, well-kept brick homes, likely dating from the 1940s.

Companion - Clayton, MO

Companion (8143 Maryland Ave.) is a neat little bakery and cafe tucked into a neighborhood commercial strip in upscale Clayton, MO (Saint Louis metro area). I stopped for breakfast and enjoyed the baked French toast covered with fresh fruit. Patrons are served at the counter and then take their tray to sit in the cramped space or go outdoors to a nice patio area. It seemed like the type of place that was often busy but there also didn't seem to be a good way to organize the space. There was a notice the store was going to be temporarily closing for a remodel so maybe this issue will be addressed in the process. I would return to this pleasant place if I was in the neighborhood but I wouldn't drive out of my way to seek it. The French toast, however, is something I might try to recreate in my own kitchen!

Food: ****
Ambience: ***
Service: **
(out of 5 stars)

Hannibal, MO

Hannibal, Missouri (click for a link to an aerial view photo of Hannibal) is a small town of just under 20,000 residents on the Mississippi River a few miles downstream from Quincy, Illinois. The town is probably best town as the childhood home of Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). It served as the inspiration for the hometown of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Tatcher, and the other characters Twain wrote about in his famous stories.

This is Mark Twain's boyhood home. It is now a museum with a visitor's center.

Buildings along the main street of Hannibal. There are several gift shops, candy shops, galleries, and other shops catering to tourists.

Lynn's Paradise Cafe - Louisville, KY

Lynn's Paradise Cafe (984 Barret Ave.) is a funky restaurant in the Germantown area of Louisville. The cafe has been featured by Oprah Winfrey, the Food Network, the New York Times, and countless others. The kitschy decor is full of surprises. A gift store with tacky items is at the front of the cafe. The food was surprisingly good and the server was helpful in making recommendations from the numerous selections on the menu. We were there later in the day so didn't get breakfast, although that is what they are said to do best. It is a place I would return to for both the food the and the fun environment.

Mom's Meatloaf with Sweet Potato Fries

Food: ****

Ambience: ****

Service: ****

(out of 5 stars)

Downtown Louisville, KY

Some scenes from downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The city is located on the south side of the Ohio River across from Indiana. The city of Louisville has approximately 250,000 residents and nearly 1 million more people live in the Louisville metropolitan area. The Louisville area is probably best known for the Kentucky Derby, held each year at Churchill Downs. The Louisville Slugger factory and museum are located in an historic part of downtown Louisville that has been reborn into a touristy area with the Slugger Museum, artists' glass studios, a children's museum, and other attractions. Louisville is also known as the home of Bourbon whiskey.

The World's Biggest Bat! Made of steel, it weighs 68,000 pounds and stands 120-feet tall. The Big Bat is an exact-scale replica of Babe Ruth's 34-inch Louisville Slugger. Bud Hillerich's signature is on the Big Bat, a tribute to the man who turned the company's first bat. It stands at the entrance to the Slugger Museum.

Barge on the Ohio River.


A Riverboat docked in the Ohio River along the seawall in downtown Lousiville.

Historic Brown Hotel in Louisville.

Wild Eggs - Louisville, KY

Wild Eggs (3985 Dutchmans Lane) is a wonderful breakfast/brunch place in Louisville, KY. The atmosphere is sunny and cheery with a friendly waitstaff (many with piercings in non-traditional places). The pancakes (shown above) are named "The King Would Eat These." The pancakes are layered with fresh bananas, peanut butter syrup, milk chocolate chips, and fresh whipped cream. Yum!! The other dish shown above is the Creole Omelet. It contains rock shrimp, andouille sausage, bell pepper, onion, cheddar jack cheese, Creole hollandaise, skillet potatoes, and an everything muffin. According to the menu, "Everything muffins are home-made with fabulous flavors: roasted garlic, onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and kosher salt." These are a restaurant specialty. If you're in Louisville, try to make it to Wild Eggs. I know I'd stop there the next time I'm in Louisville!

Food: ****
Ambience: *****
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Churchill Downs - Louisville, KY

Churchill Downs was a pleasant surprise. Although I knew nothing about horseracing, they had a nice museum and interesting tours. Of course, the racetrack is best known as the home of the Kentucky Derby. We toured the stands along with a look "behind the scenes" including the jockeys' areas, millionaires row (we saw the room where Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed the race last year), and other off-track betting areas. If you're in Louisville and have the time, I recommend spending a few hours at the track to learn a little about the industry and folklore.

Hot Brown

According to wikipedia, "A Hot Brown is a hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923." While I did not order it from the originators at the Brown Hotel, I trust my replica from a restaurant down the street in Louisville is close to authentic. It is nothing I'd ever order again! The open-faced sandwich consists of sliced turkey on top of white toast and covered with cheddar cheese. The one I ordered was garnished with bacon and a tomato. The presentation was unappealing and the taste was uninspiring.

Cafe Rose Nicaud - New Orleans

On my last morning in New Orleans, I had breakfast at Cafe Rose Nicaud (632 Frenchman Street). Reportedly named after a slave who first sold coffee in New Orleans, she saved her earnings and bought her freedom. The cafe is a friendly and cheerful place with high ceilings and lively conversation among what seemed like neighborhood locals. The food arrived as expected without waiting too long. I had a "southern" breakfast (above) including grits. I had a small forkful and passed on the rest.

New Orleans Authors

Several well-known authors have called New Orleans home. For example, Tennessee Williams lived in New Orleans when he wrote some of his works, including A Streetcar Named Desire, which was set in New Orleans.

The house below, in New Orleans' Garden District, was the home of novelist Anne Rice. It was the the setting for her Witching Hour novels. Note the home is for sale - I don't know the asking price.
The tall, narrow, yellow building (below) is now home to Faulkner House Books. In 1925 William Faulkner lived in what was then a boarding house at 624 Pirates Alley and worked on his first novels, Mosquitoes, and Soldiers' Pay. It is now a bookshop on the first floor and the shop's proprietor lives on the three floors above. (adapted from Frommer's New Orleans 2008, p. 226)

Street Musicians

This trio - consisting of a young woman playing a guitar, a young man playing a trombone, and another young man with a drum - was entertaining passersby on a street corner in the French Quarter one evening.

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is an integral part of the Crescent City. In fact, the nickname comes from the location of the city in a crescent of the river! Near the Central Business District, the river is about 1/4 mile wide, very deep and quickly flowing. Streets parallel the river and directions such as north, south, east, and west have little meaning. Instead "upriver" and "downriver" better describe which way to go. The CBD is pictured above from the ferry that goes from Canal Street to Algiers Point, a quiet neighborhood dating back to the 19th century.
The taller buildings of the CBD provide a contrast to the older, shorter buildings of the adjacent French Quarter. St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter sends her steeples above the surrounding buildings.

Beignet

Beignets are French doughnuts ubiquitous among the tourist fare of New Orleans. They are fried and served covered in powdered sugar. The ones pictured above were purchased from Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street. I later went for a reprise of the beignet experience at Cafe du Monde, a 24-hour place in the French Market (picture below). Although I didn't have it, they are noted for serving beignets with chicory coffee.

RIP

Cemeteries in New Orleans are "above ground" since the land is at or near sea level and the water table is high. Prior to doing this, bodies were buried and they would later "float" back to the surface. The cemetery pictured here, Lafayette No. 1, was founded in 1833. It is located in the Uptown Garden District.

Garden District

Second to the French Quarter, New Orleans' Garden District draws tourists who want to view the large stately homes between St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street. This area of Uptown New Orleans was developed after the Louisiana Purchase when Americans took control of the city.

From Wikipedia: This whole area was once a number of plantations. It was sold off in parcels to mainly wealthy Americans who did not want to live in the French Quarter with the Creoles. Originally the area was developed with only a couple of houses per block, each surrounded by a large garden, giving the district its name. In the late 19th century some of these large lots were subdivided as Uptown New Orleans became more urban. This has produced a pattern for much of the neighborhood of any given block having a couple of early 19th century mansions surrounded by "gingerbread" decorated late Victorian houses. Thus the "Garden District" is known for its architecture more than gardens per se.

Vieux Carre

New Orleans' French Quarter is arguably the most famous neighborhood the city. It is the oldest part of the city dating back to 1734 when French colonists moved to the area. The later influence of the Spanish ownership is also evident in some of the architecture. The area is noted for the iron railings on balconies. Many of these were made by slaves in the 19th century.

Rue Bourbon (Bourbon Street) is the famous street within the French Quarter where you can find bars, strip clubs, tourist shops, and restaurants. The street is closed to traffic in the evenings and people fill the streets going from one venue to the next. Sidewalk musicians and brass bands can usually be heard along this street and in other parts of the quarter. Also you may see kids tap dancing on the sidewalk with their hat nearby.

This building is at the corner of Toulouse and Royal Streets. Royal Street is one block from Bourbon but has a distinctly different character. Many fine art galleries, antique stores, hotels, and restaurants are along this street.

The French Quarter is also home to many residences. These are located on the lake side of the Quarter, toward Rampart Street. Most windows and doors have shutters on them and the homes are painted a variety of colors.

A Streetcar Named...

Although the New Orleans streetcar line to Desire Street is no longer in service, the existing New Orleans Streetcar lines are an inexpensive and convenient way to navigate the city. Hurricane Katrina damaged most of the lines and many of the cars were flooded. At present, the system has returned to service but some of the cars are still being renovated and repaired. One line runs along the Mississippi River from the edge of Faubourg Marigny, past the French Quarter, to the Convention Center. A second line runs in the middle of Canal Street (see photos) from the river to several cemeteries near City Park that were originally at the edge of the city. A third line runs in the grassy median of St. Charles Avenue through the Garden District, past Tulane University and beyond.

Hansen's Sno-Bliz - New Orleans, LA

Hansen's Sno-Bliz (4801 Tchoupitoulas Street) has been serving up treats for nearly 70 years. The store is run by the granddaughter of the original owners and inventors. She made each Sno-Bliz shown in the picture. The one in the foreground is Cream of Ice Cream with with a sweetened condensed milk topping. The one in the background is Cream of Strawberry topped with crushed strawberries. The granddaughter told me her grandfather invented the machine to shave the ice (it is finer than a typical snow cone) and her grandmother created the flavored syrups that are poured over the ice.

The store is located a few blocks from Magazine Street (a major street running parallel to the Mississippi, going upriver from the French Quarter) in a residential and industrial area. There is no seating inside the store. I noticed a steady flow of people through the place from my seat across the street on the porch of a bookstore. In fact, at one point, a limo pulled up and a half dozen people piled out and all got a Sno-Bliz before getting back into the limo and pulling away.

This place is certainly off the beaten path but worth the trip for the tasty treats and a piece of nostalgia. The owner is extremely friendly and seemed excited to hear that people from a distance were visiting her shop.