Ode to Food and Family

I'm usually in charge of finding a place to eat out when my family gets together. With a little help from Yelp (ha, that rhymes) and some good old googling, I can usually hunt down a pretty good restaurant. And most of the time we're meeting up back in Minnesota, so I try to keep an eye on the restaurant scene there. But now, with two of my brothers living in Chicago (the first time any of us have lived in the same city in over 10 years), I am missing out on some pretty good family meals. Don't worry, I believe in food karma (good food will come back to me), and there are some pretty exciting new dining options in my neighborhood that my parents will be forced to take me to.

What's even worse than missing out on good meals with the family is that I still end up having to plan them. My brothers recently moved to Chicago (though one lived there for almost ten years before joining the Peace Corps) and aren't always the most decisive. And, they like to mess around with my dad. So began a lengthy email chain, with suggestions from Wendy's to Moto, an apparent mecca of molecular gastronomy (or as they call it, 'postmodern cuisine.' Hell if I know what that means.) My dad actually almost fell for booking reservations at Moto, before I told him the meal would cost at least $250 a head. In the end, they wound up at a recommendation of mine, a wine bar with affordable small eats and a fun looking wine list.

After all my hard work scouring the internet for the perfect locale, I had to jealously appreciate their meal from afar. My oldest brother kept sending me pictures of the various dishes (apparently there were 15 in all) and my dad kept emailing me about suggestions for wine. The emails kept coming until well after my bedtime, with the final one simply titled "Order for us, please" with a copy of the after dinner drinks list attached.

I was jealous as hell of my brothers last night, who were sending me pictures in part to taunt me (with my leftovers and $12 Chianti). But more so I think they wanted to share their meal with me, since I couldn't be there. And I'm glad they did - now I have ideas for some new things to try at home, and I liked being able to share a bit in their fabulous night out. That is what I love about food and wine and eating out and picking the restaurant, even if I can't be there. It's a time to celebrate the company your with. To share in the creativity and artfulness of presentation and flavors. To ogle. To gossip. To get a little drunk and make fun of each other. Food brings joy into peoples' lives and helps people connect, even across state lines and time zones.

Plus, now I have a good excuse for why my father will have to bring me to both Salt and Spoon next time he visits. He owes me one.

Truffled egg toast, one of the things I'm gonna have to try to make