baa

"We usually are in Wisconsin for about ten pounds. That means one week for those of you who have never visited Wisconsin. That is how time is measured in Wisconsin. Well, it should be. 'How long have you been in Wisconsin?' 'Forty pounds.' ... Eating healthy in Wisconsin makes as much sense as going to rehab in Amsterdam. It just doesn't work. ... Eating is important in Wisconsin. Even their beloved Green Bay football team is called the Packers. The state is about eating. It makes sense that the serial killer from Milwaukee was also eating his victims."

-Jim Gaffigan, Food

I'm back from IFT deliriously losing track of the days and tired in the kind of way only old people can be. I'm not even sure why. In four days, I did a lot of sitting/sleeping in the car, sitting and watching PD and Jenna's 'compatibility' mishap, sitting and trying to write my conclusion (which drove Rachel crazy apparently), sitting on the hotel floor devouring a deep dish pizza, sitting and sweating through three rounds of College Bowl, sitting and cheering as Wisco wins at almost everything. But between all the various modes of sitting, there was taking our little Rachel around the Expo floor until my feet bled and screamed. There was small talk and trying to make new friends and testing familiar faces to see if they remember me too. And then the student party at the neatest venue that reminded me of my drink limit. You know, the delirium is probably mostly due to not drinking my usual six gallons of water a day.

So the exert is misleading because I'm talking about Chicago, but it was my favorite part of the food audiobook I listened to while at a food conference.
When the host at Au Cheval told us the wait at 6pm was going to be "10, 10:30" we laughed out loud and stumbled into Little Goat Diner one block over. We sat at the diner salivating and watching all the wonderful plates of fries and nachos and pancakes and tower burgers go out.

Where Abbey and I were both little piggys that went all the way to China - sesame cheddar biscuit, sunny eggs, szechuan pork sausage, chili garlic chive sauce, blackberries.

Just look at it. So pretty, so vibrant. The fluffy biscuit soaking in the sweet and salty numbing chili sauce. The blackberries were a surprising touch and went hand in hand with a bite of sausage. And how can I forget my favorite thing - the sexy oozy egg yolk.

Ugh, and then I found the other egg. Didn't notice the "eggS" on the menu at first, so it was the most wonderful surprise.

Such satisfaction. And then I got to polish off Abbey's scraps when she was full.
Just what I needed after a cleansing lunch of cucumbers and hummus in the car ride down.