Hitting the Ground Running February 23, 2009

I am happy to report that I have an awesome new job that I’m eager to start tomorrow!  I’m excited because it’s a real next-step in my career, not just a job to keep me busy and pay my rent.  Like almost everyone else, I’ve had highs and lows in my relatively short professional life; I’ve made mistakes and learned so much, and I’m really looking forward to proving myself and succeeding in this position.  This is starting to sound like I’m writing a cover letter, but I really am excited and I feel so lucky to have been offered something in this kind of economy.

My new hours will be a little bit longer and my commute is further, so I’ve decided to incorporate running into my commute.  This way, running will be incorporated into my day, not something I’ll have to do AFTER a longer day and a longer commute.  It’s about a 4.5 mile run to my train, but I’ll probably extend that to 6 or 7 on a couple of days.  Fiance and I have been talking about biting the bullet and buying a place downtown (we’re further south in the suburbs right now), but until we do, I may just have to stick with shorter-to-middle distances given my schedule now (I should also mention I have a prospective, second part-time job I can do from home).  I’ve been looking at some good running backpacks so I can haul my stuff back and forth – if anyone has suggestions, holler at me!

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This weekend brought in the second year of Restaurant Week in Chicago.  Huzzah!  For those who don’t aren’t familiar with this, a lot of local restaurants offer a promotional prix fixe lunch and dinner menus for $22 and $32, respectively, during the week.  It’s a great chance to try a 3-course meal at the fancy-schmancy restaurants I can’t normally afford.  Fiance and I went to Aigre Doux last night, and their prix fixe dinner included an amazingly comforting roasted cauliflower soup and a luxurious maple flan for dessert.  Today, I had a late lunch with some friends at Cafe Spiaggia.

 

Tagliatelle Bolognese

Tiramisu at Cafe Spiaggia

We realized that the recently opened More Cupcakes was just a few blocks away from Cafe Spiaggia.  So a bunch of us cupcake connoiseurs trotted off in search of cupcake perfection.

 

Shelves of Cupcakes

Forever More Cupcakes!

More Cupcakes is famous for offering savory cupcakes.  They had a BLT cupcake, a tomato-ranch cupcake, and a cupcake take on mac & cheese.  I stuck with the sweets this time – lemon, chocolate champagne, mocha, and red velvet.  The cupcakes have an airy, slightly tangy cream cheese frosting that provides a great pairing to the moist richness of the cake.  I tend to prefer cream cheese frosting, since buttercream can be too much for me – like eating straight out of those tubs of frosting in the grocery store.  The search for exceptional cupcakes continues…

 

Foursome in a Box

Infidelity February 10, 2009

In lieu of Valentine’s Day, I’d like to make a confession.

I have not been faithful to my current love.  Long-term relationships are hard, and there are always rocky patches.  We’ve broken up, we’ve gotten back together, we’ve tried to keep it casual, and last year we became more serious than ever.  There have been so many instances where I think I’ve fallen out of love and tried to find that spark and passion in another, only to realize that I was deluding myself.  I’ve had so many indiscretions over the past years – I was lured in by Pilates with its promises of a strong core and flat belly.  I ran to the Elliptical after a particularly ugly fight over enduring shin splints.  During those crazy college years where standards are lowered and everything else looks more appealing, I even gave Bellydancing a try.  It seemed so fun and exotic, but in the end had little substance to offer.

And then there was the string of one-night stands while I was out of town.  Snowboarding, Rock-Climbing, Surfing.  Admittedly, it was quite exciting, but they never would’ve lasted.  After all, what did Surfing and I have in common, me living near the cold, smooth waters of Lake Michigan?  And Snowboarding…well, that was a little too rough for me.  Despite all the disagreements, all the grief this relationship has given me, the fact is that I could never commit to another like I am committed to Running.  Nothing else gives me that high, nothing else makes me feel quite as satisfied as I am after a great run, nothing else makes me want to stick around for life.  Running is my soulmate.

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My friend Nic and I went to a sushi buffet last Tuesday night.  That’s right, sushi buffet.  And not a ghetto buffet where poorly assembled California rolls with mealy rice have been sitting out for hours.  It was all-you-can-eat-sushi from an enormously comprehensive menu, the catch being that you had to eat every last thing you ordered, or you would have to pay a la carte for whatever rolls you had left on the plate.

 

"All You Can Eat" - My Favorite Words

 

The First Plate

The second plate looked pretty much the same.  We calculated that all in all, between the two of us, we probably consumed around 50 pieces of sushi, as well as various side dishes like dumplings and chicken yakitori.  Thank god I was wearing stretch jeans.

Fiance brought home a surprise gift for me from his coworker’s wife, who is the nicest and cheeriest woman ever – home-made toffee packaged with sticker hearts.  I think she reads this blog occasionally, so a big shout-out and thank you to the lovely Miss Greta (who is a painter, go check out her site).  The toffee was delicious!  (And yes, my parents taught me manners – I’ve already repaid her with cupcakes.)

 

For Moi???

 

I Love Toffee!

And last but not least, photos of Fiance’s and my dinner at Antico Posto (the food is amazing):

 

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Cavatelli alla Vodka

 

Porcini Mushroom Ravioli

I Hear Spike Lee’s Shooting Down the Street February 3, 2009

I came back from New York City to a postcard from a restaurant empire.  ”Thank you for your application,” it read, but unfortunately we have no positions that match your skillset.  I don’t even remember applying for any positions with this corporation.  How depressing is it that I am now being rejected for positions I haven’t even applied for?  Hear that hissing noise?  That’s the sound of air leaving my self-esteem balloon.  Hissssssss…

But enough!  I have a phone interview tomorrow, and I had a great time in NYC.  I’ve always been a bit intimidated to live in New York, but I’m in love with the compact culture of it all.  I love the farmers markets that don’t fold up in the cold and sell hot apple cider downtown.  I love the street vendors with hot dogs and pitas and falafels, which are so noticeably absent in Chicago.  (To be fair, we DO have Puppet Bike.)  People complain that New Yorkers are cold, but I love how independent and unabashedly opinionated they are.  Dear New York:  I have a crush on you.  Love, Kai.

Here is a list of hospitality establishments I enjoyed in NYC:
East Village Thai Restaurant
The Sunburnt Cow (unlimited mimosas!)
Crumbs
Royal Bangladesh
Katra
Crocodile Lounge (skeeball, shooting games, and free pizza with every drink order!)
16 Handles
Artichoke
Veselka’s

After all the eating, I feel like I need a week to detox.  Except that I’m headed out for a sushi buffet tomorrow night, and restaurant week in Chicago is quickly coming upon us.  You know what that means – time to start training for an ultra-marathon.

Pad Kee Mao at East Village Thai

Top-Ranked Rafiqi's Street Cart

 

Rafiqi's Chicken Over Rice

 

Cupcake Display at Crumbs

 

Coconut Cupcake

Festive Lights at Royal Bangladesh

 

Wine and Samosas

Poached Egg w/ Crabcakes at Sunburnt Cow

 

Artichoke - NYC's Newest Pizza Hot Spot

 

A Slice to Die For

A Sexy Cake for the Sexy Ladies

 

Cleansing My Palate at 16 Handles

Brownie points if you can name what musical my post title comes from.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m getting back on the treadmill and I’m not getting off until I’ve burned the caloric equivalent of 6 full meals in NYC, which would be a feat to rival Dean Karnazes’ crazy stunts.  Happy running and eating, guys! 

 

NOM NOM CUPCAKE