PicoBlog

We took the boys to Mexico for fall break a couple of weeks ago and had a freaking blast, mostly thanks to three things: 1) the free kids club, 2) margaritas, and 3) making no plans and setting absolutely zero expectations for how our days would go with three boys under the age of 5. We’re pretty adventurous travelers, but at this point in our lives, our kids are, uh, not excelling at adventurous travel, to put it lightly.

We’ve moved many times. So many times, in fact, that I began to pride myself on how efficiently I was able to pack and unpack a house. I was quick and organized and my house would be put back together within a week. Turns out, the joke is on me. I discovered over the last three weeks that they only reason I was so good was because I didn’t have any children underfoot.

Another week, another Oklahoma chef does the state proud on national television. This time, it was 2021? James Beard Award semifinalist Zach Hutton’s turn. The show in question was Food Network’s hit competition show Chopped. Hutton took home the $10,000 prize winning an episode entitled “Trash into Treasure.” This competition was right up Hutton’s alley. His embrace of local practices is well-known in these parts. At Scratch Paseo he’d practically created a closed loop sourcing system to drill down the Oklahoma in his Oklahoma-centric menu.

*Contribution Post By Aranyak Nanda This morning, The Athletic broke the news of billionaire Mark Walter joining Todd Boehly’s bid to buy Chelsea Football Club. This is a significant move for the Boehly consortium, who have gone quiet while the Ricketts - now known as the Ricketts Family Investment Group - have been adding heavy hitters to their bid in recent weeks. There is still plenty of uncertainty around the Ricketts, who recently put out a list of points outlining their plans and vision for the club.

Welcome back to Chess in Small Doses. Today I’m talking about how things are going with my chess. For sometime I’ve been moving either sideways or down. This month marks a return to focused chess work. It is time to resume my chess journey. Of course I never really stopped so much as I lost my way. There have been some good movements and more than a few bad ones. I learn a lot from losses though.

Much like Sweetbitter the book I return to when the world is spinning madly, The Parent Trap is a film that feels like a burger after a night out or a bowl of sticky rice when your sick. It’s pure comfort and watching it for the 2390483094th time earlier this week, I discovered a new layer I hadn’t subconsciously thought of when watching it all those other times (some of them with a burger after a night out).

A friend who I made friends with while writing Drinking French brings small groups to Paris with his company. It’s not a tour group, per se, and he’s kind enough to include me in some of the dinners he plans in Paris. Thankfully, his business is spirits so we often have cocktails at one of my favorite bars in Paris before, which I had to decline this time around as I had too much to do.

Chicago was amazing, C2E2 was a total blast. My line at the show was artificially long because I am slow and cheap, but I am very grateful to everyone who stood in it to see this shell of a man. I took one photo all weekend and it was of of my final word on the character of “The Punisher.” I am an artiste. It was nice getting to hang out with fellow comics people.

When I committed to the idea of asking Chicago chefs (and a few owners who are the identity of their restaurants) to name their personal Chicago Mt. Rushmore (thanks Dave Andrews for proposing this whole idea), I didn’t really calculate the verve with which they’d answer. I figured a few of the 60 or so I reached out to would humor me. I had no idea that 48 souls (media and creators added another 15 - you can read their thoughts here) would commit their time and energy to this.