Take Out Chicago Challenge (Part 2)

‘Take Out Chicago’ was designed to help boost the struggling hospitality industry by offering residents who order take out from 10 different bars and restaurants between November 5 and December 15 (40 days) a chance to win a VIP tour to various places like Soldier Field and the Art Institute.

I completed 10 deliveries/takeout from 10 different restaurants by Thanksgiving Day (that was easy), so I decided to log another 10 delivery/takeout orders.

11/28 MingHin
11/30 Orso’s
12/01 Saigon Sisters
12/02 Max’s
12/02 Big Wig Tacos
12/03 Hunan Cuisine
12/05 Serai
12/06 l'Aventino Forno Romano
12/07 Strings Ramen
12/09 Silver Spoon

So, reader, have you been supporting local restaurants? Where have you ordered takeout or delivery from?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Take Out Chicago Campaign (Part 1)

So, the Mayor’s Office issued a challenge.

‘Take Out Chicago’ was designed to help boost the struggling hospitality industry by offering residents who order take out from 10 different bars and restaurants between November 5 and December 15 a chance to win a VIP tour to various places like Soldier Field and the Art Institute.

That’s not much of a challenge. With my Thanksgiving dinner, I have my 10 deliveries/takeout from 10 different restaurants. Job done!

11/06 Manny’s Deli

11/15 Ajoomah’s Apron

11/16 Roanoke

11/17 Wazwan Supper Club

11/18 Russian Tea Time

11/19 Output Lounge

11/21 Estrella Negra

11/25 Chicago Curry House

11/25 Vermilion

11/26 Lao Sze Chuan

So, reader, have you been supporting local restaurants? Where have you ordered takeout or delivery from?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Dining Outdoors/Ordering for pickup or delivery 10/30/20-11/09/20

The city banned indoor dining again beginning October 30, so I had dined outside or ordered takeout or delivery (nine restaurants over six cuisines) October 30 to November 9.

Beginning November 13, it’s all takeout or delivery, so I will make a different post to track that.

This is a much shorter list, since it only covered two weeks’ meals:

American
Mexican
German
Chinese
Jewish
Italian

I hope you will join me in supporting independent restaurants as much as possible.

#fightforillinoisrestaurants #saverestaurants #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocalbusinesses #supportlocalrestaurants #illinois #chicago

So, reader, I am asking for your stories. How have your dining habits been affected?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Dining Out 06/26/20-10/20/20

Beginning June 26, restaurants were allowed dining in, as long as they maintained no more than 25% capacity, and I think no more than 50 diners. I had my first indoor meal June 26 for the first time since March 15.

Unfortunately, there has been another spike in COVID-19 cases, and the city banned indoor dining again beginning October 30. Further restrictions were put in place beginning November 13, so I have started tracking where I’ve been getting my meals from again.

From June 26 to October 20 (my last time dining out before the new restrictions), I had gone out 62 times at 32 restaurants over 13 different types of cuisines. Due to not wanting to do much traveling, there were a couple of restaurants that I went to quite a lot. I'm pretty impressed with the list, anyway.

Russian
Italian
Japanese
American
Steakhouse
Seafood
German
Soul food
Korean
Pizza
Chinese
Mexican
Indian

So, reader, I am asking for your stories. Did you try to eat out at all when dining in was allowed?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Remembering 9/11

It is impossible to not remember that day.

I had taken the day off for a doctor's appointment. My alarm was the radio. I woke up to vaguely hear something about the World Trade Center. As I began to wake up, I heard about the second tower. That woke me up.

I turned the TV on to see horrific footage in disbelief. And then a report on the third plane. "This can't be real!" I think everyone thought that.

I didn't personally know anyone working in the World Trade Center, but I knew of people, relatives and co-workers of people I knew. Cell phone calls weren't getting through. A lot of us were making frantic calls to check on friends and family.

I was living in the suburbs at the time. Downtown was being evacuated, and Metra did a good job getting people out of the city.

When I got to the doctor's office, it was the only thing playing on the TV. Of course.

Our boss had flown in that morning for a meeting. He tried to get a flight back home, which of course was not possible as all flights had been grounded. We were worried about Chicago, especially downtown with all the skyscrapers, being targeted as well.

We will never forget, but we will stay strong.

So, reader, I am asking for your stories. Where were you on 9/11, and what went through your mind?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Thoughts on Illinois face mask rule effective August 26, 2020

So, I’ve been selectively dining out since June 3, 2020, when restaurants began allowing sit-down. It started with outside seating only.

Beginning June 26, 2020, diners could sit inside as long as restaurants limited themselves to 25% and no more than 50 diners at any given time. I’ve done both. Diners must have face masks on if they were to walk through the restaurants. They could leave their face masks off if they were sitting down.

Effective August 26, 2020, if you want to eat at a restaurant in Illinois, you must wear a mask when the wait staff or other employees come to your table, even if you're sitting outdoors. Now, that’s when it becomes impractical.

It’s highly recommended against to keep constantly putting on and taking off a face mask due to risk of contamination, so if you’re eating or drinking and the server stops by the table you’ll need to put the face mask back on. What I see is people leaving their face masks on the table. Another risk of contamination.

I totally support the effort to keep restaurant staff safe, but this new rule is not practical. People really aren’t following it because it is so hard to follow. Of course, servers maybe should only stop by when summoned, which goes against what they’re used to do.

I suggest requiring restaurant staff to wear face masks AND face shields, only because it eliminates a lot of the face mask on and off problem, which actually makes it less safe, and to rethink how they interact with patrons.

So, reader, I am asking for your thoughts on this new rule. If you’ve been dining out, what are your thoughts on wearing face masks in restaurants?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your opinion.

Reflections on China

This is not a political post. I’m just reflecting on the rhetoric against and hostility towards China and why.
Most people only know China from the last 80 years from around WWII through the Cultural Revolution to Tiananmen Square, Tibet, Xinjiang, etc., so for many people Communist China is and has always been China.

China has been flexing her muscles and refusing to back down on a lot of issues, political or economic, and this has made a lot of countries very angry. I think we really need to know her history to understand why she refuses to be bullied.

China endured occupation by the Japanese during WWII, but her sovereignty was challenged during the humiliating Opium Wars. The West practically beat China into submission.

Also, remember China was ruled by the Manchus during the Qing Dynasty. Since the Manchus are not ethnically Chinese, the Chinese were essentially ruled by foreigners for almost 300 years before the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. Being told what to do by foreigners has been her recent history.

It was during the Qing Dynasty that the US became acquainted with China, especially with the stereotypical garb associated with Chinese people, which were imposed on them by the Qing rulers. Men wore long queues, that they were forbidden to cut off, that was a source of ridicule.

The bullied will no longer be a victim of bullying. Whether we agree with what China is doing, and there are a lot that most of us disagree on, none of it came without precedent. Her history has shaped her mentality. It will help understand her unwillingness to negotiate.

So, reader, I am asking for your thoughts on China. Do you think we should consider China’s history in order to understand her interactions with the rest of the world?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your opinion, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your views.

Reflection on life and death

It is July 22, 2020. I lost two friends the last two days; both passed away unexpectedly. One was only 31. The other was my age. Neither died because of COVID-19. Although we were not close, it still hits me hard.

I am anticipating more deaths as people I know are getting older. It is inevitable. However, sudden demises are difficult to comprehend, when they were not known to have been suffering from a medical condition.

I will miss them both.

Feel free to share stories of people who have passed away who have made an impression on you.

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Takeout/Delivery since SIP began

My last meal in a restaurant was March 15, 2020, St. Patrick's Day Weekend. Because of people ignoring advice to avoid bar crawls on Saturday due to COVID-19, the city ordered all restaurants to close as of 9 pm March16, the day before St. Patrick's Day, and the State of Illinois issued a Stay-in-Place order effective March 21. Restaurants have closed temporarily or opened only for takeout or delivery. Some have closed permanently. Restaurants were allowed to open for patio or sidewalk dining June 3.

Today, restaurants are allowed dining in, as long as they maintain no more than 25% capacity, and I think no more than 50 diners. I will be dining in this evening (not patio or sidewalk) for the first time since March 15.

I have been keeping track of my takeouts or deliveries since stay-in-place became effective. Today's takeout will be my last for this log, although I will still be doing takeouts and deliveries, but I won't be keeping track after today.

I'm pretty impressed with the list. I've been trying to patronize Asian-owned and Black-owned restaurants as much as possible due to COVID-19 and BLM. One stipulation has been: NO CHAINS. I hope you will consider doing the same. And if you are getting delivery, please tip the driver well.

#SupportAsianRestaurants
#SupportBlackOwnedRestaurants

#SupportLocalRestaurants

#SupportLocalBusinesses 

#TakeOutHate

#GreatAmericanTakeout

Malaysian

Pizza

Hamburger

Pizza

Wings

Omelette

Fish and chips

Sushi

Malaysian

Pasta

Pizza

Omelette

Vietnamese

Korean

Pizza

Hotdog

Hamburger

Tamale

Chili

Nepalese

Indian

Fried chicken

Pasta

Dim sum

Mexican seafood

Taiwanese

Ramen

Szechuan

Wings

Italian

Pasta

Chinese BBQ

Chinese Noodles

Hawaiian

Polynesian

Ramen

Thai

Ramen

Tacos

Hawaiian

Malaysian

Pizza

Tacos

Taiwanese

Hamburger

Hong Kong seafood

Pizza

Somali

BBQ

Dim sum

Soul food

Ramen

Burger and wings

Fried lobster

Roast beef sandwich

So, reader, I am asking for your dining stories during the last three months. Have you discovered new culinary skills? Or are you like me, either discovering new local restaurants or supporting your favorite restaurants?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.