Silence. Or at least a little less noise.

For those of you worried about my hearing--and my sanity--I am happy to announce that we are now the proud owners of a set of drum mutes.

 

Basically they're just a set of rubber circles that lay on top of the drum head. But they've cut the noise waaaaay down--that, and the fact the drum set is now living in the basement.

We just got back from a short trip to Chicago.  So what is this?

 

This is yuuummmm! Xoco, in downtown Chicago, is Rick Bayless's (of Frontera Grill fame) new restaurant.  I love Rick--isn't he a cutie?

 

And I love Rick's food. The review I saw in the Chicago Reader referred to him as "The Chef Who Can Do No Wrong", and I'd have to agree with that. The menu at Xoco is very casual compared to Frontera, its big sister next door, with the menu made up of sandwiches and soups. But the most amazing sandwiches and soup you've ever had--the four of us each got something different, and it was all incredible, with plates being swapped back and forth and forks attacking other people's meals like crazy. And if the food wasn't enough to wow us, there were the hot chocolates.

  

Made from scratch--and from scratch, I mean they're grinding those cacao beans on site and blending in their own Aztec spices. We got two, with churros, for dessert, but I was severely disappointed I was too stuffed to order a chocolate latté for the road. Definitely going back for breakfast next time we're in Chicago and fueling up for the day on chocolate and pastries.

I wonder if they would consider moving Chicago a little closer to my house?