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If you visit Chinatown–and you should–check out “little” Three Happiness restaurant. There’s a “big” Three Happiness across the street from it, which you should avoid. You’ll see the big one first as you exit the el station. Cross the street to the little one, which really is a hole in the wall and is almost always packed with Chinatown locals. It’s worth the wait.

Yes, Sultan’s Market is very good and cheap which is a winning combination! I still haven’t visited Reckless since we’ve moved here in fear of it getting out of hand (though I have been there before and loved it). There is a little restaurant next to the Empty Bottle called Bite that we checked out after it was recommended to us by our landlord. He called it “a hole in the wall”. It was good but was not a “hole in the wall”. No, a term like that is reserved for such gems as the Lamplighter back home. My favorite breakfast spot so far is Toast which is a few blocks from our apartment. We’ll have to check out Red Hen soon.

Everybody breaks down and buys a map. It’s a smart thing to do!

Getting set up is such a pain, isn’t it? And moving to the big city is intimidating–I remember driving into the city on Lake Shore Drive wih Guy in the passenger seat and all our worldly possessions in the back. The weather was grim that day, and the skyline looked nightmarish. I wanted to turn around and head back to Memphis.

It will get easier, of course. You’ll find some hangouts and restaurants that are a good fit. I remember finding some on the Chicago portion of the chowhound site (chowhound.com??), so give that a look when you have a chance. There are some great places on Devon, but unfortunately I can’t remember any names. Give it another try.

Right now I wish I could have a falafel from Sultan’s Market in Wicker park! It’s perfect just after a bit of shopping at Quimby’s, Reckless and Myopic. And some of the best bread and pastries in the city can be found at Red Hen Bakery. All these places are within a ten minute walk, all centered around the Damen Blue line stop.

Hey, there’s a great breakfast place right next to the empty bottle, too.

I’ll tell you about more places as I remember them.

Take care and keep us updated on your progress.

And yes, we are coming in next weekend though I might be in Mississippi with family on Saturday night. But Apryl will be in Memphis.

Have you listened to the new M. Ward album? I couldn’t tell if you were asking about it or commenting on how good it is – which you should because it’s one of Ward’s best releases so far. And this from a man who keeps on putting out amazing record after amazing record. No dud in the bunch is what I’m getting at here.

And hello Summer!

– Thanks for visiting the blog. I should stress that it isn’t complete yet. So it’s a bit embarrassing looking at the moment. But I just couldn’t wait to say “hello”.

You’re coming back next weekend right?