Focus
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We had a plan . . . sort of.
Armed with a list of places we had wanted to try, the girls
and I set out for the city. I had been looking forward to this day since before
our break even began, and I didn’t want meltdowns or hunger or a lack of a plan
to spoil our time together.
And then there was the weather. Eleven inches of snow had
fallen in the two days prior to our trip and the roads were not quite clear
yet. No matter. I had my front-wheel drive mini van and a lot of determination.
We’d make it.
We started out at Mario Batali’s newest Chicago home,
Eataly. Very cool. Very hip.
Very overwhelming.
We weren’t quite sure how to conquer this monster, so we
wandered for a while, admiring the exquisite chocolates, cheeses, and pastas.
Soon, however, hunger crept in, an enemy that had ruined many a Chicago outing
for our family. I would not let it ruin this day.
Since the wait for a table was an hour long, we decided to
grab some of their famous focaccia bread as a quick snack. We found a place to
stand while we ate and discussed our next move.
We were on a mission to visit some of Chicago’s best
eateries.
“Donuts. We need to try some donuts.”
“Coffee. Definitely need coffee.”
“All I know is that we need to get out of here.”
So we finished our bread (which was delicious), made a few
purchases, and headed out.
The tactical error was all mine; I’ll accept full
responsibility for it. While we were regrouping at Eataly’s front door, I
asked, “So what’s next? Do you guys want to shop for a while since we’re down here?
Should we go to our next destination? (What IS our next destination?) What do
you want to do?”
I should have known better than to throw out options like
shopping when we were clearly on a food mission. But there it was.
The options were just too many.
I could tell that frustrations were starting to mount. Our
plan had been compromised, and nobody knew what should come next.
“I think we need to
stay focused.”
The voice of reason that knocked us all back into
consciousness.
“I mean, since we came down here to taste foods, let’s just
focus on food.”
Everyone quickly agreed. Focus was what we needed; focus was
what we would do.
We happily headed to the car, parking voucher in one hand,
Google maps in the other.
For the rest of the day we focused.
And we ate. And we
laughed at the silliness of it all.
But in the end, we were so glad we did it.
These are the days that memories are made of.
Here’s what I learned: the City of Chicago is just too big
to take in one bite. You have to focus your efforts and save room for more
later.
The city (and the food) will always be there.
****
Here's a list of the places we visited:
Where would you go for the best foods in YOUR city?
