Part of a Complete Breakfast

Apparently corn flakes aren't quite proprietary enough, so word has it that Kellogg's wants to personalize their wares.

Do we really want our food to look as processed as it actually is?


Yuck.

A disturbing sign of the times.

Old Stomping Grounds

I had a big anniversary to celebrate this past weekend, and it unexpectedly took us back to old stomping grounds of mine...

Some Chicago highlights from our surreptitious trip, in some particular order:

1) Millenium Park

This is a prime example of the city center park as a viable modern social mecca. I wish the wimpy NIMBY's hampering the redevelopment of Civic Center Park here in Denver would step a few feet into this bold reimagining of an urban greenspace. From the dramatic spitting fountains to the breathtaking Frank Gehry-designed bandshell, the park was a beating living environment. Had we known there was a concert that evening we would have shown up with a blanket and picnic on the grassy green and lazed away with some wine. Boldly, Chicago has served notice that it is still a magnet for cutting edge urban design.

2) The John Hancock Tower

Surprisingly in all my time in Windy City, I never once stepped foot in this landmark building. The Sears Tower, many times. My loss. If you pick one skyscraper from which to ogle the urban skyline I think the Hancock wins hands down. Your choice: the tourist experience or a cocktail on top of the world. Guess which one I chose...

3) Architectural River Cruise

Another thing I had managed to avoid all these years. We had the perfect sunny morning to explore the Chicago River by boat. It is a great way to see the city evolve. Frankly it was really odd to see the old Sun Times building replaced by a Trump palace. That said, the potential for a new corkscrew mega-tower designed by Santiago Calatrava was a tantalizing end to a tour of a city undergoing another transformation.

4) Neighborhoods

I can never emphasize enough to people that the real Chicago draw is just a little bit afar from the glitz of Michigan Avenue, and this trip just emphasized that. From dinner at a cute little place in Andersonville, to the usual haunts in Lakeview, to the cute strip of restaurants and boutiques in Wicker Park and Bucktown the best Chicago has to offer is in the urban neighborhoods. If you do end up amidst the skyscrapers, definitely make the time to wander a bit afield for the more approachable Chicago.

5) The L

Transit cards and clearly recorded stop information make a huge difference. I was amazed how two subtle changes went a long way towards making the L a friendlier transit system. It really is a convenient way to explore the neighborhoods and simply get around. I am glad I got to still use tokens in my younger days, but frankly, the CTA has put technology to good use making the system better.

6) Chicago Style Pizza

We skipped the line at Uno's for a pie at Due's and were not disappointed. There is something magic about a pizza that has to cook for 40 minutes to melt just right. It's a gooey calorie bomb of a meal, but it is oh-so-good.

7) The Art Institute in 45 Minutes

The grande dame of Chicago museums has a deal that is worth checking out, especially right now when many of the galleries are closed due to the museum's current expansion project. Entrance is half-off the last hour each day, which the friendly museum ticket vendor casually suggested would be a good idea. Perfect idea. While I know you could spend hours on a Picasso or a Seurat, we managed to see all we wanted to see, perhaps a bit rushed, in 45 minutes flat. Best $6 spent in Chicago.

8) Ed Debevic's

No we didn't make it to the landmark downtown diner, but if ever I needed a reminder that the more things change, they often stay the same, Ed Debevic's provided it. Just as we stepped out into the city from our hotel this weekend, a gaggle of young lost college kids asked me if they were going in the right direction looking for Ed Debevic's. I was once one of those kids, asking for the same exact directions, almost a lifetime ago.

9) Nemo Nisi Mors

A simple phrase at the end of the trip. In one swoop Chicago reminded me how fortunate I have been, and still am today.

If you were not some sort of mouth breathing water buffalo

Somewhere along the intersection between food and travel, you'll find Anthony Bourdain.

His show, No Reservations, is now a permanent resident on the old Tivo -- a perfect piece of fast food travel when you've got the itch to be anywhere but where you are right now.

What brings him to mind today however is a random little nugget from Robert Donoghue, who recently saw the traveling foodie speak in New York City.

Apparently, Bourdain knows exactly how to navigate the internet to find the perfect place for dinner:

..take the city you want to go to and just google up some restaurant names that serve the dish you're after. Then got to chowhound or another foodie site, and rather than asking about restaurants, you put up an enthusiastic post talking about how you just had the best whatever you're looking for at one of these restaurants.

At that point... the nerdfury will begin. Posters will show up from nowhere to shower you with disdain, tell you how that place used to be good but has now totally sold out and - most important to your quest - will tell you where you would have gone if you were not some sort of mouth breathing water buffalo.

Racers use the force for amazing Mexican food

Three things I'm loving after this weekend...

1) The Amazing Race 12

The Amazing Race is finally back and it's still, by far, the best thing on TV today. While we may soon see a drought of comedies and dramas on TV, rest assured, we have plenty of globe-trotting fun ahead of us still!

Two episodes in, I'm generally liking this batch of bickering travelers. The first few eliminations got rid of deserving teams (the first for being out-jackassed by a real jackass, the second for just not keeping up).

I have no clue who will make it to the million dollar mat. There are plenty of strong teams running around right now trying to catch up to Phil Keoghan.

I'm just glad to be along for the ride. So far they've been to two of my favorite places in Europe, Ireland and the Netherlands. I can't wait to see where the camels come from next week!

Now if only they would hire someone to wipe off the cameras this season when it rains...

2) Centro Latin Kitchen & Refreshment Palace

We took a drive up to Boulder, CO today to wander around the Pearl Street Mall and enjoy a beautiful sunny day. A while back we'd read a review of Centro Latin Kitchen & Refreshment Palace in Westword, so we'd kept it in our back pocket for the next time we trekked in that direction.

The review was right. We only sampled their brunch and lunch offerings, but it's superb Mexican food, with their own twists. We started with and avocado salsa with fresh chips that was a perfect mix of soft avocados with a bit of mild tanginess. I had some garlic shrimp tacos which were absolutely perfect. They came with a Mexican coleslaw which I thought I would hate, and ended up devouring. Others had a chorizo torta, which looked a little heavy, but delicious, and an enormous seafood burrito with fried oysters, shrimp and other things I don't remember. It was like no burrito you have ever seen and it looked mouthwatering.

If you're up on the mall up in Boulder, make a point of checking Centro out.

It's fantastic fresh food, with clear Mexican flavors done in great unique ways.

3) Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for the Wii

Lego Star Wars has been an ongoing relationship this year. It was love at first sight as we played through it. But the dark side crept in slowly, leading to some serious hate dealing with glitchy Game Cube memory cards and controllers.

In the words of Yoda, "Hate leads to suffering," so, not being gluttons for punishment we put the controllers down for a while, knowing a proper Wii version was on its way.

The wait is over, and the verdict is in: The dark side of the Game Cube is gone. Long live the Wii.

While this new version of the game is just a slightly tweaked combination of the two games that came before it, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are a significant improvement. It is much more satisfying swashbuckling your way towards the Lego Death Star, than just thumbing it in.

It's not the most complicated game around. It's just plain, make-you-smile fun. The story elements have a wicked sense of humor and there's something sublime about using your light saber to smash Lego's to pieces. Watching C-3PO hop around when a leg pops off? That's just classic.

I hope Super Mario and his galaxy of friends are patient next week, because I think they may have to wait in line a bit while we knock out a Death Star or two.

茶 (otherwise known as tea)

Tea and I have a history.

As a kid I drank Chamomile. Growing up, before the Starbuck's era, I switched to Lipton black. Later on, Asia introduced me to the joys of green and jasmine aromatics. I still believe there is none better than Jasmine pearls gently unfolding when hit by a splash of just-boiled water.

If you're like me and you're going decaffeinated, you quickly realize that drinking coffee suddenly becomes silly. I like the taste all in all, but in the end, the only reason I ever really got hooked on coffee (along with Coca-Cola, which we'll save for another day) was for it's jittery effect. That gone, what's the point?

For a while teas got shuffled out unfairly, along with the coffee. If I couldn't have my Jasmine tea, what was the point. Most purely decaffeinated teas are fruity herbal concoctions that aren't for me, I scoffed. I've always gravitated towards simple clean flavors. The Brits could keep their milk, thank you!

Tea, however, didn't give up on me.

I soon rediscovered the soothing effect of an occasional chamomile tea enough to actually buy some extra bags for the office. I now have decaffeinated black and green teas galore at home. I've even been, heaven forbid, playing around with milk to cool my tea, even to the point of exploring different Indian chais (the caffeine free bags from Stash are pretty darn good, the red-tea based Oregon Chai concentrate, not-so-much).

All these teas, I've discovered, now have a mellowing effect on me. I've always believed in their medicinal value, but only recently have I come to understand and value the actual ritual of making and drinking it.

With their elaborate tea ceremonies, this is something Asian cultures have long understood. I'd experienced such ceremonies while travelling, but as with many things, I don't think I was at a point in my life where I could internalize that lesson.

suddenly, though, making a cup of tea feels different now for me than making a shot on my espresso machine. It's an active process that demands attention to get it right.

For starters, you have to boil the water. For a proper cup, there is no instant gratification. You have to stop, nurture the tea, steep it. Only when the leaves have given up their essence can you drink it. It's something you have to sip gently. It forces you to slow down, even if just for a few moments.

In my newly decaffeinated world, teas no longer live to keep me awake. Their calming powers seem to be much more powerful anyway.