Pages

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

So glad we live in Portland...Chicago Restaurant experience

Alena and I had to go to Chicago this past weekend. It was so, so bitter cold and snowy. Alena was very excited about the snow at first, but she just hated the cold. She actually wanted to wear a hat, two scarves, gloves, and two sweaters. Brrrrrrrrr....it really was cold, and we are just not used to it anymore.

The air travel went well. I prepared with snacks for the trip, and then stopped at the next Whole Foods to get Soy Milk, bread, etc. I hate to admit it, but for dinner we had McDonald's since I knew that it'll be OK. One night we had pizza without cheese, and without sauce. Turns out, that the place we ordered from actually puts cheese also in their sauce. No offense to all you cheese eaters out there, but how much cheese do you actually need? So this told me that eating out would be a little bit more challenging. But then again, this was Naperville and not Chicago... Sunday - Monday we spent with friends in Evanston. Monday morning Alena and I went out to have breakfast. I still had our loaf of bread but I felt certain that I would not need it, that the waitstaff would be prepared for vegans, had soy milk, etc. well no question in my mind because this is Evanston a University town, right next to Chicago one of the largest cities in the country. Well, let me tell you was I WRONG!!! - The restaurant (and it was funky not your run of the mill place) did not have ANY soy milk, did NOT know about the bread, added butter to the oil to fry the eggs in (never heard of this one here before), and put dried cheddar cheese powder over the hash browns. WOW....turned out Alena ate the bread we brought along, had a poached egg and bacon. So eating out was of course still possible, put just a lot more challenging.

Am I glad we live on the west coast where it seems almost every place we go to has soy, or rice milk, people are aware of what is vegan, etc.