Living for the City

We Chicagoans may get frostbite waiting at bus stops for six months a year, but the summer is spent making up for it with endless festivals, dining alfresco, afternoons at the beach, and lots of sweat for those of us without AC. This weekend was a perfect example. Pride culminated in a two-part parade today, interrupted by brief rain and lightning a dancer falling off a float. Stevie Wonder played for almost three hours last night at the Taste of Chicago where I danced barefoot with about 75,000 other happy fans. We played early morning softball poorly, went to the green market, took my cousins to see Wall-E downtown, and enjoyed the respite from the sun(burn) provided by all the passing rain clouds.

Saturday morning I spent $30.50 on:

1 box blueberries
1 box cherries
1 bunch white satin carrots*
1 bunch daikon
1 bunch beets
1 bunch peppermint
3 eight-ball yellow squash
3 portabella mushrooms
1 bunch green garlic
a few garlic scrapes
1 head of cauliflower
4 vine ripened tomatoes

*These were labeled "White Satan Carrots" which is the only reason I noticed them. For sale at a pricey booth of microgreens that I can never afford, I found a lone bunch and got them because the name made me laugh. I wish I'd taken a picture.

I spent Saturday afternoon sampling these at the Taste of Chicago:

Billy Goat Inn
¼ cheeseburger. OK. Go for the goofy tradition, not the food.

Bolat African Cuisine
Jerk Chicken, Beans & Rice, Plantains. Nicely spiced sauce, plantains perfectly cooked. Much better than the goat last year.

Canady le Chocolatier
Fruiti di Bosco Sorbet, two bites of Pistachio Gelato. Antidote to heat, portions a bit small, friendly staff.

Dominick’s
watermelon slice. seedless, crisp, and juicy. ridiculous line, but nice guy at booth gave me a full slice for the price of a "taste" portion for being patient about the mouthy broad in front of me.

Hashbrown’s
sweet potato hashbrowns. Not what I expected: basically shredded steamed sweet potatoes that didn't taste pan fried and needed salt.

Wow Bao
Hot kung pao chicken Asian Bao. Spicy in the middle, soft bun mellows the heat. Asian buns are the new burrito.

Ricobene’s
Italian breaded steak sandwich. Rich sauce, meat a bit chewy.

C'est Si Bon
Cajun meatballs. Good amount of spicy and nice "taste of" portion

Costa’s
baklava. my only complaint? plastic forks don't work: it is worth resorting to eating with your hands.