Alex

If you're a pie fan, there's also Hoosier Mama Pie Company, on W Chicago Ave.

Here's a list of LTHForum's Great Neighborhood Restaurants. Some are high-end, like El Ideas and Elizabeth, and some are very well known, but there are plenty of lesser known, and less expensive, gems in the list. I and/or Ms. Alex can personally attest to these: Anteprima, avec, BIG & little's, Big Jones, Delightful Pastries, Floriole Café & Bakery (my favorite bakery in Chicago), probably Hopleaf (going there for the first time next week), Mixteco Grill, Purple Pig, Smoque BBQ, Vera, Violet Hour, Xoco, Vie.

OK, let's get this party started. If you're taking US-30 then US-41 into Chicago, and if you're beer drinkers, you owe yourselves a stop at Three Floyds Brewpub. In Chicago, 90 Miles Cuban Cafe and Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits More suggestions to follow...

Ah. Perhaps you could ask him, and also where he plans to first pick up 30, then post here.

How will you be detouring between 30 and Chicago? Are you planning to stay in or near Chicago for one or more nights? Do I assume correctly that the don't-miss places you're asking about are the kind that are locally famous but perhaps off-beat and off-the-beaten-track?

I always knew it as b'stilla. In fact, there was a restaurant of that name near me when I lived in Detroit, way too many years ago. Here's a good recipe from Saveur. (Use the chicken thighs )

Kugel! It's simple, and you can make it savory, sweet, or combo. Recipes (and opinions) abound. For example: Savory potato kugel from Francis Lam (!) Sweet noodle (lokshen) kugel from Dave Lieberman Jerusalem kugel (peppery sweet) from food dot com

Semi-echoing my previous comment, you're going into a metro area in which you, I assume, will be the first to use this sort of reservation system -- which means that you're going to have a whole lot of convincing to do. I'd be tempted to start with, say, half the seats on pre-pay, with a modest discount for doing so. Many hotels and car rental companies are doing this now. I'd also have people prepay the entire amount rather than half, with a modest penalty -- maybe $25 per seat -- for cancelling within 48 or 72 hours, and only if the seats aren't re-filled. You can always evaluate how your policy is working, and adjust it if needed.

Are you still looking at St. Louis or environs? If so, do you think a system like this would fly there?

I strongly agree with Anna N and Tere: Forget the eggs, etc. -- tea (or coffee or other beverage of their choice) and a very modest pastry or cookie would be perfect. (When I was a kid, it would have been Entenmann's. Or Stella D'Oro.) Remember, they'll be eating lunch in two hours.

Excellent article in the Feb 18 Washington Post about this topic.

Thai Sweet Chile Veggie Burgers were surprisingly good. I prepared them as suggested on the package, on a metal tray in a 450F oven (Breville). The edges crisped up nicely but the rest was still soft -- a not-uncommon occurrence with veggie burgers. They exuded some oil while cooking. There was a slight capsicum kick, maybe a 2 on a 10-point scale. A patty is only 2.5 oz, so two would be a reasonable serving. Next time, I'd lean toward making a double burger on a roll with some additions for texture -- lettuce or slaw at the very least. Two patties have 16 g of protein (mostly soy), also 540 mg sodium and 34 g carbohydrates.

Wouldn't fuzzy rice feel weird in your mouth? ----------- I've always used a saute pan, but I do have this cooker, so I'll have to try it.

Partner #3? Sounds like an interesting household.

I concur with JeanneCake's comment: However, Restaurant Jezebel, late of Austin, TX, now in Lockhart, has a variation on this concept. From their "About Jezebel" page, which is replete with purple prose: It's not just an entree, though; it's a five-course prix fixe for $125. Ms. Alex ate there several years ago, when they were in Austin, and enjoyed it immensely.

It's interesting that you call this a "tribal" recipe. What do you mean by "tribal" and what makes the recipe a "tribal" one?

Now I must share this misbegotten Mozilla Japan (i.e., Firefox) logo from about ten years ago, I think.

I suspect that at that time they still would be eating something akin to what was described in Genesis 25 -- "red broth," "lentil soup" (or "pottage," which is a long-cooked stew) -- possibly with some mutton for flavoring, along with whatever vegetables were available at the moment. I'd just improvise and not worry about a recipe; I'm sure the folks back then didn't.

Yes -- a first edition of a rare book w/a good condition dust jacket can be quite valuable. (I have a cousin who collects those.) I'd say $800-1000.

If you use shredded raw potatoes, you might want to squish some liquid out of them first. Serious Eats has a brief how-to summary.

Bought a bunch of stuff today. The tart cherry juice was delicious. It would work well in a spritzer. The organic raisins are, well, organic raisins. Same thought about the dried Montmorency cherries -- no better or worse than others I've had. The wild-catch nova lox (8 oz package) was very tasty but a royal pain to separate into usable thin slices. It'll be back to the 4-oz non-nova next time. More news as it happens. I did buy the frozen Thai veggie burgers.

Breakfast #1: Kanela Breakfast Club, 3231 N Clark, just north of Belmont. (Ms. Alex is a big fan.) Then take the Clark bus to Graceland. Or you can walk if it's nice out. Breakfast #2: The Bongo Room, 5022 N Clark, at the south end of Andersonville (see below), a little north of Graceland. Andersonville (take the Clark bus to Foster or thereabouts) is fun for shopping, whether browsing or buying. Eat lunch at Big Jones, Hopleaf, or m. henry. The Southport area, from Roscoe north to Irving Park, also is fun for shopping and eating. Have breakfast or lunch at Southport Grocery and get some ice cream at Jeni's.

Any thoughts about this month's crop? In addition to various staples and items I already know are good, I was thinking about getting the Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burgers and the Organic Vodka Sauce.

Thanks, Rob. I haven't yet, but I will. Their website says they're available at a store not far from me. In fact, I was shopping there just a few hours before you posted.

I agree. Looks like green cabbage color-enhanced by tomato paste, paprika, and turmeric.