Best Buddy Meals

Just between you and me, I think I need a little break from posting Chicago pictures.  I took so stinkin many of them and still have so many left.  How about just for today we talk about how when I got back to New York Andrew came for a visit.  And let's not even talk about the whole visit right now!  Let's just talk about the food?  Yeah!  Let's just talk about the food!

(And if you're wondering, no, none of these meals were as over the top as our trip to Alinea)

On Thursday night, Andrew's first night in town, we went and tried out Corcoron, a soba place on Delancey I'd heard great things about.  I liked it a lot and I'm glad it's in my neighborhood (or the neighborhood right next to my neighborhood.)  It's got the feel of a great spot to drop in on at the end of a long workday for a little pick-me-up of a meal.

The one thing I don't get is why this Japanese restaurant has the same name as a giant New York real estate agency.

Then Friday night we went up to East Harlem to meet friends at La Cabaña (formerly La Casa), but decided to get two quick appetizers tacos at El Aguila first.

I should take some time to get to know the whole menu at El Aguila.  It really knows its stuff.  The tacos are just the small size I like and the salsas rather spicy.

Then it was over to La Cabaña for tortas, tostadas, and tacos.

I was very glad to see that the torta al pastor con queso won Andrew's immediate approval.  It's really a spectacular torta, I don't know why it's so much better than almost every other torta.  I think the secret might be butter?

Then after La Cabaña we couldn't resist the call of one more taco spot, Taco Mix.

It's one of the only spots I know where you can always find al pastor on a spit.  This place knows how to party right.

One of the best desserts I could hope for!

These peppers?  I couldn't resist trying one.  Could have handled a few more, really.

Saturday we were headed to the Ssam Bar for lunch but first I made Andrew watch me get my haircut. Mercedes cut my hair at the Astor Place Barber Shop.  Most haircuts there last seven minutes, but Mercedes took fourteen and the results were at least 200% better than usual.

At the Ssam Bar we had some ham . . . I think this was the Wigwam ham?  Hard to remember.  Very smokey.

We split the duck bun,

The duck bowl,

And the Duck Duck Noodles.

Saturday afternoon we spent at the Met and walking around a bit, then visited the Burger Joint.  The line was very long, but the restaurant was nearly empty.  A strange combination of situations.  Whatever.  The burgers are still great.

Sunday we had lunch at the Momofuku Noodle Bar.  I don't have any pictures of it.  But Carol does!  Go check out her post!  You'll see my new haircut.  AND chips, pickles, chicken wings, buns, and noodles.  And maaaybe someone drinking the leftover pickle juice.  HEY!  It's not just any pickle juice.

Did you read it?  Really?  No?  Come on, just go read it!

For dinner Monday we stopped by Mission Chinese Food, a terribly popular SF-import (or export?) that recently opened on Orchard street.

The idea is they serve chefy spins on "traditional" American Chinese dishes . . . stuff you usually find on boards like this, but with higher quality or more interesting ingredients.  

We beat the multi-hour waits by being there right when it opened.  And we beat the food waits by ordering before anyone else.

We got lotus root,

Pork jowl with radishes,

Bacon with rice cakes,

And the pork shoulder Ma Po tofu,

This is how our table looked when we were done,

And by "done" I mean "had eaten all we possibly could" because it turns out those entrees were awfully big.  And the Ma Po a little too fiery and oily to attack properly if you're not ready for it.  So my official take on Mission Chinese is: Large portions, very reasonable prices (not too much more than you'd spend at your typical Chinatown restaurant . . . no, really), and quite spicy (although on my next visit, if my companions allow, I'll ask for the heat to be turned up even more).  In other words: I think I'm crazy about this joint.  I saw people ordering a lot of stuff I want to try sometime.  I'll definitely be back.  Definitely.

Monday Night Activity: If you don't now, you'll never know.

Tuesday, before Andrew took off, we grabbed sandwiches at Mile End Sandwich.

We got the Beef on a Weck, which is awesome.

Their eggplant, pepper, halumi sandwich.

And an amazing beast of a steak sandwich with asparagus and jalepeño.

I mean look at this thing!

It was my second trip to Mile End and I tell you this place really knows a thing or two.  The NY Times just posted a first review, if you need more professional convincing that this place is a must visit.

Best Chi-Town Chinatown

So . . . Monday morning I was poking around the house, no one was really around, when Owen appeared and told me that we were supposed to meet everyone in Chinatown for lunch.  When?  I asked.  Uhh, Right now. he said.  So we grabbed Jeramy and hit the road.

I saw a bunny beside the garage.  I showed this picture to Mom, she recognized the bunny from the scruffy patch on his back.  She says he lives in our backyard.

Listen, I won't lie, I didn't know how to get to Chicago Chinatown and I didn't know what to do when I got there.  We'd only ever been there once before, in 1992. 

We spent some time being blasted by the sun and figuring out where to eat.  We didn't know where to eat because we hadn't been to Chinatown in 20 years.  All we had were some recommendations from the Water Taxi lady that brought everyone else to Chinatown.  ("Water taxi?" you ask.  "I'll tell you later." I tell you)

Hey!  You can't say that!

Something Chinatown is always good for is signs.

I'm not used to big, open, sunny superhot Chinatowns.

Panhandler, please!

So we found somewhere to eat.  A sim sum spot.  The waitress asked us if we knew what we wanted before we sat down.  No, we're going to need to look at your confusing checklist menu first.

Eventually we just checked off just about everything with "pork" or "shrimp" in the name and we did pretty well.  Rachel demonstrated very innovative chopstick usage.  I found the meal to be good and filling.  Everything you could ask for!

Outside on the plaza by the restaurant there were statues of all the Chinese Zodiac animals.  I only took pictures of a few.  

Also there was a turtle nearby.

We decided to all take the Water Taxi back to downtown Chicago.  It would be my first Water Taxi ride and my first time ever on a boat on the Chicago river.  Somethings just take time, I guess.  Along the way to the Water Taxi I saw this exceptional home.

And this famous bridge, but from a side I'd never been on before.

There was this like, park? by where we caught the Water Taxi.

A Polar Sun Dial.  But who cares what time it is on the North Pole?

This guy helped develop lot of Chicago Chinatown.

Water Taxi dock worker helping the recently arrived decide what to do.

And here we've boarded the boat.

Mom sees us off.  It was her job to drive the car back downtown.

Boat riders, let's go!!

Rachel and Blake, Kings of the World!

Riding up the river, going under bridges.

Past buildings.

And boats and other apartments.

Look!  The Willis Tower!  I've been up there!

And the Lyric Opera!  I've been in there, too!

I asked Kristen to look patriotic, she did a good job.

I asked Rachel not to bite her brother.  She barely resisted.

I guess a lot has changed since the Joker ran rampant on Lower Wacker.

Buds.

Icons.

That new Trump Tower.  I don't know a lot about it.

I also asked Owen to look patriotic.

We disembarked near the Trump Building so I said, "Hey, let's go have a look at the lobby."  It was nice, of course.

There's me!  I just like to be on my own blog sometimes.

Leaving the building I saw a tenant pull up in his Lamborghini, license plate "Cajas", and leave it for the valet.  Must have been the Boxes King of Chicago.

The Trump International Hotel & Tower Official Accolades (Oct 2009 edition)

At this point I split up from the family to check out a camera shop in the loop.

I tried out a bunch of old Leica lenses from the 50s and 60s, there was one I particularly liked . . . not the worst photo, right?

Walked back up Michigan to find my family, passed the usual Millenium Park happenings.

I found everyone at the Watertower.  The Highland girls were emptying out the American Girl store.  No pics.  But here we are on the street, disliking the traffic.

And then we went home!  Some other time I'll tell you about the chicken and waffles we had that night.