When Eric Brace posted the other day about our canceled house concert he mentioned the tamale place in Indianapolis they go to. For some reason in the middle of that night, when I couldn't sleep I started googling it and thinking about food…and then in that dreamy half-awake state I started making food lists in my head before I fell asleep. These are not necessarily the most exotic or interesting things I've ever eaten, but the ones that were revelatory. Sometimes it was the first time I'd had that food, like the eggplant parmesan or the asparagus…and others were times it was just the most perfect version, like both hamburgers on the list, as different as they are.
Eggplant parmigiana in the Allen Hall dorm cafeteria.
Asparagus at some architecture conference reception in Ann Arbor
Lobster roll at the Pier Patio Pub in Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Burritos at some little Mexican spot on Howard in Chicago
Spanokopita at the Hip Pocket on Green Street
Homemade pesto in our apartment in Chicago
Homemade hummus in our old rental house in Centennial Park
Swordfish, halibut and lobsters from Bayley's Lobster Pound in Pine Point, Me
Smoked salmon from Captain Vinny at Boldcoast Smokehouse in Lubec, Maine
Fresh sesame bagels from New York Bagels and Bialy west of Chicago on Touhy, with cream cheese from the deli next door
Steamers at my grandparents' house in Maine
Bean soup at Deluxe in Campustown
Tamales my friend made in Chicago, taught by her Mexican-American mother in law
Chinese food in Chinatown sometime around 1990 in Chicago when a Chinese friend ordered everything off-menu
Cuban food in Calle Ocho in Miami…when we won the trip to Miami from the Maverick's first MCA album.
Mussels at Fore Street in Portland, Maine
Doughnuts from Donut Dip in Springfield, Massachusetts
Some coffee shop in Albuquerque near our hotel a million years ago…amazing New Mexican food
Green papaya salad from a place across from our hotel in St. Louis about ten years ago or so
The first time I had Thai food in Chicago at Star of Siam, a, well, a billion years ago with a friend from work
Cheddar biscuits from a barbecue place in Birmingham when we were there for a Lego convention
New England hot dog buns
Cheese plate at Baumgartner's Cheese Store and Tavern in Monroe, Wisconsin, just a few months ago
First real Chicago hot dog with my sister from some diner in Rogers Park when I was still in high school
Hamburgers at Moody's Pub in Chicago
Hamburgers at Green Gables just north of Bloomington
Deep fried green olives at some tapas place in Clemson, SC with my sister Judi
Superdawg. Always Superdawg.
Ok, I'll stop now, but I may update later.
What you got?
Last time we were at the Donut Dip