Badgers in the Windy City

Thanks to great rates on Southwest, I took off for Chicago to celebrate the long MLK Jr. weekend with Amy, my friend and old roommate.

When I arrived Friday night, we headed straight for my one request... a BYOB. Andalous was my first adventure with Moroccan food and it was absolutely delicious! We shared the Andalous combo as an appetizer and then moved into the beautiful chicken Pastilla - all complemented perfectly by our Pinot Noir.

NOTE: I rode in more cabs during this visit than I probably have during the rest of my 27 years.

Saturday morning, Amy made her friend, Melissa, and me a delicious Mexican brunch... eggs with bits of chorizo throughout on a crispy tostada, topped with black beans, fresh avocado, cilantro, sour cream and spicy salsa; and perfectly browned home fries. Then we were off for the Big Ten showdown in Evanston - Amy's alma mater University of Wisconsin versus the Northwestern Wildcats. The Badgers barely pulled out the win, but they did prevail - though I must admit... while I did wear the big red, I was not a great fan (how can I not cheer for the little guy??).
After we toured downtown Evanston, we jumped on the subway and headed back to get ready for a fun dinner with a bunch of Amy and Mark's friends.

Sunday was one of my favorite kinds of days... a leisurely morning took us next door to the grocery store to grab a few ingredients for football-watching snacks; we settled in to watch the Bears take on the Seahawks with "puppy chow", tomato and fresh mozzarella pizza, and carrots and dip.

Thanks, Amy for planning such a fun weekend... it was just what the doctor ordered!