Ferris…errr…Zack’s Cubs Adventure…

I’ve done it! I’ve officially moved one step closer to becoming Ferris Buehler…

…now I’m hoping Dakota has arranged for me to be the grand marshal of a parade down the Magnificent Mile later this afternoon.

Finally made it to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field in Chicago…ahh!

Aside from drinking the unofficial beer of the Chicago Cubs, Old Style; sitting in the first-come, first-serve CF bleachers; singing the 7th inning stretch along with Dan Patrick of ESPN; and watching as the W flag got hoisted over Wrigley Field after the Cubbies pulled out a victory– I’d say I did Wrigley some justice.

Every baseball fan needs to experience Wrigley Field at one point or another.

My favorite part: THE ORGAN!

…I SO almost broke it down and GOT LOW during a few of the beats.

Didn’t want to embarrass myself too much…

Next stop: Chicago food! AND…

…drumroll please!

MAVS vs. BULLS at the United Center!

You know you’re in Chicago when…

Rats!

I most definitely stepped off the “El” train last night– into the city for the first time– only to be greeted by what could only be described as a gang of hood rats…

…and I DO mean the nasty little critter.

Welcome to Chicago!

The “El” train ride was an eye-opening experience. Nothing beats seeing a bunch of white city kids gone bad– and hearing the conductor yell on the intercom a dozen times…

“NO SMOKING ON THE TRAIN!”

Remember: yesterday was 4/20.

Awesome.

I couldn’t help but feel like Anthony Bourdain– being introduced to Chicago by locals that KNOW their food. Within three hours of leaving the train and venturing out into Logan Square with Dakota, his dad, and their family friend– I had visited more than two restaurants and three watering holes– in three hours.

Forget the rats and the train. THAT is how you get welcomed to Chicago.

The first: Yusho.

Inspired entirely by Japanese street food, this place can only be described as an out-of-body experience.

For some reason I’m guessing there’s a lot of those in this city. This one was right off Logan Square on the North side of town.

Somewhere between the rare beef filet wrapped in seaweed with jalapeños AND the bacon oysters– time stopped ticking. THEN it started back up again after my head started spinning from all the homemade gin with house tonic drinks.

Truly one of the most epicurious places I’ve ever been.

Post-dinner we ventured to Longman & Eagle– an exposed brick and dimmed lights hipster bar that specializes in…

…wait for it…

WHISKEY!

God was smiling upon me last night.

After sampling four different kinds of scotch– we headed to Old Town to experience some night life before heading to bed.

I would say my first few hours in Chicago were a success.

On the agenda today: Wrigley Field and Mavs-Bulls at the United Center!

Ahhh!!!

Point/Counterpoint

Indeed, it has been awhile since anyone has re-booted our beloved Epicurious Duo blog.

Let’s point/counterpoint to ponder the reasons it has taken so long to start this thing up again!

Point 1: Life has somehow become less Epicurious. AHH! I mean, I did just turn 25. That’s a quarter-century…

Counterpoint 1: No, my life has not become less Epicurious. The expansion of my waistline is an outstanding piece of evidence. I mean, c’mon! I recently had to transition from one hole on my belt loop to another– and not in the preferred direction. That means one thing: I have been eating epicuriously well.

Note: This is NOT actually Zack C. Hall

Point 2: People never read this…so what’s the point?!

Counterpoint 2: NOT TRUE! Somebody told me this blog made them smile. Somebody else told me a couple of the posts were hilarious. Plus, the little thing that registers how many “hits” shows SOMEBODY out there looked at this thing.

It’s probably just me pressing refresh to see if the number changes– BUT STILL!

Ok, so if life isn’t boring and people actually read this…

…time to re-start The Epicurious Duo blog again!

I feel like Michael Jordan coming out of retirement for the third time…

…or Cher on her 9th Farewell Tour.

Finding this picture was the highlight of my day...

(Yeah, I definitely just referenced CHER. Aren’t you impressed I could spell her name properly?!)

So…why the end the sabbatical from this thing now…

I’M HEADING TO CHICAGO THIS WEEKEND!!!!

…to be shown around by a local. The One and Only DAKOTA RUBIN!

I’ve been to the airport in Chicago like 8 million times…but I’ve never left it.

On the agenda: Food. Drinks. Wrigley Field. Mavs vs. Bulls. And more Food. And more Drinks.

Little does Dakota know– priority number one for me on this visit to Chicago…

FINDING THE FAMILY MATTERS HOUSE!!!!!

Do you think Urkel still lives there?!?!

YOU KNOW YOU WANNA!

More updates to come…

 

Jabber IM with fried.brandon@gmail.com 12/24/10 2:58 P

 

Zack:

i ammmm sooooooo hungovvvverrr

Brandon:

(Autoreply) around…

Zack:

realllllly?

Brandon:

WHY

Brandon:

what have you been doing

Zack:

TOO much fun last night

Zack:

i am still at my apt

Zack:

havent even gone to my parents place yet

Zack:

LOL

Brandon:

lol

Brandon:

who did you go out with?

Zack:

my mom is gonna get pissed

Brandon:

hahaha

Zack:

h.s. friends– we went tothe best restaurant ever….

Brandon:

what a mess

Zack:

i am now on a “list” for being the best customer ever

Zack:

i went two nights in a row lol

Brandon:

where did you go?

Zack:

and have the names of 2 waitresses– numbers too! WE GOTS THE HOOKUP

Zack:

neighborhood services

Zack:

D Magazine #1 in Dallas 2011

Zack:

UNREAL GOOD.

Brandon:

how expensive?

Zack:

17 entree

Brandon:

not bad

Zack:

9 salad/appetizer

Brandon:

good food?

Zack:

naww it’s reasonable

Zack:

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE FOOD

Zack:

and the DRINKS.

Zack:

omg

Brandon:

what did you have

Zack:

OHHH THE DRINKS.

Brandon:

tell me everything

Zack:

welll

Brandon:

LOL

Brandon:

ALL OF IT

Zack:

ON DAY 1

Brandon:

LOL….

Zack:

i was blown away by the restaurants aesthetic

Brandon:

mhn

Zack:

realllllly cool. hipster/nyc east village type

Zack:

which, um, im in love with.

Brandon:

of course

Zack:

being a dallas hipster and all

Brandon:

since you recently decided to convert to histerdom

Brandon:

LOL

Brandon:

uh duh

Zack:

ABSOLUTELY

Zack:

LOL

Zack:

SOOOOO

Zack:

you walk in and it just looks cool. so, naturally, you feel cool.

Zack:

because, if you eat there…well, you are cool….

Zack:

it’s very non-assuming from the outside

Zack:

inside there are low lights, dark leather seats….really cool wooden light fixtures….black and white pics on the walls….brick walls….

Zack:

just super cool.

Zack:

THEN

Zack:

we ordered drinks….

Zack:

I got a PBR to start…classic hipster beer. had to do it.

Zack:

THEN

Zack:

we ordered appetizers….

Brandon:

mm

Zack:

ONION RINGS the SIZE OF YOUR HEAD

Brandon:

LITERALLY

Zack:

with a peppercorn sauce that was so good i started drinking it

Zack:

and we got a beet salad….

Brandon:

amazing.

Brandon:

yum yum yum

Zack:

then main course on day 1….

Zack:

BRACE YOURSELF

Zack:

i need a seatbelt just to type this….

Zack:

Locally raised Longhorn Steak Frites….

Zack:

with potatoes au gratin

Zack:

OMFGGG with this sauce that makes you wanna bathe in it…

Zack:

BUT….

Zack:

the ULTIMATE DISH….

Zack:

i save for last….

Brandon:

ooooooh my goodness

Zack:

Cape Cod Cod…..grilled and covered in some light delicious cheese…..served over chesapeake bay crab cous cous in a lemon butter cream sauce

Zack:

HOLLLLY JESUS MARY JOSEPH CHILD OF BETHLEHEM

Brandon:

ooooooooooooh jeezzus

Brandon:

i love fish

Zack:

I KNOW….

Zack:

and then we got more drinks…..

Brandon:

of course

Zack:

the bartender was AWESOME

Zack:

they were like….why dont u do a surprise

Zack:

i was like…

Zack:

what’s a surprise?!

Zack:

they literally say….name a liquor…we’ll make u a drink….

Zack:

and we did that and the results were stunning

Brandon:

what did you name?

Zack:

We had vodka, rum, these drinks made with something made by monks

Zack:

all kindsa shit

Brandon:

nice

Zack:

they hooked it UP

Zack:

then..we did dessert….butterscotch brulee in a mason jar served with little wooden spoons

Zack:

and they GIVE YOU YOUR CHECK IN A BOOK

Zack:

it’s really cool

Zack:

my friend had moby dick

Zack:

i had “Selections by Hume”

Zack:

some philosophy shit…i wrote my future son’s name on page 11– Huck C. Hall– just so I can take him here and say the cod and i made you here, in this booth….

Zack:

THEN night 2….

Zack:

i went back….

Brandon:

oh of course – night 2

Zack:

FRIED ASPARAGUS

Zack:

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

Brandon:

absolute favorite

Brandon:

phenomenal

Zack:

they are INSANELY GOOD

Zack:

then i got….

Zack:

more drinks…my fave was the Papa Doble….

Zack:

Ernest Hemingway’s fave

Brandon:

named after him

Zack:

ANDDDD

Zack:

a wedge salad that was just phenomenal

Brandon:

ooooh rum drinks

Brandon:

my fav

Brandon:

rum is my absolutely fave

Zack:

then…

Zack:

main courses

Brandon:

im thinking this might be a good NYE dinner spot

Brandon:

Sooooo

Brandon:

keep it coming

Zack:

D MAG said….

Zack:

BEST BURGER IN DALLAS

Zack:

so, naturally, had to try it….

Zack:

I have NEVER

Brandon:

mhm

Zack:

EVER

Zack:

in my life had a burger this big

Zack:

NEVER.

Zack:

it was MASSIVE

Zack:

i couldnt even pick it up

Zack:

had to cut it in half

Brandon:

related note: have you ever had the burger at the grape?

Zack:

and even, still, i couldnt eat it

Zack:

NOOOOOOOOOO but, this has allegedly taken over as the best

Brandon:

mmmm

Zack:

but the jury will still be out on that

Zack:

this burger is unique…

Zack:

BECAUSE….

Zack:

the meat….

Zack:

isn’t regular hamburger meat

Zack:

it is…it’s a patty

Zack:

it’s ground chuck meat ANDDDDDDDD

Zack:

DRUMROLLLLL

Zack:

BRISKET

Zack:

HOLYYYYY SHITTTTTT IT IS GOOD

Zack:

BEST HAMBURGER PATTY OF MEAT EVERRRRR

Brandon:

hahahaha

Brandon:

amazing

Zack:

AND

Zack:

it is LOADED with 4 different cheeses

Zack:

the usual suspects– but only the freshest…lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles

Zack:

and you can get fries with it

Zack:

we got mashed potatoes and MAC AND CHEESE

Zack:

that will go down in history as among the best mac and cheese i’ve ever experienced

Zack:

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING

Zack:

And…..that is the end of my Neighborhood Services experience.

Brandon:

lordy

Brandon:

i want to go

Brandon:

soon

Zack:

Liz, my waittress the second night…

Zack:

was like….

Zack:

what’s your last name?

Zack:

hahahaha

Zack:

i was like…

Zack:

Hall…why…

Zack:

(i am on first name basis with the whole effing place)

Brandon:

LOL

Zack:

she was like…”i’m putting your on our list”

Zack:

i was like WTF DOES THAT MEAN

Zack:

she winked

Zack:

so i need to go back and find out if that means something

Brandon:

LOL

Brandon:

ioooooooooh

Brandon:

i want her when i go

Zack:

LIZ is awesome…

Zack:

but SARAH is too

Brandon:

like im for real thinking about NYE dinner here

Brandon:

ok

Brandon:

liz and sarah

Brandon:

im mixed on who to get

Brandon:

lol

Zack:

BOTH of them are fantastic

Zack:

just keep going and get both

Zack:

YOU MUST do dinner there NYE

Zack:

it would be fantastical

Zack:

go early….

Zack:

like 7:30

Zack:

the whole place is catering to young ppl like us…

Brandon:

yeah

Brandon:

excelllllent

Zack:

they were playing NOTORIOUS B.I.G. on the speakers

Zack:

i was like HOLY SHIT!!!!!

Brandon:

that’s incredible

Zack:

dont go too late though cause it is an early dinner place…

Zack:

like 7/8

Brandon:

ok cool

Zack:

i was literally stuffing a burger into my esophagus while freak dancing in my chair to notorious

Brandon:

lol

Zack:

i feel like i should post our convo right here on my blog lol

Zack:

i hope you do

Brandon:

you mind?

Brandon:

lol

Brandon:

of course not

Brandon:

it’s wonderful

The Ultimate Beer

I may have just tasted a small slice of heaven in the form of beer!

Our family friends came over for Thanksgiving yesterday and brought us a couple of bottles of Bourbon County Stout brewed by Goose Island here in Chicago.

Bourbon County Stout! Pure amazingness!

 

I have been drinking Goose Island beers for a few years now and have always liked them but have never been too impressed. That all changed this break though.

I have had a couple of their reserves which are great and then I had Bourbon County and everything changed!

This is the most intense, amazing, mind-blowing beer I have ever imagined.

First Goose Island takes a great stout and then they age it in old whiskey barrels for 100 days. The beer is black as night and has the strongest, fantastic aroma!

Normally I associate picking apart flavors with drinking wine, but every sip of Bourbon County is like an individual taste bud adventure. The smells and flavors are out of this world!

Oh, and did I mention it is 13% alcohol by volume?

Check out this video from their site:

If you ever get a chance to try Bourbon County I highly recommend it, but be careful, this is not a beer for the faint of heart.

Kids in an Adult Candy Store

My family can tell you best, but needless to say, I DO NOT LIKE LOTS OF CHOICES!

I am getting a lot better, but lets just say that when I was about 10 my dad refused to go shoe shopping with me.

What can I say? I get really, really overwhelmed by lots of choices.

So that brings me to my recent trip to Denver for a school training. I got in early Friday morning and didn’t have any training until Saturday morning so what better way to spend a Friday afternoon than drinking amazing beer with my good friend.

After we ate one of the best sandwiches ever we rode downtown to one of the most amazing places in the world! Falling Rock tap house might as well be heaven!

The rows and rows of beer taps at the Falling Rock. Pure joy!

How do you make a choice at such a place?

This would be a hard decision for anyone. But for 10-year-old shoe shopping Dakota, this was like Foot Locker on CRACK!

It was not like some of the beers were shitty and could be dismissed either, these were over 100 of the best beers in the world.

Want a beer from a small brewery in California that only produces beer for three tap houses in the country? They have it!

Want a Oregon beer that is produced once a year? They have it!

This is the ultimate adult candy store!

I was in heaven.

I drank two of the best IPAs I have ever had in my life and left with a list of 10-12 other beers that I need to try as soon as I get the chance.

I would have stayed and drank all day if it wasn’t for the fact that all the beers were about 9% and I still had to ride my bike 5 miles back to Nicole’s house in altitude that I had not acclimated to…

Next time I am in Denver I am devoting a day to heaven!

46 Morsels of Sushi Later…

I never thought I’d know what feels like to be pregnant…

…but, now, I most certainly can relate.

It has sort of turned into a tradition over the past year and a half to stop by Gui (Uptown Dallas, McKinney Avenue) every Sunday after 5:00 p.m. for Sushi Spectcularganzalooza (they don’t call it that– but, they should).

$20 bucks = ALL YOU CAN FIT IN YOUR INTESTINES AND ESOPHAGUS.

This is what I have since morphed into…

Python eating an antelope? No...it's Zack C. Hall's belly after Sunday Sushiganzapalooza at Gui

I definitely had a Sushigasm tonight. Or 46…

Now, I must admit I never really liked sushi.

Hardly exposed to it in suburbia, it never really made sense to spend globules of money at a sushi restaurant ordering random raw fish in a language I did not understand–  only to leave hungry because I couldn’t afford another over-priced roll of blah.

Until now.

Gui has turned sushi from bunk to crunk– they most certainly do not compromise quality over quantity. Just about every roll is as delicious as the next.

Check it…

The Samurai Roll, The Tempura Roll, & The Spicy Tuna Crunch...a Guigasm.

Sushi: By the Numbers…

My buddies Justin, Tim, Julian and I downed over 20 rolls in all this evening– that makes 200 morsels of sushi, over 40 morsels per person, and, yes, about an inch and a half added per waistline.

Top Three Sushi Rolls at Gui

1. The Samurai Roll

2. Tie: The Tempura Roll & The Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll

3. Whatever else they bring us…

So check it out– Sunday night sushi at Gui.

Just don’t call me asking to pick you up in a wheelchair afterwards– I gave you a fair warning right here.

EPIC FOOD WEEK

SO it begins…

The most excessive culinary extravaganza of the year in the life of Zack C. Hall. The week I dream of 51 weeks of the year– not simply because there’s no work…

…but instead, because I can eat (and sleep) as much as I please!

Welcome to Epic Food Week.

Each day this week I will consume only one meal. This, however, will not just be an average meal– it will be an incredibly excessive delectably delicious disaster on my waistline. I will eat only epic meals this week.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the debauchery. I might spend next weekend in the emergency room when this is all said and done…

Do you have a ninja in your kitchen?

If someone asked me that I definitely would be tempted to respond with “That’s what she said!”

But that is until last night when I saw what might be the best infomercial ever!

So last night I was laying on the couch watching the end of an old, pretty classy Keanu Reeves movie. I was pretty distracted and was not paying attention to what came on after the movie until I heard some psychedelic sounds accompanied by the sounds of blades and an eerie voice saying “ninja, ninja, ninja…”

Needless to say this definitely got my attention and I refocused to find myself watching an infomercial for the Ninja Kitchen System 1100. This is no normal kitchen appliance. It is a NINJA!

I pride myself on having just about every kitchen appliance possible, but I do not have one blender that makes “hotel quality frozen beverages” and pizza dough and even ICE CREAM!

No, I am not going to buy a Kitchen Ninja because it costs a ridiculously insane number of installments of $39, but I am not going to lie I do have an image of C. Hall wearing a ninja mask actually cooking…

Just think about that as you watch this video on the top of the web site.

HOW did I NOT come up with this FIRST!?

So months ago I had a revelation: I SHOULD INVENT TUBELESS TOILET PAPER!

I didn’t tell anybody. I guess I wanted it to be a secret or something.  So, naturally, I didn’t get rich-as-all-get-out (at least rich enough to buy my own yacht and build my own tropical island).

Bummer.

STILL! I really did have this idea and knew it would only be a matter of time before I’d  meander onto The Washington Post and see this headline:

TUBELESS TOILET PAPER INVENTED

Yes, it’s a shame that in a world without toilet paper tubes people will no longer be able to make these:

Toilet Paper Art. Isn't it a little early for Christmas decorations?! I mean, can we at least get to Thanksgiving first?!

I think a tear just popped out of my eye.

Wellst…on Friday night my buddy Julian called and said I had to get over to The Nodding Donkey (I won’t comment on the name– it’s just too easy)…

WHY must I mosey on over to The Nodding Donkey (near State & Allen, Uptown Dallas)? I asked, in my most accurate British accent…

Why, FOR BBQ BRISKET GRILLED CHEESE!

Of course.

Now, for me, this is kinda like Tubeless Toilet Paper. I’ve always THOUGHT it would be a great idea– yet, somehow, I never told anybody about it.

Bummer.

Still, I am absolutely grateful to The Good Lord Above for brining these heavenly morsels of deliciousness to my palate.

Check it:

BBQ Brisket Grilled Cheese Sandwich at The Nodding Donkey. It looks ordinary...

Now, it looks just like an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich. But, underneath that perfectly buttered slab of bread is a heap of delectable cheeses and….

…just wait…

You guessed it! BRISKET!!!!!

Nafisa on the prowl...about to engorge her body with Julian's giant....uh...BBQ BRISKET GRILLED CHEESE!

It really is heavenly.

Now, growing up, my dad made a killer grilled cheese. Call it Papa Hall’s Blue Collar Grilled Cheese– it was complete with VELVEETA (only the best in the Hall household)– and, usually paired with a bowl of everyone’s favorite– RAMEN NOODLE SOUP!

DAYUM that explains why my waistline is definitely not a 32.

So, I was disappointed that the BBQ BRISKET GRILLED CHEESE DID NOT include Velveeta or Ramen– however– the waffle fries were (dare I say it?!) BETTER THAN CHICK-FIL-A’s!

GASP!

So, whilst I recover in my bed from my weekend of deliciousness, I will spend it thinking up some new brilliant ideas other than Tubeless Toilet Paper and BBQ BRISKET GRILLED CHEESE…

…Guacamole in Spaghetti, anyone?!