Pipe Dreams Part 11: Thanks to Winter Storm Jupiter

Here’s my 15 year old beautiful red bud tree. Like a bird’s eye chillie, she’s one tough cookie. Sadly, she lost a branch during last year’s ice storm. When the going gets tough, this lady keeps going. Today, she’s Jupiter’s work of ice art. Look! She’s so pweeedy!
Everything is so quiet and peaceful here in the Great Plains. Where we live, it’s like a ghost town. Literally. While Mr. Chi-Town watches a ball game, my pipe dream in the Windy City continues…

It’s 6:30 in the morning. Breakfast time! After a fat Greek dinner last night, we’re thinking “skinny”. But then, Mr. Chi-Town quips “buttermilk, buttermilk, buttermilk.” Pancake House? Only the line can be deadly… Mr. Chi-Town says if we want to beat “deadly”, we must leave right away. Still half-a-sleep, we roll out of bed and dash to Walker Brothers: The Original Pancake House. Lots of parking available. Cool. No line. Cool. We get seated right away like VIP (Very Important Piggies). Cool.

(For the time being, “skinny” can wait.)

Mr. Chi-Town goes for black Kona coffee; I, freshly squeezed orange juice. After looking at the menu, I opt for 2 by 4. In other words, this formula is all about two eggs scrambled well-done with jalapenos and chopped onions and 4 buckwheat pancakes. I love the melt-in-my-mouth buckwheat pancakes (minus the dusted powdered sugar). Unlike the usual pancakes, these come in the size of my palm, they are firm to the touch, and the best part is, they have a deep, nutty, firm, wholesome, buckwheaty taste with a hint of “burned sugar, browned butter” flavor. A touch of maple syrup is all I need to bring the buckwheat pancakes full circle. Take-a-look.
A 2 by 4 and a fruit cup for Mr. Chi-Town. Eggs sunny-side up with 4 classic buttermilk pancakes.
Mr.Chi-Town and I decide to split an order of blueberry buckwheat pancakes. They come with a side of blueberry compote.
Big, juicy bluets in my pancakes. Who wants my compote?

Well-fed, we leave happy. The line is already deadly. As we head back to our hotel room to digest, we soon contemplate our next meal. Mr. Chi-Town wants meat. I want heat. Put the two together and what do you get?

Let me give you a clue. It’s the one-and-only eatery that offers (I quote) “fabulous, plentiful, healthy, and tasty” Middle Eastern food. The answer? Pita Inn. Among all the delicious stuff, we settle for our all-time favorite. The one that delivers meat and heat coupled with “fabulous, plentiful, healthy, and tasty.” Our all-time fav? The lamb kabob entree.
Juicy meat. Delicious lamb flavor. Delicately spiced, fresh crunchy salad, flavorful rice pilaf. It comes with a side of fresh home-made pita”pancakes.” I wonder how they expertly make such pita breads. They are crisp. They are chewy. They are fluffy. And the aromas? Indescribable. So appetizing! They say seeing is believing. Taking in the delectable aromas; listening to the sounds of sizzling meat over the grill is believing, too.
Each piece comes with a “pocket”.
Works of art. Both within and without.
Nicely baked to a perfect golden brown. When you stuff the good stuff into the good stuff, this is what you’ll get. See the secret spices?
I’d kill to get the recipe.
But wait. Where’s the fire?
Oh yea…now, we’re talking. These red molten goodness sets my heart on fire. Need something to cool it down? There’s white tahini sauce and of course, the salad.
Jerusalem salad. Crunchy pieces of freshly diced cucumber and tomatoes in tahini sauce. May I suggest the baba ghanoush? I must say that it’s also work of art.
Baba ghanoush. It’s a cold, creamy dip made with baked eggplant, olive oil, yogurt, parsley. It’s fnished with a sprinkle of paprika to give it that brilliant pop of color. If I had to pick between mayo and baba, it’s a no brainer. I’d pick baba.

We wash it all down with the best mint tea in the world. I, the sunbird, like it steaming hot: Mr. Chi-Town, the bluebird, likes it icy icy cold. Feeling high from the hot sauce, we drive around town. Stop, walk around, and look at shops. Then something unusual happens. Due to the chillie & meat high, Mr. Chi-Town somehow ends up here. Can you believe it?
No, that’s not Mr. Chi-Town. Just kidding. <hehehe> As you can see, Chi-Town’s cheeky. The city always has something to tease people at every nook and corner like this statue we caught a glimpse of somewhere in town.

Well, it looks like Jupiter has taken itself elsewhere. It’s the end of my pipe dreams in a perpetual awe-inspiring city. But as they say, there’s no place like home. I’m glad to be here. With a good man who makes sure the wood-burning fireplace keeps his wife warm, a lovey-dovey wulf dog who stays calm in the midst of ice storms, I’m home in the Great Plains. After all the decadent treats at the 3 Ps: Psistarias, the Pancake House, and Pita Inn, I’m pining for something downright homey. When there’s *homey,* who needs ‘skinny’?

So what’s your storm story?

Cheers and much love!
Tee