Girls, goats and iPads

We are leaving Chicago first thing tomorrow after an enjoyable few days here. Without one shadow of a doubt, me and the other half will have the same conversation we always have when we leave Chicago during the journey back which will end in us categorically agreeing to move back as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

That of course doesn’t mean it will and we are happy in Bermuda, although we have had a couple of blips recently, namely having great difficulty in getting our daughter into a (decent) pre-school, which we have finally done for a start in September.

There are few places however that light me up more than when I’m walking the streets of Chicago, which I did a lot these last few days, mostly holding my daughter’s tiny hand as she explored every minute detail at an extremely slow pace as only 16-month olds can.

I was in the Apple Store every day trying to get my hands on an iPad 2, but as expected they are only available to people prepared to sleep outside on the pavement every night with a credit card and a duvet. I can wait.

Lunchtime today we had sushi at one of my favourite restaurants, Sushi Wabi. The little ‘un has a strange liking for soy sauce we found out but neither the food nor the Sapporo disappointed.

I also grabbed some Dirty Bastards and a few different Goose Island brews with some friends at the Hubbard Inn on Monday night, but our best meal was Sunday night at the new Girl & the Goat. Owned by US Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard, the menu was a delight with some inspired concoctions such as seared scallops with goat sausage. There was a lot of goat (I skipped the cheese) plus for the more adventurous there was wood oven roasted pig face, grilled bison buttocks, braised beef tongue and cod cheeks. Pick your body part!

Every dish the four of us picked was excellent and despite one hell of a miserable waitress, I will still be recommending this place.