el metate

we have driven by el metate about a thousand times. most times, one or the other of us says: "we should try that place." at last, action marries intention.

pequod's pizza

it feels like a little bit of a betrayal to say that, when i visit chicago now, pequod's is my first pizza priority, followed only later by chicago's. frankly, in the beginning, pequod's was mostly a novelty. i had first heard about it about a week after i arrived in chicago from a friendly sue devitt makeup stylist, who dubbed it "the best pizza in chicago." (she was the roommate of john and chip, the nebraska transplant boys who singlehandedly saved me from starvation by getting me a weekend job at the chicago air & water show that involved free food plus $80/day, so i was inclined to listen to her.) i tried it, and liked it, and continued eating it as a general matter, but there was no vital spark of recognition. no, back then, chicago's was the name of the game: the pepperoni pizza gleefully ordered from a cab -- with extra sauce -- sometime between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. on fridays and/or saturdays. (and/or thursdays. and sometimes during the day on sundays.) but, right around the summer of 2005, something started to change. pequod's crunchy caramelized crust of burnt cheese became less of a gimmick and more of a necessity to my tastebuds. i decided that pepperoni is tastier on top of a pizza, where it can crispen. i learned to love that robust and buttery bottom crust. and the sauce, delightfully tangy, had always been a favorite. thankfully, as the picture above can testify, nothing has changed at pequod's in the intervening years. sigh.

don't get me wrong, i still love chicago's. in fact, i had one just last sunday, at about 5:00 a.m.

publican

arancini

i can't think of a better use for leftover risotto and mozzarella scraps. i had made risotto with summer squash (zucchini & pattypan) a few days before, and there really wasn't enough left over for a full meal, much less two. and i was just about to leave for ten days, so it didn't make sense to leave perfectly good mozzarella cheese languishing (and, almost certainly, rotting) in my absence.

ingredients
risotto
cheese, in small chunks
basil leaves, chopped
salt
vegetable oil
bread crumbs

directions
1. surround cheese and basil with risotto. should be about the size of a small clementine.
2. squeeze gently.
3. roll in bread crumbs.
4. fry.
5. sprinkle a little salt on the hot balls.

david's should-be-world-famous grilled cheese sandwiches

david makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the universe. i think the key ingredient is dedication. the end product should be perfectly crisp outside -- but not hard -- and softening and melty on the inside.

(1) put buttered, sliced sourdough bread on a warm pan. layer with no fewer than two types of cheese -- at least one must be melty, the other should be sharp. these two are mild and sharp cheddars.

(2) top with another slice of buttered sourdough.
(3) cover and cook on medium-low heat. seriously, lower heat than you think. this should take about 20 minutes. at least. dedication, remember?
(4) just a little longer.
(5) omg.

san diego: (1) glorious and (2) disappointing

in chronological order.

(1) glorious: these cliffs are truly the best place for 'ritas and 'nitas. also, bonus points to adam for his mixologist skills -- the 'ritas were balanced and lovely.

(2) disappointing: why, hodad's, why? dry overcooked burger, unforgivably inept service (i.e., they forgot my bacon). do not believe the hype.