Anyone who knows me knows I spend just as much time in Chicago as I do in Indy. I love Chicago and threaten to move there every time I visit, but you can’t really beat the cost of living in Indy, so…yeah.
This trip, most of my time was spent in Lincoln Park. Bailiwick Chicago is running a production of AIDA at American Theatre Co. {which happens to be the first Chicago revival of the production post-Broadway}. Tiny theater…big impact. My sister is cast as Amneris, so of course the parents and I made the journey for the opening night performance.
Sidebar: I really have no interest in traveling with my parents ever again. I say this every time I take a road trip with them. I’m smart enough to book a hotel room on a separate floor if I can, but I think my first new thing to do in my last year as a 20-something is to stop these crazy road trips. Case in point: we were in Chicago for 2 nights. My parents had enough luggage/coolers/crap to be gone for 2 months. That is not ok.
Moving on…
I love to eat. {Surprise!} Isn’t Chicago a fabulous place for eating?? And in case you forgot, I certainly have a love-love relationship with Empanadas. If I can find one…I’m gonna eat one. {This almost got me in trouble in the middle of a shaky area in Cancun when I was tempted to eat one from a guy on the corner. The pigeon playing in the bucket of water he was using to cook/clean/drink & the crazy long line at the nearest hospital definitely changed my mind. Smelled good though.}.
That brings me back to Chicago. Lincoln Park. LITO’S Empanadas. We all went to Golden Nugget Pancake House for breakfast, so needless to say I was full. As we made our way down Clark St to browse & be nosey, we stumbled upon a little self-serve frozen yogurt place. I don’t remember which one, but I wasn’t thrilled with it. But, my impulse said – “it’s hot – get frozen yogurt”. I would have much preferred Ms. Impulse to say – “it’s hot – but wait because across that next block is an empanada shop and you know how you are so put the yogurt down and keep steppin’ missy”. She didn’t say that, so I was 27% into my frozen yogurt when I gasped loudly, frightened my parents, and stopped sidewalk traffic to oogle and drool over some empanadas. It’s a personal problem. The fatty in me said “do it…”, but I’ve learned to silence her by reading nutrition labels and reminding myself of my 6-months-ago BMI. Mental note: we’ll be back tomorrow. And we did go back.
We ordered 1 Beef & Rice Empanada and 1 Vegetable Empanada. They were deep fried to order, but made right in the store. I love a good entrepreneurial story. Carlos, the owner, is Colombian and moved to Ohio with dreams of one day having his own business. He and his wife realized this dream in 2007. Now, if I could only convince him to pack up and move to Indy that would be fabulous.
I don’t know how any one could not love anything deep fried in a pastry-like dough. Definitely added to my list of forever pit stops I make on every visit.
So yummy.
Pictures from LITO’s Empanadas.
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