Weekend travel

The weekend was spent traveling to the place that generates New England weather.  All I have to do is call my MIL to find out what will happen to us two days later.   The Windy City is a first class town, even though the Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908.

We had dinner on Saturday in an uber-restaurant.  It's the kind of eating establishment where you simply check your expectations at the door, bring in a sense of experimentation, and a healthy appetite.  Since not everyone is a gastronaut, I'll flash only the menu at you.

The menu itself is made of rice paper.  The ink is soy.  The decor on the side is puffed rice, parmesan chips, and dehydrated shallots with teeny sprouts.  Once you decide on which menu you want, you mix it together with the creme fraiche under the rice paper, and you have your amuse bouche:  risotto.

It looked better than it tasted, but the rest of the food at Moto (reviews at the link) was amazing.  Boston has NOTHING like this, alas.

I brought an old WIP for mindless airplane and car knitting.  I'm 1+ skein away from finishing the Irish Hiking Scarf.  It's always hard to take a picture of a long WIP, but here is the valiant attempt:

The pattern is from Hello Yarn.  The yarn is Classic Elite Wings (alpaca/silk).   I'm making it L O N G in anticipation of the brutal New England winter.  This was a yarn and pattern I had stuffed into my den in preparation for the long postsurgical hibernation.  That took it to half-way done, and now it is time for the rest. 

My MIL is a jeweler in the Chicago area.  She has a beading station set-up at home.  My knitting is taking a back seat (literally, since I'm only knitting now while in the car) to learning how to assemble professionally perfect stitch markers.  I have tourmalines, pearls, amethysts, moonstones, garnets and more in front of me. 

There are TWO towers like the one you see to the left of the picture.  Each drawer is filled with gold and silver things to make beaded items, or with a different gemstone. 

I'm a busy little chipmunk.  My cheeks are full.

Comments

[Juno]

I am not much of a beader, myself, but tourmaline and silver stitch markers! Bestill my heart.

As for your dinner, I am full of envy and demand details of the ...doughnut soup?

[margene]

I'm with Juno...spill the beans on dinner, please. Oh, oh....a new addiction. You're a goner.

[Sarah]

Hey, I was in Chicago this weekend, too. I was a-weddinging, though, so I didn't have any meals as exotic as yours! Do give us the details.

[Barbara]

Mmmmmm... I think I know where I'll have to eat when I go to Academy in Chicago next month!

[Colleen]

Well, I see some seriouls beading in your future. Oh yeah!

[Judy]

Dinner sounds great, but a room with drawers full of gemstones.. aahhh... I have worn a moonstone everyday of my life since I was in my teens. Very magical, they are.

[Lee Ann]

I haven't beaded in years, but I still have stones I collected to, you know, fondle every once in a while. Tourmaline is wonderful...great substitute for emerald, which is my birthstone but I'm too much of a klutz to wear them without cracking them. Tourmaline's much harder.

[Norma]

Well, that just all sounds fantastic. What a dining adventure, and you picked up a new hobby while you were there! The gems "in front of you" are making my mouth water!

[stephanie]

Ok, I have to tell you that I would eat the worst kind of crap if it were presented that way.
Completely charming.

[Marcia]

Well, I'm totally jealous. And, tourmaline, too, my favorite stone. Do take pictures.

[claudia]

In case you ever need to know this, I just love amethysts.

;-)

[Cassie]

I'm only a little jealous.

[Cordelia]

I'm with Cassie; only a little jealous.

[julia fc]

Hey: I'm a gastronaut without a babysitter. How dare you spare me the details. I'm dying . . .

[julia fc]

and the beads . . .
I am faint from the rush of blood

[Risa]

I'm green with jealousy over that beading! How very wonderful for you.

[Lynne S of Oz]

That menu is gobsmacking! I love it, except if you need to remind yourself of what you ordered, it might be a little difficult. Excuse mme whilst I regurgitate the menu. Ah, that's right....
That beading station is way too organised. How about a box of bags of beads, some tigertail spoinging madly and a bed with a rumpled spread to put the beads on?

[rams]

And I'll be in Chicago next weekend for a bookseller's conference! Thanks for the link. But honestly? I have it on good authority that drinking the Harlot under the table isn't much of a challenge....(especially if it's a tall table.)

[rams]

WAITAMINute. I just blew up the picture -- three possible meals, ranging from $65 to ...I couldn't register a number that large? I'll sit outside and sniff when the door opens...