My Fair Lady - Chicago part 1
We didn't leave Kalamazoo until 11am, so there was plenty of time for a lovely slow morning.
The bus ride felt incredibly long, even though it was the shortest one of the week! It's because we wanted to be in Chicago so badly! And when we could see the city in the distance suddenly everyone was talking excitedly about their plans, where to eat, what to see and do. It was refreshing. This tour got off to such a rough start, and we've had so few extended stays anywhere. We needed this.
The hotel is the Allegro Sonesta, and it's a fancy old one, formerly a Bismark hotel built in the 1920s. As homage to that the decor is Deco-themed.
As with most inner city hotels, the room is small and has limited counter space and outlets. The ironing board will do time as a table for me this week. Because of the limited counter space I was forced to do some furniture rearranging before heading off to Eataly.
Elen (cellist) came with me, although I tried to deter her by essentially being cantankerous and saying I didn't want to socialize. She said she'd walk with me and then leave me to shop, and I agreed to this. We chatted and walked, and shared our worries about what will happen when tour ends. She broke her hand partway through tour and missed several weeks and THOUSANDS of dollars of income that she was depending on :( It is terrifying to lose work, plus, it's incredibly hard to get a basic job any more. We're constantly hearing how "No one is willing to work these days," but have any of the people saying that tried getting a job lately?? I am lucky if I get one interview for every 50 applications, that is NOT an exaggeration.
Anyway, we got to Eataly and I had the pleasure of seeing Elen gape at three floors of Italian awesomeness. I gave her vague directions for where things were likely to be (it's been years since I've been there after all) and we parted ways. I started on the ground floor, where there are grab-and-go cafes with pizza, sweet breads, Italian coffee, chocolates, prepackaged cookies/crackers/biscotti, and dessert pastries.
Near the checkout they tend to keep smaller items that make good gifts for shipping, so I started there and got many nice things for my siblings and their kids, stepmom, step-grandparents, and Jameson of course. Tiny jars of Italian honey; an herbal tea blend for Kate; strawberry-flavored chocolates; a packet of fruit chews for the kids; limoncello prepackaged pastries; a chocolate pistachio "cigar" for Jameson to hopefully "celebrate" good news, haha. And a bag of mezzaluna cookies/pastries for the band :) I wanted to get more savory items like maybe some special olive oils or spices...but those are SO EXPENSIVE. There wasn't a single truffle-adjacent item under $20!! Booo.
On the second floor were the sit-down restaurants, the huge wine department, meats and cheeses, sauces, and pastas fresh and dry.
I got everyone dry pasta last time, so only got some for my stepmom (she didn't get Eataly souvenirs at all last time.) Found a cured salami to send to people, even though it's made in the US I know people wouldn't buy it for themselves. Back on the ground floor I fretted over what to get for dinner. Everything always looks amazing and I want to try all of it! Eventually I settled on a slice of mushroom and a slice of margherita pizza. I checked out and everything was around $250, ouch, but also well worth it. None of my family has ever been to Chicago, and none of us has even a drop of Italian blood, so these are rare delicacies indeed for them. I have the privilege of being here, of being able to spend time and money here. I want to share that experience any way that I can.
Some of my haul to send to family:
It was almost dinner time so I heated and ate the mushroom pizza, it was VERY good and my favorite part was that it didn't depend on loads of cheese. There was some but it was tastefully applied, the mushrooms were so flavorful and the true star. I ended up eating half the margherita later...it was disappointingly bland. Eataly's pasta has NEVER been disappointing in any way, just sayin.
Since it was still early I decided to walk to the nearest Amazon GO store.
Amazon GO is a cashierless, "frictionless checkout" store. You enter using a credit card or your palm (if you have Amazon One), then pick up the items you want, and just leave. No scanning each item, no digging in pockets for card or cash. The store itself is very basic, it looks just like an airport convenience store. But the technology involved in being able to shop like this is FASCINATING, and I wanted the experience.
Here's a video I made of what it was like. It still feels quite strange to walk out of a store without interacting with someone, scanning the items, or proccessing some sort of payment. But I love it :)
Also, please don't whine at me about jobs being lost to this. Our economy is changing so drastically that we're going to have to reevaluate what humans will be doing for work in the very near future, across many industries. Also, being an underpaid cashier at a convenience store is NO ONE'S dream job, and it does not pay enough for one adult to survive, much less a family. It's a desperation job at best. And as mentioned in conversation with Elen on the way to Eataly, people like us are applying for actual, available, open cashier positions...and not getting them. The purpose of cashierless checkout is to increase efficiency/time savings, and I am FOR that. We all waste YEARS' worth of time standing in line.
Anyway, I got to check out some extremely cool technology that is still very much in the testing phase. If this ever goes mainstream, grocery shopping will be SO much faster! Back at the hotel it was time to fully unpack and chill out for reals. Typed this post up and chatted with Jameson and my sisters, made plans for the week. It's good to be in one place for a while.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I slept better than expected and enjoyed coffee, oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit in my hotel room.
Worked on some Foodie Finds, looked at and bookmarked some jobs. Worried about how I'm gonna get laundry done this week.
And walked to Russian Tea Time for lunch.
(2nd photo courtesy VOX)
It was slow, and I was seated immediately. This was a moderately upscale place, and even though I'd dressed nicely I felt worried about how...AUSTERE the vibe was. It made me worry about my table manners! But the servers were friendly and helpful with decision-making, which made things feel less stuffy and more friendly. I wanted to try their house-infused vodka but couldn't decide on a flavor. The server said she liked the horseradish one the best, so I was about to get that but she said the smallest pour you could get was 2oz. And a flight of THREE flavors was 3oz. So I mean...!
Beet, horseradish, and coriander. (On the menu the middle shot is tea, but they were happy to switch in the horseradish.)
From spending time with Russians in the circus, I know that you're not supposed to SIP vodka served this way. So I started with the coriander shot; smelled it and threw it back. "Будем здоровы!"
I was surprised at how smooth it was, no booze face at all, and the pickle was a great chaser. The beet shot smelled very good, so I DID sip that and was glad I did. It was sweet and earthy, complex, and it would have been a waste not to savor it.
I waited a solid 15 minutes to do the horseradish shot, hoping they'd bring my food out. I killed time texting pictures of the experience to Jameson, his parents, my siblings, etc, and chatting with them about how their day(s) were going. But in my peripheral vision I could see the servers hovering, like, waiting for me to finish so they could bring out my entree. Fine then: I smelled the shot (powerful horseradish smell!) and down the hatch. IT WAS SO GOOD. Spicy of course, but so flavorful and clean. Obviously would be excellent in a Bloody Mary, but also with charcuterie, or pumpernickel bread, lox, capers, olives...I was seriously impressed, and not just because I had a great buzz going :p
The minute I set the shot glass down my food came out (uh huh, that's what I thought.)
Grilled wild quail, mashed potatoes, polenta, arugula, stewed prunes, and raisins in a Madeira-wine berry sauce.
My goodness. I was worried about how to eat the quail but luckily a gentleman across the room had ordered the same thing, and I saw him picking up the leg and wing bones and eating them as you would wings, so I did that too. I've never had quail before today; it's very good, maybe like deeply marinated chicken thigh meat. Very flavorful. Everything else was fantastic too, with most things being savory and smoky and the sauce bringing a beautiful sweetness. And the portions were perfect.
They sell their infused vodkas in 375ml or 750ml bottles. I decided that Jameson NEEDED the horseradish vodka. He loves Bloody Marys, and nothing would be more perfect for that. I'll ship it with his Eataly and Chinatown treats.
On the way back to the hotel I stopped at Target for a few small things and to kill time and because the weather was shockingly nice (mid-60s, in Chicago, in early March!! Global warming indeed!) Then hydrated and relaxed until sound check at the Nederlander Theatre. Which is gorgeous. It was, of course, formerly a 1920s movie palace.
Our cellist showed up with food poisoning, and had to call out (she was shaking it was so bad and kept having to leave to puke) so we got an emergency cellist named Mark. Poor guy had to sightread the book, but he did an absolutely excellent job! And Elen is ok, she hydrated and rested and last I heard was feeling much better, having gotten whatever-it-was out of her system.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday we had two matinees and they were earlier than usual (1pm and 7pm) so there was not time for adventures. I booked a laundry service and they said they'd pick up by 1pm, but they weren't there by 12:30 so I had to leave my dirty clothes at the front desk (eew, sorry guys) and get to the theatre for a day of work.
First of all our cellist was feeling much better, having barfed out all of whatever made her sick. Yay! (And now you know why I almost always do my foodie adventures for LUNCH lol. No seriously that is why.) Also, at each of our spots in the pit was a surprise: a bag of Garrett Popcorn from our conductor, DAR! The "Chicago Mix" of cheddar cheese popcorn and caramel corn, of course.
I love this popcorn but have to eat it with Lactaid due to the powdered milk and cream (which I did, immediately. So good.)
The show went well and it was a good audience that laughed a lot. Afterward we saw several of our tour's head honchos checking in at the hotel where we're staying; two Crossroads shows are in town playing simultaneously, so this is a good time for corporate to visit. Gosh, I'll have to behave myself (far too late for that :p )
During the break I did nothing special, just ate dinner and showered and made plans with two of my sisters who are coming to Albuquerque to see the show next week. The evening show was good, it sounded like a full house out there and it was a very responsive crowd.
------------------------------------------------------------
On Thursday I'm walking back to Eataly because a local trombonist very generously gave me a gift card! To get something nice for the band. It is convenient because the bag of mezzaluna that I bought for them only has six cookies in it (I didn't realize until I got home) so I will buy more cookies and also some fruit gummies.
In the afternoon I get to enjoy an omakase experience at Jinsei Motto, thanks to a gift card from my sister Raven!
And in the evening we'll have a show and a meet-and-greet with the cast of Pretty Woman (and corporate.)
Weekend Chicago plans include a whole day in Chinatown on Friday; shipping souvenirs to family; two shows on Saturday and one on Sunday; and a Golden Day on Monday whence I hope to try Japanese omurice and visit the art museum!
The bus ride felt incredibly long, even though it was the shortest one of the week! It's because we wanted to be in Chicago so badly! And when we could see the city in the distance suddenly everyone was talking excitedly about their plans, where to eat, what to see and do. It was refreshing. This tour got off to such a rough start, and we've had so few extended stays anywhere. We needed this.
The hotel is the Allegro Sonesta, and it's a fancy old one, formerly a Bismark hotel built in the 1920s. As homage to that the decor is Deco-themed.
As with most inner city hotels, the room is small and has limited counter space and outlets. The ironing board will do time as a table for me this week. Because of the limited counter space I was forced to do some furniture rearranging before heading off to Eataly.
Elen (cellist) came with me, although I tried to deter her by essentially being cantankerous and saying I didn't want to socialize. She said she'd walk with me and then leave me to shop, and I agreed to this. We chatted and walked, and shared our worries about what will happen when tour ends. She broke her hand partway through tour and missed several weeks and THOUSANDS of dollars of income that she was depending on :( It is terrifying to lose work, plus, it's incredibly hard to get a basic job any more. We're constantly hearing how "No one is willing to work these days," but have any of the people saying that tried getting a job lately?? I am lucky if I get one interview for every 50 applications, that is NOT an exaggeration.
Anyway, we got to Eataly and I had the pleasure of seeing Elen gape at three floors of Italian awesomeness. I gave her vague directions for where things were likely to be (it's been years since I've been there after all) and we parted ways. I started on the ground floor, where there are grab-and-go cafes with pizza, sweet breads, Italian coffee, chocolates, prepackaged cookies/crackers/biscotti, and dessert pastries.
Near the checkout they tend to keep smaller items that make good gifts for shipping, so I started there and got many nice things for my siblings and their kids, stepmom, step-grandparents, and Jameson of course. Tiny jars of Italian honey; an herbal tea blend for Kate; strawberry-flavored chocolates; a packet of fruit chews for the kids; limoncello prepackaged pastries; a chocolate pistachio "cigar" for Jameson to hopefully "celebrate" good news, haha. And a bag of mezzaluna cookies/pastries for the band :) I wanted to get more savory items like maybe some special olive oils or spices...but those are SO EXPENSIVE. There wasn't a single truffle-adjacent item under $20!! Booo.
On the second floor were the sit-down restaurants, the huge wine department, meats and cheeses, sauces, and pastas fresh and dry.
I got everyone dry pasta last time, so only got some for my stepmom (she didn't get Eataly souvenirs at all last time.) Found a cured salami to send to people, even though it's made in the US I know people wouldn't buy it for themselves. Back on the ground floor I fretted over what to get for dinner. Everything always looks amazing and I want to try all of it! Eventually I settled on a slice of mushroom and a slice of margherita pizza. I checked out and everything was around $250, ouch, but also well worth it. None of my family has ever been to Chicago, and none of us has even a drop of Italian blood, so these are rare delicacies indeed for them. I have the privilege of being here, of being able to spend time and money here. I want to share that experience any way that I can.
Some of my haul to send to family:
It was almost dinner time so I heated and ate the mushroom pizza, it was VERY good and my favorite part was that it didn't depend on loads of cheese. There was some but it was tastefully applied, the mushrooms were so flavorful and the true star. I ended up eating half the margherita later...it was disappointingly bland. Eataly's pasta has NEVER been disappointing in any way, just sayin.
Since it was still early I decided to walk to the nearest Amazon GO store.
Amazon GO is a cashierless, "frictionless checkout" store. You enter using a credit card or your palm (if you have Amazon One), then pick up the items you want, and just leave. No scanning each item, no digging in pockets for card or cash. The store itself is very basic, it looks just like an airport convenience store. But the technology involved in being able to shop like this is FASCINATING, and I wanted the experience.
Here's a video I made of what it was like. It still feels quite strange to walk out of a store without interacting with someone, scanning the items, or proccessing some sort of payment. But I love it :)
Click to viewAlso, please don't whine at me about jobs being lost to this. Our economy is changing so drastically that we're going to have to reevaluate what humans will be doing for work in the very near future, across many industries. Also, being an underpaid cashier at a convenience store is NO ONE'S dream job, and it does not pay enough for one adult to survive, much less a family. It's a desperation job at best. And as mentioned in conversation with Elen on the way to Eataly, people like us are applying for actual, available, open cashier positions...and not getting them. The purpose of cashierless checkout is to increase efficiency/time savings, and I am FOR that. We all waste YEARS' worth of time standing in line.
Anyway, I got to check out some extremely cool technology that is still very much in the testing phase. If this ever goes mainstream, grocery shopping will be SO much faster! Back at the hotel it was time to fully unpack and chill out for reals. Typed this post up and chatted with Jameson and my sisters, made plans for the week. It's good to be in one place for a while.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I slept better than expected and enjoyed coffee, oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit in my hotel room.
Worked on some Foodie Finds, looked at and bookmarked some jobs. Worried about how I'm gonna get laundry done this week.
And walked to Russian Tea Time for lunch.
(2nd photo courtesy VOX)
It was slow, and I was seated immediately. This was a moderately upscale place, and even though I'd dressed nicely I felt worried about how...AUSTERE the vibe was. It made me worry about my table manners! But the servers were friendly and helpful with decision-making, which made things feel less stuffy and more friendly. I wanted to try their house-infused vodka but couldn't decide on a flavor. The server said she liked the horseradish one the best, so I was about to get that but she said the smallest pour you could get was 2oz. And a flight of THREE flavors was 3oz. So I mean...!
Beet, horseradish, and coriander. (On the menu the middle shot is tea, but they were happy to switch in the horseradish.)
From spending time with Russians in the circus, I know that you're not supposed to SIP vodka served this way. So I started with the coriander shot; smelled it and threw it back. "Будем здоровы!"
I was surprised at how smooth it was, no booze face at all, and the pickle was a great chaser. The beet shot smelled very good, so I DID sip that and was glad I did. It was sweet and earthy, complex, and it would have been a waste not to savor it.
I waited a solid 15 minutes to do the horseradish shot, hoping they'd bring my food out. I killed time texting pictures of the experience to Jameson, his parents, my siblings, etc, and chatting with them about how their day(s) were going. But in my peripheral vision I could see the servers hovering, like, waiting for me to finish so they could bring out my entree. Fine then: I smelled the shot (powerful horseradish smell!) and down the hatch. IT WAS SO GOOD. Spicy of course, but so flavorful and clean. Obviously would be excellent in a Bloody Mary, but also with charcuterie, or pumpernickel bread, lox, capers, olives...I was seriously impressed, and not just because I had a great buzz going :p
The minute I set the shot glass down my food came out (uh huh, that's what I thought.)
Grilled wild quail, mashed potatoes, polenta, arugula, stewed prunes, and raisins in a Madeira-wine berry sauce.
My goodness. I was worried about how to eat the quail but luckily a gentleman across the room had ordered the same thing, and I saw him picking up the leg and wing bones and eating them as you would wings, so I did that too. I've never had quail before today; it's very good, maybe like deeply marinated chicken thigh meat. Very flavorful. Everything else was fantastic too, with most things being savory and smoky and the sauce bringing a beautiful sweetness. And the portions were perfect.
They sell their infused vodkas in 375ml or 750ml bottles. I decided that Jameson NEEDED the horseradish vodka. He loves Bloody Marys, and nothing would be more perfect for that. I'll ship it with his Eataly and Chinatown treats.
On the way back to the hotel I stopped at Target for a few small things and to kill time and because the weather was shockingly nice (mid-60s, in Chicago, in early March!! Global warming indeed!) Then hydrated and relaxed until sound check at the Nederlander Theatre. Which is gorgeous. It was, of course, formerly a 1920s movie palace.
Our cellist showed up with food poisoning, and had to call out (she was shaking it was so bad and kept having to leave to puke) so we got an emergency cellist named Mark. Poor guy had to sightread the book, but he did an absolutely excellent job! And Elen is ok, she hydrated and rested and last I heard was feeling much better, having gotten whatever-it-was out of her system.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday we had two matinees and they were earlier than usual (1pm and 7pm) so there was not time for adventures. I booked a laundry service and they said they'd pick up by 1pm, but they weren't there by 12:30 so I had to leave my dirty clothes at the front desk (eew, sorry guys) and get to the theatre for a day of work.
First of all our cellist was feeling much better, having barfed out all of whatever made her sick. Yay! (And now you know why I almost always do my foodie adventures for LUNCH lol. No seriously that is why.) Also, at each of our spots in the pit was a surprise: a bag of Garrett Popcorn from our conductor, DAR! The "Chicago Mix" of cheddar cheese popcorn and caramel corn, of course.
I love this popcorn but have to eat it with Lactaid due to the powdered milk and cream (which I did, immediately. So good.)
The show went well and it was a good audience that laughed a lot. Afterward we saw several of our tour's head honchos checking in at the hotel where we're staying; two Crossroads shows are in town playing simultaneously, so this is a good time for corporate to visit. Gosh, I'll have to behave myself (far too late for that :p )
During the break I did nothing special, just ate dinner and showered and made plans with two of my sisters who are coming to Albuquerque to see the show next week. The evening show was good, it sounded like a full house out there and it was a very responsive crowd.
------------------------------------------------------------
On Thursday I'm walking back to Eataly because a local trombonist very generously gave me a gift card! To get something nice for the band. It is convenient because the bag of mezzaluna that I bought for them only has six cookies in it (I didn't realize until I got home) so I will buy more cookies and also some fruit gummies.
In the afternoon I get to enjoy an omakase experience at Jinsei Motto, thanks to a gift card from my sister Raven!
And in the evening we'll have a show and a meet-and-greet with the cast of Pretty Woman (and corporate.)
Weekend Chicago plans include a whole day in Chinatown on Friday; shipping souvenirs to family; two shows on Saturday and one on Sunday; and a Golden Day on Monday whence I hope to try Japanese omurice and visit the art museum!