sugarcrook

It’s hard to find a good chicken shwarma. I tried some place called Babylon on Damen, near Armitage, but their food is overpriced for the quantity. Not to mention the complete lack of flavor. Imagine how lucky I felt when I found that Sultan’s Market, at North and Hoyne, makes some of the best Middle Eastern food I’ve ever had. Even better, they’re right across the street from my gym, Bucktown Fitness Club.

If you crave shwarmas, or lentil soup, or stuffed grape leaves, you’ve got to check this place out.

Sultan’s Market
2057 W. North Ave, at Hoyne [map]

A few years ago, I lived in Downeast Maine. Since moving away in 1999, I’ve been back for a few weeks each year. When I’m not there, I still need my Maine fix. I read the papers online and read a few blogs. I read Amy’s blog fairly regularly.

Now, Downeast Maine isn’t a big place. A fair number of people have visited, but it’s rare to meet someone that’s lived there. Oddly enough, a friend of mine has a cousin that lives there. Okay, not that odd. What’s kinda neat is that his cousin reads and comments on the same blog. I feel like I know the guy, but that’s impossible because he doesn’t know of me, but I know of him. Then sometimes I feel awkward because I’m like, “Oh, that guy,” and he doesn’t know that I know who he is.

One day, I’ll move back to Maine. Until then, I’ll get my fix from Amy.

For your viewing pleasure, some pics from my November vacation:

Am I the only one surprised that Ice Cube, one of the founders of ganster rap, has suddenly made the shift to family movies? Even more shocking - his movie is #1 at the box office.

This move isn’t unprecedented. After all, how many people would have thought Eddie Murphy would star in family movies?

Worth a viewing. Needs sound.

http://oak.psych.gatech.edu/~epic/

It’s doubtful how much of this story is true, but it presents an interesting idea.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/16/hersh.iran/index.html

So far, the BBC hasn’t picked this up.

[UPDATED] As of 6:17 GMT, this was posted on the BBC website.

And I can’t wait! I’m sick of looking at white walls. I took the easy way out and called a professional painter after deciding that painting walls with 17-18′ ceilings was probably out of my grasp.

Colors, you ask? I’m using a Martha Stewart palette (no shit) with a deep red, something called “tea bath” and another coffee color. Most off the place will be an off-white, with two of the bedroom walls as light blue.

It should look nice when it’s done and cleaned.

Riding the east-bound 77 bus on Saturday, a drunk guy landed on the leg of a guy taking up 1.5 seats. Thankfully, the entire bus got to hear them shouting until the drunk bastard got off at the Belmont L stop. I’m not really sure what the actual cause was, and I really don’t care. Unlike some, I think violence is a great way to solve problems.

My problem is with the mouthy blonde screaming at them to stop arguing. If people want to fight, let them. If you want to mind everyone else’s business, run for office. Otherwise, shut up.

Sometimes I can hear my neighboor stomping around upstairs. I can usually ignore it. Occasionally, like when I’m struggling to sleep, it’s annoying. A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, stomps on the floor like ate her leftover Chinese. Am I the only one that walks on the balls of my feet around the house? At the very least, it gives me sultry calves.

Speaking of leftover Chinese, I’ve got some scraps of General Tso’s chicken and won ton soup from Papajin’s for lunch.

We decided to do a fair amount of cooking over the NYE holiday, with a large portion of that cooking revolving around seafood. I have no idea why I chose seafood, but I had a serious craving for it. The menu started out pretty simple, with mussels as the appetizer, followed by poached salmon. (Dessert was some homemade chocolate pudding, sans seafood.) Late-night snack consisted of sushi-grade tuna. (Hungry yet?)

Everything came out great, and we gorged ourselves like a Roman feast. What made life easier was finding a great fishmonger that had everything I needed, instead of driving all over Chicago trying to find quality ingredients. Dirk’s Fish, at 2070 N. Clybourn Ave, is easily the best fishmonger I’ve done business with. The staff are smart and fast, the place doesn’t reek of fish, and it’s constantly busy, so you know the fish isn’t sitting around all day.

Dirk’s will also roll sushi for you, and do custom orders. They can be reached at 773.404.3475.

(After reading this post, it sounds like I’m getting paid to write this. Unfortunately, I’m not. These guys just rock when it comes to fish.)