Live Music and Good Food and friends

Live music and good food and friends = my kinda day.

I love Fridays, especially Fridays in Chicago.  Why might you ask?
Oh because on my lunch break I walked for ~ 2minutes from my building and got to see two amazing musicians performing for a lunch time concert!

Tyler Hilton

how close I actually was

Just me and Tyler

I have never actually taken a picture with a musicain, but I figured when in Rome when in Chicago, you might as well.  For the record, Fridays are dress down, wear jeans at the office.  Tyler Hilton does a stunning rendition of John Waite’s “I Ain’t Missing You” and Michael Franti came highly recommended by Michael, Kevin and Lila being as they saw him live at the Hangout Festival.

a packed audience

Michael Franti — no shoes, naturally

In the working world, I put the finishing touches on another article for our more “newsy” publication about the wonders of coffee.  Two topics that have been hot in the dental world focus around the seemingly preventative effect that coffee has on head and neck cancers and also its ability to negate bad breath (or oral malodor) to get technical.  The article was just a rough draft, but nevertheless it was a fun, new challenge to write more scientifically.

After work came the food part of the day!

Welcome to the Taste of Chicago!

The Taste of Chicago is the world’s largest food festival, held annually for 10 days in Chicago starting Friday before the 4th of July and ending the Sunday after (in the event July 4th is a Saturday, the festival begins on the Friday eight days before). The event is the largest festival in Chicago.

tasting some incredible spinach stuffed deep dish pizza

“The Taste” as all the locals call it (using the full phrase “Taste of Chicago” is a sure-fire way to look like a tourist) functions using cash and tickets.  The tickets are for a “taste size” portion of food and then you can just use cash to have a full-size portion of their normal food.  Another allure of this festival is the music — Salt and Peppa were the opening act!  Sadly, we did not get to see them.  I wish I would have taken a picture, but there were over 50,000 people (according to the horse police officers) on the lawn and they were granting anyone else lawn access by the time we arrived.
Aside:  Why do police officers ride horses?  I mean really, its 2010….

sadly no MLS because of the World Cup

beautiful night to be at The Taste

Besides pizza, Nicole and I tried some sweet potato fries and a polish sausage with mustard and sauerkraut.  Next time I go, I had my eye on some steak tacos and Rainbow ice cream among a million other choices.
Later on that night we headed out on the town to meet up with some of our other externs.  Look what I finally saw:

The Godfather

It’s legit, I’ve “seen” the Godfather and now I am a true American.

we found elusive vanilla blue Toostie Rolls at this bar

the gang

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Psalm 34:8

Southern count: 1