10.12 - The Trucks are Rolling In

I love New York for its food-- especially for its mobile food. I mean, some of the tastiest (and cheapest) food I've ever had there have come from a truck. But I always thought the truck thing was a NY thing . . . until trucks started popping up in LA and Atlanta. And, honestly, I've become really envious of LA because some of their trucks sound amazing.

This is just a sampling:
- Korean/Mexican fusion taco truck
- shaved ice truck
- grilled cheese truck
- Indian food truck
- sushi truck
- Philly food truck
- Filipino food truck
- crepe truck
- chicken and waffles truck
- dumpling truck
- Greek food truck
- smoked bbq truck
- and the list goes on and on . . .

Sadly, Chicago has been very slow at getting into the truck scene because our laws aren't as easy to work around as other cities' laws. As of right now, if you want to serve food from a truck, it has to be pre-made and pre-packaged (such as the Flirty Cupcake truck). But, honestly, cupcakes are just not going to cut it.

Fortunately, there are a whole bunch of Chicago restauranteurs and foodies alike who are demanding a change. Several restaurants already have food truck plans in the works and are just anxiously awaiting the city ordinance that permits trucks with onboard cooking equipment.

My belly, too, is anxiously awaiting. :}

10.07 - Cookie Radar!

It's so bad, but we have this really good bakery/cafe just around the corner from work . . . and I just found out they actually have a cookie radar on their website.  Oh my, what a magnificent idea! You can either check the site or sign up for alerts to find out when your favorite variety (or all of them really) have just come out of the oven.

So, at this moment, I'm waiting for the semi-sweet chocolate chip cookie alert. Their last batch came out a little less than an hour ago-- but I'm sorry, I would like mine fresh out of the oven, please. Haha. Mmm . . . coooookies.

Eatery Info: Specialty's Cafe & Bakery, 191 N Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606

10.05 - For (Excessive) Love of BBQ

I attended a work conference last week in Kansas City, and the first thing I did upon my arrival was get burnt ends and ribs at my favorite KC barbecue place. I guess I could've attended some of the conference sessions to feed my brain . . . but, honestly, I really just wanted to feed my belly. I mean, the last time I had been in KCity was nearly four years ago, and that magnificent barbecue had been on my mind since then. Needless to say, it was a wonderful meal. And I went back to the hotel a very happy woman.

. . . until I ran into my boss and he asked me if I had attended any sessions. *sigh*

I sheepishly told him that I had not . . . and that I had been busy doing something else, desperately hoping he wouldn't smell the strong scent of hickory wood all over me. He didn't seem at all happy, but oh well. If that wasn't bad enough, the boss ended up wanting me to have dinner with him and some other colleagues at the same exact place. :\ While I do love my Jack Stack, I just couldn't do two rounds of it within four hours. But I couldn't very well reject my boss's invitation after being such a slacker employee, so I sucked it up and agreed to go along.

As the four of us sat down at a table, Brian (oh, Brian . . . my dear waiter from earlier that day who must have some crazy visual memorization skills because I looked completely different the second time around) took a double take as he passed me, smiled, and said, "Welcome back!" Within seconds, all (wide) eyes were on me, and I very quickly raised the menu to cover my face.

Epic fail. :\

09.22 - Sushi Mania

"I" and I had some friends over the other day for a little sushi making extravaganza. People brought over soo many great fillings, it was almost a bit overwhelming (in the most delightful sense, haha).

Fillings
- salmon
- tuna
- white tuna
- fluke
- smoked salmon
- shrimp tempura
- imitation crab meat
- jalapenos
- scallions
- cream cheese
- cucumbers
- avocados
- spicy wormy things of which I can't remember the Korean name
- tobiko (flying fish roe)
- cilantro

Most of us were newbies, but everyone really went all out on their creations. Some a little too "out." Haha. I have to say, though, that this experience tops going to the sushi buffet. Yummy, messy, and fun. ;)

Our spread (pre-destruction)

JJ's random concotion with galbi jjim and those spicy wormy things (ha)

















RC's delicious concoction with Alaskan wild salmon, jalapenos, and cream cheese (mmm...cream cheese)

08.13 - Malodorous Fridge

The communal office refrigerator started giving off a rancid smell at the beginning of this week. By Wednesday, I couldn't take it, and I immediately sniffed out an open container of blue cheese which went right into the trash. Um, come on people, either cover your blue cheese or throw it out. Bleh.

Then today, one of my coworkers offered to share her food from home with me so she told me where to find it in the fridge. When I went in there, it still smelled pretty bad. So as I was sniffing around for the remaining culprit, I came across a tupperware wrapped in a plastic bag. I picked it up and looked at it closely because, honestly, it looked like a very familiar piece of tupperware. Upon opening the bag and slowing prying off the tupperware lid, I was horrified to find Mom's pancit (Filipino noodles) all covered in mold. Umm...yeah. I have no idea how long that was in there, but it smelled (and looked) pretty horrible.

Bad, bad, hypocritical me. Whoever smelt it, sure as heck dealt it. :\

07.26 - Up Close and Personal with the Pizza Delivery Guy

In a last-minute moment of inspiration, I invited some people over the other day for some post-worship service fellowship. So I called a pizza place to get in my order as soon as possible, and I got home just in time to let the delivery guy in. When he handed me the receipt, I handed him my credit card, and he gave me a perplexed look. The realization hit me that the guy I had placed my phone order with had never asked me how I would be paying for it and I didn't bother to ask since I had been so flustered. So there we stood, both unsure of what to do.

Me: I don't have cash.
Pizza Delivery Guy (PDG): *crazy, wide eyes*
Me: Umm . . . (turns to look at a few friends who were there with me)
Friends: (frantically begin taking out their wallets, pulling out singles and fives)
Me: (sigh, shaking my head at them) It won't be enough. (looks at PDG) I'm sorry, I don't have cash.
PDG: *shrugs, but maintains his position*
Me: Umm . . . there's a Walgreens down the street! I can go to the ATM and get some cash!
PDG: *nods*

Long story short, I had planned on driving to Walgreens on my own, but PDG looked so uncertain and perplexed (found out he had just moved here from Bulgaria which would explain his curt manner) and I wasn't really thinking straight, so I somehow ended up in the passenger seat of his car and the poor guy drove me to Walgreens and back home.

Yep . . . just another day.

07.01 - Flirty Cupcake Truck

So "I" bought me four cupcakes the other day. From a truck! Sitting right outside of his office!

Yes, Chicago, a cupcake truck has come to our city. How exciting! Not quite as mouthwatering as, say, NYC's taco or middle eastern trucks, but it's quite a nice addition. I mean, who doesn't love a moist cupcake topped with delicious frosting?

The cupcakes I had were quite good, but unfortunately quite small and pretty pricey. Still, cupcakes out of a truck are pretty hard to resist. It's definitely an ice cream truck for grown-ups. I just wish they sold tacos at the same time . . .

Eatery Info: Flirty Cupcakes on Wheels, "the intersection of oooh and aaah", Chicago, IL