Things That Made Me Less Cranky: September 2024 Edition

Chicago is the best kept secret in the US. Thanks, Fox News!

Welcome to my monthly list of recommendations. It is made up of completely random things/events/moments that made me less of a raging, bitter, hag despite the dumpster fire that is our world. It also includes food-centric suggestions. Enjoy!

Idiosyncratic List of What Made Me Less Cranky

• Chicago!

• Big, Midwestern raindrops

• Big, hovering Midwestern clouds

• Reconnecting with my inner teen at the Pulp concert

• Catching up with people I haven’t seen since 2019— COVID times really put a damper on any Chicago reunions until this year

• Choosing Beyoncé’s “Just for Fun” as the soundtrack to one of my readings

• Double tortilla tacos or, alternatively, single tortilla tacos that are thick enough to keep the structure of the taco intact. (New York, I still don’t understand why no one can get this right in your city.)

• Housesitting. Need someone to take care of your house? Let that someone be me!

• New, indie neighborhood bookstores. (Avondale will forever be my neighborhood, even if never live there again.)

• Musical Mondays at Sidetrack.

• When friends have tasteful, chill weddings. I also like it when friends have flashy, extravagant weddings. Or when they have small, country weddings. I LIKE ALL WEDDINGS.

• Blocking people on Instagram. A repeat appeareance on this list, but what can I say? I like my boundaries.

• The photo booth at Rainbo Club. Liz Phair knew what she was doing.

• Afternoon lounging at the lake.

• Malort. Not drinking it, per se, but as an urban phenomenon.

• Taking a bath while watching the presidential debate.

• Collecting good death bed memories.

---

Restaurant of the Month: Anelya

With its loaded appetizer cart rolling up to your table to pick among lamb-stuffed deep fried olives, Korean carrots, sunflower seed hummus, and other hors d’oeuvres, Anelya stole my kitchy-small-plate-loving heart. The food is Ukrainian-with-a-willingness-to-travel, steadfastly regional but assured enough to add in enoki mushrooms or wasabi if the spirit feels right. I left Anelya wishing I still lived in Avondale for return visits.

Zakusky! What a gorgeous term! In addition to the korean carrots, the hummus, and the fried olives, my friend kathy and I ordered the tomato and potato salad in sour cream, the chicken and enoki mushroom dumplings, and goldenberry honey cake.

Bar of the Month: Cole’s

Spend enough time in Chicago and you’ll inevitably end up here at 1am, scream talking to some dirtbag tankie, taking shots with a goofy and socially awkward Iowan trying to break into comedy, running into a former co-worker in his one night out away from his and kids, all while donating to a sex workers cooperative an And that, my friends, is why Chicago and this bar is the best.

May he who has never shown up here inebriated and ready to make a fool of themselves cast the firs stone.

Best Thing I Ate: Tiger Prawn Fried Rice at Lilac Tiger

Visually vibrant, lip-tingling, and with that hint of salty-sweetness crab infuses to a dish.

Cocktails were great too!

Best Thing I Drank: Mezcal Margarita at Maxwells Trading.

Can you call a smokey drink “bright” or is that a contradiction?

Everything I miss about the States from a gastronomic perspective is tied to the cuisine of immigrant communities.

---

The Month in Newsletters

Missed an issue? I got you!

If you are a paid subscriber, October’s Cranky Guide Writing “Hour” (it’s really more like 40ish minutes) will be on Mondays at 5 pm CT/6 pm ET starting October 7. I’ll be sending the link shortly.

---

Sharing Is Caring

I am so grateful to all my readers and subscribers for supporting my work! If you like what you see, and use the Substack app, please consider hearting, commenting on, restacking on notes, linking off to or quoting from a post you love—it helps to know my work is appreciated. Feel free to forward this to anyone in your life who might like the musings of my funky mind.