Monday, May 5, 2014
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Pet Project
I need to post a warning up front that this is just a fun little blog post and there are several very unappetizing photos here.
Then they want to control the can placement. OK by me. Let them empty it.
Scat of course.
Hope folks can help find their kitty.
Nice place for a cul-de-sac?
New white socks and slippers first trip outside.
Someone must have bugs,
and a need to scratch.
Then they want to control the can placement. OK by me. Let them empty it.
Scat of course.
Maybe a hunting cat.
Not for me but others might like it. Reminds me of A Movable Feast.
And the sun will come out today.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Random Notes from The Six Corners and Jefferson Park
These notes start on a Thursday but the first one is so random I forgot what it was so maybe next time.
Maybe it was this bakery just north of Irving Park on Milwaukee where you can get these very neat cookies...
Maybe it was this bakery just north of Irving Park on Milwaukee where you can get these very neat cookies...
breads,
and tamales.
Then maybe it was the blues
at City News Cafe with
and Billy Branch,
or another Savant.
Then there was this Roof Goose.
And a few random clicks in Jefferson Park.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Brisket and Bonus by Two from Bub City
Bonus round today. Two extra side trips and extra meat.
The trip started at
Cross Fit Chisel and went to the Blue Line which is under construction. We went down to Western where there was an elevator down and we went on a shuttle bus to Damen where we went up the stairs to continue our trip. The Damen stop smelled of donuts from the two shops below. I think the bus would have taken anyone needing an elevator on down to Clark and Lake. Todays trip has not really begun though as I was on my way to Flourish 2014. Getting off at the Halstead (UIC) stop there was the very long ramp marked with a handicap sign. Then over to UIC to listen to Derek Eder of Open City and to visit with some Pythonistas. Enough of that fun. It was time to move on to collecting some meat. First on the Halsted bus to Randolph and strolling west to
Columbus Meat Market which can barely be seen through the trees in the Haymarket. I picked up almost eight pounds of bacon, rind on, sliced to a thickness of six.
Strolling back to the Halstead bus which took me to Grand, Milwakee and Halsted. That is another six cornered intersection that is not The Six Corners. The Grand bus took me along Grand which becomes one way the other direction so the bus jogged over to Illinois and to Clark Street.
Bub City is across the street east and half a block south. The sign on the door read 10 am to 3 am but at that point I was tired and thought I was too late. I had already been disappointed twice as Flourish ran out of meat and cheese two people in front of me. There were a good thirty people behind me. Carbs are not my friends. Almost everything in the student center was closed and I had gone for a stroll only to find Ghareeb Nawaz Express closed. Strolling on for two more blocks I enjoyed the University Village environment but did not see anything inviting to me at that time. Standing there, tired, dejected, a young man walked up, opened the door and went in. Oh! 3 am. This is Chicago after all.
If you can get your mind past the array of big screen TVs, the DJ booth in one wall and the Host stand you might get the feel of an upscale North Texas country bar. Host, Hostess and waitstaff were all friendly. The Bub BBQ Combo looked good but remember the purpose of this blog is to get one pound of slow smoked brisket in Chicago. This is about as Chicago as you get being a short stroll from the Red Line Grand Stop. I asked for and got a pound of sliced brisket, half a pound of sliced ham and half a pound of hot link sausage. Tons of pickles, sauces and fine ground cole slaw were stacked in as well.
A quick trip to Trader Joe's a few blocks away then back to the Red to the Brown and to a very slow trip home on the 80 in Cub's game traffic. Back at the Red at Grand the elevator from the street to the mezzanine was a welcome site for me but then the elevator to the platform was out. A rider in a wheelchair should be able to know this when they left Trader Joe's and make decisions accordingly and even have trip options presented to them without clicking through pages to alerts.
So you want to hear how the food was? Well first there was no smell getting out of the containers on the trip home.
The food all looks good. I would like leaner ham sliced thicker but that may just be me.
So here is some of everything on a plate.
Now on a given day you and George might have strolled over to Otto's and enjoyed a similar meal with some peppers and onions as well. For many that is enough said but for those not having had that joy here is more about the meats. The brisket had a nice thick rub crust just a notch back on the heat for Chicago taste buds. Nicely smoked and tender with the fat soaking through the meat. We each ate a full serving without any need for sauce. The sweet sauce has a spicy kick when you want it. The sausage is a rough grind and the fat content varies but is all good and I think the heat is mostly black pepper. The ham is just pure good smoked ham goodness and would put a smile on any FFA student at the Houston Livestock Show.
The trip started at
Cross Fit Chisel and went to the Blue Line which is under construction. We went down to Western where there was an elevator down and we went on a shuttle bus to Damen where we went up the stairs to continue our trip. The Damen stop smelled of donuts from the two shops below. I think the bus would have taken anyone needing an elevator on down to Clark and Lake. Todays trip has not really begun though as I was on my way to Flourish 2014. Getting off at the Halstead (UIC) stop there was the very long ramp marked with a handicap sign. Then over to UIC to listen to Derek Eder of Open City and to visit with some Pythonistas. Enough of that fun. It was time to move on to collecting some meat. First on the Halsted bus to Randolph and strolling west to
Columbus Meat Market which can barely be seen through the trees in the Haymarket. I picked up almost eight pounds of bacon, rind on, sliced to a thickness of six.
That much bacon certainly deserves two pictures
Strolling back to the Halstead bus which took me to Grand, Milwakee and Halsted. That is another six cornered intersection that is not The Six Corners. The Grand bus took me along Grand which becomes one way the other direction so the bus jogged over to Illinois and to Clark Street.
Bub City is across the street east and half a block south. The sign on the door read 10 am to 3 am but at that point I was tired and thought I was too late. I had already been disappointed twice as Flourish ran out of meat and cheese two people in front of me. There were a good thirty people behind me. Carbs are not my friends. Almost everything in the student center was closed and I had gone for a stroll only to find Ghareeb Nawaz Express closed. Strolling on for two more blocks I enjoyed the University Village environment but did not see anything inviting to me at that time. Standing there, tired, dejected, a young man walked up, opened the door and went in. Oh! 3 am. This is Chicago after all.
If you can get your mind past the array of big screen TVs, the DJ booth in one wall and the Host stand you might get the feel of an upscale North Texas country bar. Host, Hostess and waitstaff were all friendly. The Bub BBQ Combo looked good but remember the purpose of this blog is to get one pound of slow smoked brisket in Chicago. This is about as Chicago as you get being a short stroll from the Red Line Grand Stop. I asked for and got a pound of sliced brisket, half a pound of sliced ham and half a pound of hot link sausage. Tons of pickles, sauces and fine ground cole slaw were stacked in as well.
A quick trip to Trader Joe's a few blocks away then back to the Red to the Brown and to a very slow trip home on the 80 in Cub's game traffic. Back at the Red at Grand the elevator from the street to the mezzanine was a welcome site for me but then the elevator to the platform was out. A rider in a wheelchair should be able to know this when they left Trader Joe's and make decisions accordingly and even have trip options presented to them without clicking through pages to alerts.
So you want to hear how the food was? Well first there was no smell getting out of the containers on the trip home.
The food all looks good. I would like leaner ham sliced thicker but that may just be me.
So here is some of everything on a plate.
Now on a given day you and George might have strolled over to Otto's and enjoyed a similar meal with some peppers and onions as well. For many that is enough said but for those not having had that joy here is more about the meats. The brisket had a nice thick rub crust just a notch back on the heat for Chicago taste buds. Nicely smoked and tender with the fat soaking through the meat. We each ate a full serving without any need for sauce. The sweet sauce has a spicy kick when you want it. The sausage is a rough grind and the fat content varies but is all good and I think the heat is mostly black pepper. The ham is just pure good smoked ham goodness and would put a smile on any FFA student at the Houston Livestock Show.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Brisket from Fat Willy's
Winter has decided to take one more swipe at Chicago so on this Sunday having spent my morning on a conference call with a bunch of young whippersnappers and while Sherry had gone out to vent her frustrations in tear down at FreeGeek I decided to seek the Holy Grail of Brisket.
I have begun to write my own personal bus tracker but today the fates were with me. On this day a week past the Ides of March I ventured out and waited less than two minutes for three of the four buses I rode. The 80 to Western and the 49 to Schubert each way.
Getting off at Schubert the aroma from a Burger King almost drew me in. Half a block away though I could see Fat Willy's. I walked down and passing the alley the next smell I got is that left when a pit is being washed. Next in view was a door to the kitchen and then finally through the winter protection plastic into the "welcoming" area. The hostess came and I indicated another party was ahead of me. She says she has already gotten them. I told her I would like a pound of brisket and she redirected me to the counter at my right.
At the counter was a young lady on the phone. She later when asked said her name was Monica. Waiting, waiting, waiting. She is off the phone but wait, she has something else to do. OK, so now she wants to know what she can do for me. We go through a few cycles of my wanting a pound of brisket and her telling me they do not sell brisket by the pound. She thinks the order of Only the Meat will be about three quarters of a pound. She is friendly and pleasant but a pound of brisket is not to be had and Burger King is looking very good. I have set myself to this task though and will not allow Chicago friendliness or orders not weighed in pounds to keep me from finding you great smoked brisket in Chicago.
I order and she has a problem with the payment system and a server comes to help her. I engage the server on the topic of by the pound. It is a bit confusing but it seems that you can get their brisket by the pound catered but it may include sauce which I think is the Au jus from the rubbed beef. My order was ready though and I was ready to get home with whatever it was I had ordered and paid for. There was to be a bit more conversation though as the two upsold me on getting two orders so that I would have a pound and a varity of items were for some reason added to my order.
It turns out those things added were the au jus, mushy onions, creamy horseradish sauce and in a separate brown paper bag the two small containers of BBQ sauce.
On the ride home I got no smell of smoke or BBQ.
Time to open this up and see what I bought.
I know that many in Chicago are so inclined and that makes good Texas Style Smoked Brisket hard to find in Chicago. Brisket is redirected here into corned beef, Italian beef and other kinds of beef I am yet to experience.
I have begun to write my own personal bus tracker but today the fates were with me. On this day a week past the Ides of March I ventured out and waited less than two minutes for three of the four buses I rode. The 80 to Western and the 49 to Schubert each way.
Getting off at Schubert the aroma from a Burger King almost drew me in. Half a block away though I could see Fat Willy's. I walked down and passing the alley the next smell I got is that left when a pit is being washed. Next in view was a door to the kitchen and then finally through the winter protection plastic into the "welcoming" area. The hostess came and I indicated another party was ahead of me. She says she has already gotten them. I told her I would like a pound of brisket and she redirected me to the counter at my right.
At the counter was a young lady on the phone. She later when asked said her name was Monica. Waiting, waiting, waiting. She is off the phone but wait, she has something else to do. OK, so now she wants to know what she can do for me. We go through a few cycles of my wanting a pound of brisket and her telling me they do not sell brisket by the pound. She thinks the order of Only the Meat will be about three quarters of a pound. She is friendly and pleasant but a pound of brisket is not to be had and Burger King is looking very good. I have set myself to this task though and will not allow Chicago friendliness or orders not weighed in pounds to keep me from finding you great smoked brisket in Chicago.
I order and she has a problem with the payment system and a server comes to help her. I engage the server on the topic of by the pound. It is a bit confusing but it seems that you can get their brisket by the pound catered but it may include sauce which I think is the Au jus from the rubbed beef. My order was ready though and I was ready to get home with whatever it was I had ordered and paid for. There was to be a bit more conversation though as the two upsold me on getting two orders so that I would have a pound and a varity of items were for some reason added to my order.
It turns out those things added were the au jus, mushy onions, creamy horseradish sauce and in a separate brown paper bag the two small containers of BBQ sauce.
On the ride home I got no smell of smoke or BBQ.
Time to open this up and see what I bought.
Now, according to the Check, Please video they marinade their meat over night. That might account for the smoke ring being so shallow and for the look like maybe the meat was in a pressure cooker. Never mind though there is a nice rub on the meat and if you dip it in their sauce or do some of the other possibilities with those other thing if you are so inclined you will have a good brisket eating experience. Just not the one this blog's quest is seeking.
I know that many in Chicago are so inclined and that makes good Texas Style Smoked Brisket hard to find in Chicago. Brisket is redirected here into corned beef, Italian beef and other kinds of beef I am yet to experience.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Seafood from the Jewels
Crab legs, crab claws and clarified garlic butta. Is there a lot more to say except that the picture is on my grandson's Taz plate.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Tacos from Tacos and Tequilla
So I was over there in the basement of that big building or maybe the one across from it.
Which is across from this one as well but is still not The Six Corners.
Then I walked north on Milwaukee to Tacos and Tequilas
In the Honorary Polish Village.
Tacos to go. Waiter was nice enough to label them but only because I asked. Learning as I go to be sure and ask for things like labeled tacos and brisket by the pound. Two arrachera, two lengua and two poblanas. All small but very nice.
Which is across from this one as well but is still not The Six Corners.
Then I walked north on Milwaukee to Tacos and Tequilas
In the Honorary Polish Village.
Tacos to go. Waiter was nice enough to label them but only because I asked. Learning as I go to be sure and ask for things like labeled tacos and brisket by the pound. Two arrachera, two lengua and two poblanas. All small but very nice.
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