One thing a trip to Chicago always allows is a chance to enjoy some of my favorite foods. You just can't find good Italian Beef in Michigan, not to mention the world's greatest pizza (and I will arm wrestle you over it) - Gino's East Deep Dish Sausage Patty.This started me thinking about all the good food I've sampled in the past month. And so I'd like to make a few shout outs and salutes while I can.
- Ginger Imhoff's taco/fajitas... I salute you. When a bunch of us went over to your house for a creative team meeting, you fed us this incredible food on Friday night. It was so good that we ate it again for lunch on Saturday (even though you would have cooked us something else). They weren't spicy, nor were they flavorless. And you had both chicken and beef (which I personally enjoy combining) and fresh guacamole (which I personally enjoy dolloping).
- Sharon Weerstra's 16 bean soup... I salute you. I've had some good "Bean and Bacon" soup in a can before, but this was some incredible homemade soup. In fact, at "16 beans" you could eat it with a fork, but I liked a spoon. There was homemade ham and smoked sausage tossed in for fun... and what fun it was.
- Meijer gas station fruit salad... I salute you. Even though you were prepackaged and marked 50% off, I took a risk and bought you when I needed something healthy to eat. You didn't let me down, and even managed to be ripe without being spoiled. I wouldn't have minded one piece of pineapple in the mix, but you deserve a shout out nonetheless.
- Popcorn I ate with white cheddar topping at Celebration Cinema... I salute you. What a topping you were - even when I wasn't sure I was hungry for popcorn. My wife and I shared the bag, or else I would have eaten the whole thing. So sadly ours is a relationship that never quite has been resolved.
- Apple slices I smuggled into the same movie theater... I salute you. I could have eaten an overpriced box of Sour Patch Kids, but I knew that you would provide a sweet crunch that would warm my whole body. I never saw the sign that said I couldn't bring you in, so let's just assume that it was okay - even if I did have to put you in that plastic baggie and hide you inside my inner coat pocket for awhile.
- Applebees garlic mashed potatoes... I salute you. You accompanied my favorite meal there - the Chicken Fajita roll-up (which is my favorite only because it takes too long to make it at home so why not let them sweat it out?). I just didn't feel like eating fries as I usually do with that dish, so I asked for you instead. But let's be honest - while you were savory, you tasted even better than normal because Scott paid the bill.
- Burger King solo onion ring... I salute you. When I couldn't decide between a box of rings or a box of fries, I chose the potato over the onion. Yet you managed to jump into the box anyway - one solo onion ring - greeting me at the bottom of an otherwise linear meal. It was like that one day when I ordered a six piece nugget meal and got seven... only it was better.
- My wife Katie's lasagna... I salute you. Granted, I didn't eat any in the last month, and yet I dreamed of you on more than one occasion. Perhaps one day we will be united again and I will find myself smiling on the inside and the outside as only you can inspire.
Um... yeah. So did you eat anything cool this month?
9 comments:
My husband's awesome Mexican Super Dinner - Guacamole (homemade w/red onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, & cilantro finely chopped), cream cheese salsa dip with tortilla chips, tacos (soft & hard shell), beef & bean burritos (with homemade sauce), and tostadas all with fresh salsa & sour cream. Oh, I almost forgot the spanish rice and black bean soup. YUP, that was the WHOLE meal. My kids think we live in a restaurant because my better half is such a great chef! He also makes the most amazing fajitas that I've ever had, but they weren't on the menu tonight because we were out of charcoal for the grill. BUMMER!
Pollo Rosa Maria from Carrabbas Italian Grill: Grilled chicken breast stuffed with fontina cheese and prosciutto, topped with mushrooms and a basil lemon butter sauce.
Never been to Gino's East. My favorite in Chicago is Giordanos (with Canadian bacon and pineapple).
Great, now I have the late-night munchies.
There's some great grub too!
I had squirrel for the first time...it tasted like chicken, but I knew I was eating squirrel, which was pretty cool!
oh the anonymous at 10:29 was me, Kaitie T. !
Gotta go with Giordanos (for Chicago deep dish) as well.
Giordano's is good, but there are a lot of Giordano's tasting pizza crusts in the Chicago area. It's the tourist pizza, whereas the locals (like I used to be) know the difference.
Yeah... I feel a little smug about that. :)
There is only one like the Gino's East kind I described - a deep dish corn bread crust baked in a brick oven, then topped with a sausage patty... mind you, not crumbled sausage here and there, but an entire layer of sausage all over the thing. Bubbling cheese on the bottom... a surface of sausage... and sauce on top with strategic seasonings.
Mmm...
(presently drooling uncontrollably)
Um, in case you get these comments auto-emailed to you, the above is in reference to the Gino's description on your "speaking of food" post, NOT the ebay one or the most recent on Bono. Just wanted to clear that up.
Yeah! My hubby invited a coworker over for dinner and I used the occasion to deviate from our normal healthy fare...I went all out and made everything full fat, full flavor! We had a cheesy potato side dish...you know the one with the hash browns, cheese, sour cream, crushed cornflakes on top? Yum...the leftovers are calling me right now...
Post a Comment