It's just Carol

After some time last night at Trader Todd's and the L&L (yay, double yay) I finally made it to Carol's Pub!!! It's one of my new favorite places.

It's neighborhood-y, but people come from all over the city to hear the awesome, old-school country band play until 5:00 am. It has a reputation (among those who I now know as morons) for being one of those places where you only go because you don't know any better and nothing good comes of it. But I have to tell you that I have a little bit of a cold, so I was pretty much stone sober and had a fantastic time. Eclectic crowd (biggest range of ages and style of dress I've ever seen in a bar in Chicaog, and that is saying something), seasoned and loyal staff, and great music played live...really, how can that be bad? This was one of the few times since moving here that I've felt a little nostalgic about the culture in the southern regions of the country. Carol's reminds me a lot of the Northside Tavern, where my Boodles used to be the Front Door Woman. Old country instead of blues, but a very similar atmosphere. Also, at times there were women slow-dancing with each other on the floor at Carol's, which you don't see as much in the ATL, and endeared me even more to the place. I will become a regular if I can...

QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE

Disc0 and I had a wonderful time in Boston this weekend. We met a baby we've heard about for months and hung out with my AWESOME SISTER and her whole Big Rock Candy crew.

We got in really late and going to work wasn't all that much fun as a result. Then this evening, disc0 had to go to a talk by one of our old Profs from law school, and I had to go to the grocery store. Well wouldn't you know it, I was plum cheered up by the fact that they were filming Top Chef at my local Whole Foods!!!



There they were, the new class, running around politely, yelling politely to their teammates, and getting lots of friendly service from the Whole Foods Family. I just tried to play it cool, until I finally broke down to the super sweet gal bagging my groceries and was all "Is Padma Lakshmi here right now because if she is I might flip my stuff a little bit?! She wasn't, but that's OK. I didn't need some embarrassing fangirl experience.
As it is, I might be featured as background fodder on an episode of Top Chef, in full frizzy bang, Ugg-wearing, muffin-topped form. I didn't know they would be filming one of the few reality shows everyone can get behind, so I didn't really put on my face, or my jeans that fit. And that...is OK.

In conclusion, it was really, really cool. And inspired me to whip up a rather delicious mushroom soup when I got home. I'm assuming Top Chef will be filming all over my neighborhood from now on, because it is the coolest.