An Armadillo in My Latte!

Or at least that's what it looks like to me.

I found myself in Chicago again this past weekend -- a roadtrip with Ty, Spice (a former Chicago resident) and Karen. We went to brunch Sunday morning at a great little place on Clark Street in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood called Uncommon Grounds.

We met up with Spice's friends, Peter and Alaina and also were accompanied but a third Chicago denzien, Jamye. When we got to the restaurant, Peter and Alaina were waiting for us. Alaina had a bowl of coffee -- yes...a bowl...in the European sense. A mighty big and luscious caffeinated delight.

Karen and I delightedly seized upon the concept and each ordered a latte in this size. My caramel latte arrived, and as I gazed down in complete and utter admiration, I realized it not only looked delicious and smelled tantilizing. It. Was. Art.

Check it out -- there's a picture in the foam. And each milky coffee beverage served there has something different, apparently (Karen's design reminded us of a single, longstem rose). To me, my foam art looks like an armadillo, although I'm sure someone reading this will see something different. It's a fun spin on the inkblot tests!

Armadillo or whatever...it didn't last long. The caramel latte bowl tasted as good as it looked.

I downed pretty much all of it during the course of our brunch.

The meal itself was also quite delicious...I had the Green City Market Scramble -- asparagus, spring onions, sorrel, asiago cheese -- and shared a side of chicken, apple and sage sausage links with Karen. YUM!

I'm already plotting my next trip back there as there were other menu items that caught my eye. Although Spice wants us to try another place, M. Henry, if we return there together as a group again. Apparently it was too crowded for our group of 7. If it's anything like Uncommon Ground, I'm sure we will have absolutely no complaints!

The Cloud Gate

In Chicago's still relatively new Millennium Park, sits one of the coolest pieces of public art I've ever seen: The Cloud Gate.

This 110-ton elipitical dome with 12-feet arches on two sides leading to an inner chamber is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. Designed with liquid mercury as an inspriation, the structure is forged from a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates. These plates reflect the city's skyline from a myriad of angles, not to mention the clouds, sun and sky above the park.


The inside of this 33-feet tall, 66-feet wide structure is concave...you can climb underneath and peer up inside of it. And when you do, you feel as if you have fallen down into a some strange sort of Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole and when you look up, you see yourself at the top, looking back down upon you.

And...down on the lower portions of it, you can attempt to give yourself a high five, as Evan so deftly demonstrates below.

He's Watching You!

Chicago is a city full of great restaurants.

But when you travel with a picky 9 year old and don't want to have mealtime strife, you make reluctant accommodations even if your borderline foodie sensibilities are screaming to do otherwise. Or it could be a long vacation.

That's why we had dinner at the Mity Nice Grill at Watertower Place Saturday evening. Food wasn't bad but not necessarily thrilling, either...although Scott and I both enjoyed the reuben eggrolls...an interesting, and tasty, twist on a standard appetizer. I tried to eat healthy (maybe that's why my meal wasn't thrilling?) and got the roasted chicken, rice pilaf and broccoli for dinner. Good enough but I bet I would have enjoyed my meal more if I had ordered the signature mac and cheese! I could have ignored cholesterol content for one night...sigh.

Evan loved the place. Chicken tenders. Fries. And even better...a PLACEMAT THAT TURNED INTO A MASK!

Now how creepy is that?!?!

Manpris!

Spotted at the corner of Cedar and Rush streets in Chicago.

Sunday night. Outside the Big Bowl Cafe.


Not sure if the fact manpris simply are out there on the streets is worse than the fact that a dude old enough to be my grandpa is wearing them. With strappy mandals.


Maybe all of the above.


I'll let you be the judge.

iPhone Frenzy

Check out the line of iPhone fans outside the Apple store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago waiting for the iPhone 3G.

It wrapped halfway around the building down the block.

Scott and I are locked into a Sprint contract for two years and aren't willing to pay the $200 per handset to bail on it, so we shall remain iPhone-less...for now.

Although, we're both intrigued with the iPod touch. It makes my aging iPod truly look like a dinosaur

Name that Building...

We have an up-close-and-personal view of one of our country's most famous skyscrapers right outside of our hotel window.

We're going up to the observation deck in it at some point today.

The debate is whether to go up during the day or the evening. Daytime -- miles and miles of sights.

Nighttime...amazing views of sunset and twinkling landscapes.

Kiddie Managment...Vacation Style

Just kidding. :)

Evan took great delight in the fact his rollaway bed at the Westin Michigan Ave has "seatbelts."

And of course begged me to blog it.

Please ignore the squished dark chocolate Raisinet stuck to his sock.

I only noticed myself when I uploaded the pic.

Ewww.