The creperie was closed and we had thirty minutes. Golden Nugget restaurants always seem to come to the rescue during moments like this. It was a warm summer morning and we did crosswords together. He ordered a breakfast burrito, while I stuck with pancakes and eggs. He seemed anxious, certainly unlike the passionate and sweet Casanova from the night before. This felt forced. He picked at his breakfast burrito.

“You should take that on the road with you,” I suggested.

He said nothing and raised an eyebrow. I invited him to sit next to me and fill out some crosswords. We passed back and forth the copy of the Will Shortz book, inked in varying degrees of certainty. I looked disgusting. Did he notice? Was this why he did not want to stick his tongue in my mouth anymore? The pancakes were filling and delicious.
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Why choose one brunch restaurant when you can have a taste of twelve? On Sunday, August 23, some of Chicago’s finest are bringing their picnic baskets and coffee carafes to benefit local producer, Tracey Vowell at Three Sisters Garden.

Tracey Vowell and Kathe Roybal (Photo: GCM)

Vowell was a chef at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo for seventeen years before leaving to start Three Sisters Garden. Due to the downturn in the economy, she is no longer able to deliver her local produce to Chicago restaurants. This fundraiser is to raise money for Three Sisters to buy a van so that their produce can be served at Red Light and other Chicago institutions. Help a sista out!

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For years, I lived under the impression that Vikings were pillaging, raping savages with bad hair and bad teeth. Fortunately, a healthy dose of True Blood has deconstructed those age-old misconceptions about Swedish culture. I have a newfound appreciation for those pillaging, raping savages because it turns out they’re super foxy.  

Not Hagar the Horrible (Photo: iesb.net)

This Saturday, the Swedish American Museum in Andersonville is hosting a Viking breakfast extravaganza with Swedish Pancakes, crafts, and a visit from Frey the Viking. “All ages are welcome,” and guest characters typically translates into “family affair,” so don’t show up with your beer helmet or expectations of anything less than the joy of spending time with small children first thing in the morning.

The Viking breakfast will be held at the Swedish American Museum at 5211 N. Clark St. in Andersonville on Saturday, August 15 at 9:00 a.m. Cost: $10 members, $15 non-members. Children under 2 years free. Pre-paid reservations are required and can be made by calling the museum at 773.728.8111, ext. 26.

— Carly Fisher