Goodbye Grandma

I often listen to youtube songs when I'm engaged in mundane tasks at my desk at work. This week I noticed a song suggested by youtube in the "related videos" list. I hadn't heard it before. It was written by Elton John for the musical version of Billy Elliot. (From wikipedia: The musical revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes. The story of his personal struggle and fulfilment are balanced against a counter-story of family and community strife caused by the eighties' coal miners' strike in Northern England.) I guess this song was cut from the show and now exists only as a demo version. An appropriate week for the song...

Pok Pok - Portland, OR

Pok Pok (3226 SE Division Street) is a trendy restaurant in Southeast Portland. Occupying what was formerly a single-family house, diners can eat on the main level or in the basement. The decor is pleasant and the food is fresh. Lunch prices were a little higher than I normally prefer to pay. Overall a good experience and a place I'd visit again.

Ike's Vietnamese Fish sauce Wings
Fresh natural chicken wings marinated in fish sauce, garlic and sugar, deep fried, tossed in caramelized Phu Quoc fish sauce and garlic and served with Vietnamese table salad.

Khao Man Som Tam
Green papaya salad (papaya pok pok) served with coconut rice and sweet shredded Carlton Farms pork, fried shallots and cilantro.

pi Day

Photo from griffin.ladoona's photostream on flickr.

It is 3.14 today. Happy PI Day!!

Basil Thai - Urbana, IL

I enjoy Thai food so was happy to learn of Basil Thai (701 S Gregory Street) in Urbana. I have eaten there several times but find the food inconsistent. The picture above shows Tropical Fried Rice (Stir-fried rice with pineapple, onion, carrot, green pea, egg, and chicken). This time it was quite moist so reminded me more of a hotdish! The flavors will still satisfying. I have also tried pad woon sen and a couple other items. The place is located on the east side of campus near the Krannert Center (good place to go before a concert). It is usually busy with a cross-section of the college crowd. On my last visit I heard at least five languages being spoken at nearby tables while I waited for my food. Orders are placed at the counter and then are brought to the tables identified by a number. This is not the "best" place for Thai food in Champaign-Urbana, but I will definitely return because of its location, casual atmostphere, and inexpensive prices.

This I Believe

"This I Believe (edited by Jay Allison & Dan Gediman) is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here and featured on public radio in the United States, as well as in regular broadcasts on NPR. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow."

The short essays in this book all express what the author believes. They range from the religious to the practical, from political to inspirational, from optimistic to pessimistic. Some are from well-known figures such as Leonard Bernstein, Isabel Allende, Albert Einstein, and Bill Gates to people only known to their friends and families like Josh Rittenberg and Jackie Lantry.

Here's a sampling of beliefs. Each is elaborated in the short 3-4 page essay by the author.

• "I believe in America, and I believe in our people." (Colin Powell)
• "I believe in barbecue. As soul food and comfort food and health food, as cuisine of both solace and celebration." (Jason Sheehan)
• "I believe in always going to the funeral." (Deirdre Sullivan)
• "I believe it is possible for ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things." (Jody Williams)
• "I believe that the world is inherently a very dangerous place and that things that are now very good can go bad very quickly." (Newt Gingrich)
• "I believe I have to remove myself from the voices that barrage me in order to find my true compass. This includes a daily walk just to listen." (Susan Cosio)
• "I believe that everyone deserves flowers on their graves." (Eliva Bautista)
• "I believe that curiosity, wonder, and passion are defining qualities of imaginative minds and great teachers; that restlessness and discontent are vital things; and that intense experience and suffering instruct us in ways less intesne emotions can never do." (Kay Redfield Jamison)

I have a statement and essay of my own sketched out in my head... someday I might share. What about you? What do you believe?

The Wilkin Drink & Eatery - Breckenridge, MN

Just east of the main crossroads in downtown Breckenridge, MN, is the Wilkin Drink & Eatery (508 Minnesota Avenue). Housed in an historic building, it is one of the few establishments in the Wahpeton-Breckenridge area that seems to make an effort on food and atmosphere. The ceiling is lined with pressed tin and there are remnants of a bank dividing part of the space. In other areas are large booths and a bar. The casual atmosphere and familiar menu selections makes for no-pressure dining experience.

I have only visited twice and never ventured far on the menu. My sense is that it includes extended pub fare. A variety of burgers and sandwiches are available. Servers are friendly and portions and price are reasonable. If you know anyone from the area, you'll probably see a familiar face when you're there! It seems to have a local following.

Patty Melt & Fried Potatoes

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

A few bits of trivia regarding Valentine's Day courtesy of wikipedia:

• The holiday is named after two Early Christian martyrs named Valentine.
• The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
• The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide.
• Valentine's day is the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas.
• In the United States, men spend on average twice as much money as women for Valentine's Day.
• NECCO manufactures nearly 8 billion sweethearts a year. Other companies make similar products. Lots of heart-shaped candies!

Café Patachou - Indianapolis, IN

Café Patachou (8691 River Crossing Boulevard) has many locations throughout the Indianapolis area. I visited a location in a strip mall near the Fashion Mall. On the Saturday morning I was there, the place was packed. I waited for 20 minutes for a spot at the counter. The patrons seemed cheerful as they waited, helping themselves to coffee from one of two pump pots sitting on the counter. The wait staff bustled from table to table serving typical breakfast/brunch food.

While they have several "Namesake Omelettes" with interesting combinations of ingredients (e.g., The Overachiever: Bacon, Cheddar, Sour Cream and Horseradish), I chose the simpler omelette with a choice of one ingredient: ham for me. Omelettes are prepared with "three fresh jumbo cage-free eggs from local farms" and served with cinnamon toast (or another bread option). It had been a long time since I had eaten cinnamon toast so it was a nice treat.

While I waited I took this blurry photo of a "community" table. There were two couples here who did not know each other. But, as the breakfast on their plates diminished, they had gotten to know each other a lot better. Notice they ordered fresh fruit. (The cinnamon toast was better tasting!)

The Day After Tomorrow

I first heard this song sung by Inga Swearingen on the Prairie Home Companion (12/6/2008). The melancholy tune and the timely lyrics caught my attention. Of course, the references to Illinois also piqued my interest!

Joan Baez released a recording of the song in September 2008.



The song was written by Tom Waits. Now, I'm not one to criticize, but some singer-songwriters should stick to what they're good at. Which of the two do you think is Tom's strength?

Inaugaration Day - Jan. 20, 2009

Although the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court messed up the oath we have known since elementary school, we have a new president!

First & Deli - Fargo, ND

You will find First & Deli (520 1st Ave. N) in the heart of downtown Fargo. This order-at-the-counter deli serves a selection of sandwiches, salads, soups, daily entree specials, and desserts. Prices are reasonable for lunch (Monday-Saturday) and, the day we were there, many other people also decided it was a great place to eat and chat. I would characterize the food as "home cooking" with most menu items being pretty standard midwestern choices. For example, we had the hot daily entree choice of tator-tot hotdish! It was served on a styrofoam plate with a lettuce salad. It is definitely worth a visit. If nothing else, you are supporting one of the new businesses that is transforming downtown Fargo into a livable place and destination for visitors.

Company Abbreviations

Ever wonder what UPS or FTD stood for? Maybe you know! What about ALCOA, NABISCO, or 3M? Test your knowledge with this quiz. Can you think of other company names with abbreviations or acronyms?

The Zodiac - Neiman Marcus Department Stores

Knowing little else about Neiman Marcus beyond the urban legend of the cookie recipe, I ventured into The Zodiac (top floor of Michigan Avenue store). I arrived as the restaurant opened for lunch. The restaurant is very nice with white tablecloths and padded chairs. North facing windows reflect sunshine spilling over the lower park and firehouse in the adjacent block and the highrise marble facade of Macy's/Watertower Place a block beyond. The Neiman Marcus experience begins with the traditional hot chicken consommé, a popover, and strawberry butter. Very tasty!


For lunch I chose the Mandarin Orange Soufflé with NM chicken salad, toasted almonds, seasonal fruit, and house zucchini bread. Again, a very good choice (except the melons).

The portions are adequate and satisfying. The menu had many other attractive offerings as well. (I hope to return and try more!) The servers were attentive and atmosphere formal, but comfortable. When it came time to pay for my lunch, I was ready to charge the $20 fee to my credit card. Since this was my first ever purchase at Neiman Marcus, I didn't realize they do not accept Mastercard or Visa. Instead they only accept store cards, American Express, cash, or personal check. Perhaps a way to develop "personal relationships" with their customers. For a special occassion (or when someone else will take the check) head over to Neiman Marcus and try out their menu!

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.