Local Writers

So I read an article this morning about a bookstore in Forest Park specializing in mysteries, histories and biographies, celebrating its 20th anniversary. So early this afternoon, Amy and I are on the way to Forest Park to visit Centuries and Sleuths.

It's a comfortable bookstore that doesn't overwhelm you with sheer volume. I can only speak for myself, but when I walk into Powell's, particularly the one in Portland, I spend half my time in a panic that I won't see it all. My own goal was to to get something by one of the many Chicago Crime writers dubbed "The Outfit." This is a blog they operate. The nice lady working the shop steered me into Chicago Blues, a collection of hard boiled short stories by several of them. Looking forward to it.

We had brunch after at Francesca Fiore. Sausage. Eggs. Good stuff.

The Last Exorcism

I took Amy to see The Last Exorcism. A likable fundamentalist preacher is making a documentary about how he has faked exorcisms for the past 20 years by taking a camera crew with him to his "last exorcism." He shows how he arranges for sound effects and how he uses fishing line to pull over vases and pictures. He hasn't lived a sham so much as his faith has changed, and he has a strong belief in the science that recently saved his son's life. The only hitch is that for the first time, he seems to have run up against the real thing.

I mean that's great! I was delighted with the concept and execution with (as the critics I like are saying) the exception of the last two or three minutes.

Guys who like food

When I was in high school a good friend and I wrote a food column in the school paper called "Two Guys Who Like Food." It was a fantastic excuse to leave school and eat. It was a lot of fun. Scott has had his own part-time photography business for several years now.

Now Amy and I are going to be doing a cool secret shopper gig for a good restaurant chain in the area, necessitating weekly detailed reviews. We went to our orientation this evening downtown. It's going to be an excellent learning experience, if anything. Pretty psyched.

Salt

Horrible insults came to mind while watching the movie Salt today. "Even those who've suffered head injuries deserve to enjoy spy films," that kind of thing. Bottom line, it was deeply stupid with a "twist" so obvious it felt at times I was watching a satire.

On to something neat, though. A friend of Amy's has a neat blog using Hipstamatic (the iPhone application) that's very worth checking out http://prettykitty03.blogspot.com/.

Dinner/Breakfast

We did go to Wildfire last night for dinner in Oakbrook. I would give the experience a 5.5 out of 10. Part of this is our fault in that we thought we were going to a slightly quieter more intimate and upscale setting. It was instead fairly loud, albeit comfortable. The food was fine. It was neither the best nor worst steak I have had. Our server was either a little harried or just not overly pleasant. I'm sure he's a nice guy or could have been having a bad day, but he did not check back appropriately or provide that sort of warmth that can tip the scales when deciding whether the place is to be recommended.

I ordered a rib eye, rare, encrusted with horseradish with a sweet potato. They did cook it properly, but I found the horseradish to be devoid of flavor and gave the dish a greasiness I hadn't anticipated. Amy had three fillet medallions, each encrusted with something different (blue cheese, potato, etc.). She liked two out of three. Our deserts were fine. The coffee I found weak or thin. The prices were more reasonable than expected. I don't mean to knock the place too much. Many people I know seem to like it. I think it's not necessarily for a "foodie," not that I claim to be one, and it would be a good place to take a undiscriminating group for a friendly time, as opposed to an anniversary dinner.

To be honest, I think we had a much better meal that morning at Labriola Bakery. Very good food, comfortable lighting and a gentle din of kitchen and diners that allows the still tired to read their Saturday paper in peace. I had a Toad in the Hole and Amy had a breakfast sandwich. We would have probably been just as happy going there last night. They too have pizza from a wood burning oven, and it's quite good.

Thank God this week is over

After a fun work week, I now have much of Saturday to kick back a little before Amy and I go out for our 2nd anniversary. We're going to Wildfire in Oakbrook, which friends have mentioned to me multiple times, but we've never gone. I am told they have a horseradish encrusted steak that I would like. I'm pretty good about not eating meat except when we go out. Then all bets are off, I guess.

I've been steadily making my way through Diarmaid MacCulloch's "Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years." It's a long one, and I've been taking it slowly. Fascinating stuff. It's a good one for the Kindle for a few reasons. 1) It's about 1200 pages, which is a bear if you like to read in bed. Unlike my dad, I cannot lay a book on a table and read that way. Even when I do use a counter or a bar, I have to use a wire book stand to hold it upright. 2) It's such a well worded thing that I've underlined much of it, which, if you have handwriting like Charlie Brown, is much neater to do with the Kindle.

I still have Philip Kerr's latest waiting for me, but I haven't really found the time to do that one. I'm now saving it for our trip down to see Amy's new niece next weekend in Missouri.

Bonzai Show

We stopped in at the Arboretum Bonsai show. Fascinating to talk with some of the experts. We also met a local maker of bonsai tables.