happy new years eve eve

hola all! happy new years eve eve!

before i head off to the lovely dc dmv to give up my california license (sniff, sniff), i wanted to just comment on how i've finally gotten to the last piece of old pizza in my fridge. this means that now i REALLY have to think about what to have for lunch today. especially since i'll be probably still waiting in line at the dmv come noon or so.

so send your positive lunch vibes my way folks. i'll be gone most of today running errands before everything shuts down this weekend for the holidays. please feel free to share your festive (or not so festive) NYE plans. i hope it involves food. i know that i envision a trip to ben's chili bowl at around 2am on new years day....

so kids, WFL?

Historic Berghoff to Close

Restaurant has been tradition for generations of Chicagoans
By Mike Hughlett. Staff reporter Rick Popely contributed to this storyTribune staff reporterPublished

December 29, 2005

First Marshall Field's, now The Berghoff.Chicago will lose another commercial and cultural icon when the 107-year-old Berghoff Restaurant, a Loop landmark, serves its last schnitzel on Feb. 28.Herman Berghoff, the 70-year-old grandson of the restaurant's founder, and his wife, Jan Berghoff, 68, are retiring. Herman Berghoff, who's been working at the German-style restaurant since 1952, owns the building at 17 W. Adams St. and will lease it to his daughter Carlyn Berghoff's catering company.She plans to reopen the bar this spring under a slightly different name but convert the elegant dining room to a private banquet hall, thus ending the reign of one of Chicago's oldest and most fattening restaurants."It's hard to believe," said Rich Melman, founder of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a Chicago-based restaurant company, who recalls first eating at The Berghoff 45 years ago. "I feel such a personal loss for Chicago. It's like losing the Cubs or something."Christopher Lackner, a spokesman for Herman and Jan Berghoff, said the decision to close "wasn't without great thought. The Berghoff family shares the sadness the city shares."The Berghoffs never put the building or the restaurant on the market, Lackner said. Both the building and the business would fetch a high price."It does very well," Lackner said. "It is a very successful business." He declined to disclose its revenues.Under the family's plan, Artistic Events by Carlyn Berghoff Catering Inc. will take over the building this winter. She will rename the bar 17 West at The Berghoff and reopen the adjoining cafe but reserve the dining room--cloaked in rich oak and graced with pictures of old Chicago--for private, catered events.Artistic Events hasn't determined what if any changes will be made to the building's exterior, including its landmark sign, said Jennifer Connelly, a spokeswoman for the company.The Berghoff traces its roots to Herman Joseph Berghoff's desire in 1898 to showcase his Dortmunder-style beer. At a bar at State and Adams Streets, he sold it for a nickel a mug and offered sandwiches for free.Prohibition forced The Berghoff to expand into a full-service restaurant, which has been at its current location--next door to the original--since 1936.The Berghoff was the first Chicago establishment to get a liquor license after Prohibition ended in 1933.It was also known for maintaining a separate, men-only bar long after such practices faded.For legions of Chicago men of a certain age, The Berghoff was a stop-off point for a beer before attending a Blackhawks game at Chicago Stadium, or one of the first destinations after turning 21.The men-only tradition ended in 1969 when seven members of the National Organization for Women sat down at the bar and demanded service.But mostly, The Berghoff has been known as an old-style, family-run restaurant where the waiters wear black jackets and white aprons. It's been a traditional stop for generations of Chicagoans and visitors.Lifetime memoriesBill Figel, who owns a public relations firm at Adams and LaSalle Streets, is a third-generation customer of The Berghoff. His grandfather, a lawyer in the neighborhood who worked a half-day on Saturdays like others in the profession, would go there with others for a corned beef sandwich at noon on Saturdays. His father would meet friends at The Berghoff before heading to a college double-header basketball game at the stadium."There's nothing more authentic than the German atmosphere," Figel said.
With lines out the front door common, Figel shared a tip--an "old Chicago trick" now of limited use--for bypassing the out-of-towners. Walk through the bar to the back of the dining room, grab a table and then tip a waiter.Crowds are biggest this time of year. During the holiday season, the number of customers served each day jumps from about 1,500 to 3,000.Kathy Scopelliti was one of the holiday revelers Wednesday, dining with her husband and two friends, all in town for the day from the Chicago suburbs. "When our waiter told us [about the closing] I couldn't believe it was true."Scopelliti, 51, was introduced to The Berghoff at age 5 by her grandmother. "It was a big deal to come downtown--wearing hats and gloves--and go to The Berghoff."She still comes two or three times a year, often for lunch with her mother and her sister. "I have a lot of good memories. It's like Field's now. The Berghoff will be a memory too."She of course was talking about the venerable Marshall Field's brand, soon set to vanish when its owner, Federated Department Stores Inc., converts the chain to Macy's."It makes me sick, first Field's, and now this," said Laura Howell of Chicago as she was about to order dessert.Distinctive Chicago brands are increasingly giving way to seemingly rootless chains, she said. "Are we supposed to take up our next year's holiday traditions at Victoria's Secret?"O'Hare cafe to stay openThe Berghoff Cafe at O'Hare International Airport will remain open. It has a somewhat different ownership structure, and includes Carlyn Berghoff as an owner.Her catering business, Artistic Events, has been around for about 20 years, and is housed in the West Loop.But Berghoff's landlord bought out her lease recently in order to redevelop the building into condominiums, Connelly said, so Artistic Events has to vacate by the end of March.Artistic Events has about $5 million in annual sales and has 45 full-time employees.The Berghoff has 92 full-time employees, including several waiters who have been employed for decades.

Turkey Sandwich? Pierogies? Pierogie Sandwich?

Leftover pasta? Leftover steak? Suddenly there are all kinds of leftovers around here, and I don't know what I want.

I don't really have anything else to say, other than I hate the View and should just turn it off.

WFL?

roots

I’m looking forward to my half leftover Briammi Kefte sandwich (ground lamb and beef, grilled veggies and crumbled feta) and some red pepper and feta pasta salad from the bakery/café, Artopolis, over on Halsted in Greektown. Nice place. My dining companions were also impressed with their chicken salad and portabella mushroom sandwiches. Both soups were very tasty (cream of potato and garlic, and chicken lemon and rice). Topped off with a fine tiramisu for the table. Service was slow, but I think they were understaffed and unprepared for such a 12/26 rush. I recommend it.

WFL?

Drunken Holiday Musings

It occurred to me earlier, upon finally sorting out the internet issues here at home, that many of us may in fact be online and happening upon The Original What's For Lunch. My suspicions were confirmed when I happened upon Ms. Jade's comment on yesterday's lunch post. I myself spent the day doing the holiday shopping (all of it - first time in a shopping place since October!), drinking, and watching football with my dad. Grandma and her boyfriend just left, and their visit compelled me to polish off the magnum of wine I started earlier in the day.

So, my friends. Use this post to share your holiday thoughts, if you happen to be stopping by over the holidays. (One good thing about today: Laguna Beach marathon. Right On.)

I hope everyone is having a joyous, or at least drunken celebration.

With much love and wine,
Ethics

Hello?

As with the office, do I have the blog all to myself?

What do you think I should get at the Berghoff today, Lester?

it's 3 days 'til xmas and all through the blog...

not a WFL-er was stirring, because NO ONE IS FUCKING WORKING TODAY!!!!! (except for ricotubbs and me, of course) the last few days before xmas really do blow for those of us who have sedentary office jobs. it's such a sham, b/c no one really works this time of year, and it's all about just having warm bodies around to look as if you are working. my office, for example, is concerned about having proper "office coverage" in the next week. seriously folks, NO ONE IS GOING TO CALL US! i promise that there will be no life threatening ethics issue between now and the new year. just close the office already.

it's not even 10am, and i am constantly look at the clock and wonder when the day is going to end. the only thing to look forward to is...

LUNCH! (of course)

i woke up this morning and thought "what sort of thought provoking subject can i post today?" and all i can think of is this...sorry all.

so, are any DC WFL-ers working today? and if so, can we convene for lunch? i think this is the only time of the year where you can get away with taking a 2 hour+ long lunch since no one in the office really knows if you're working or on vacation anyways. dammit, give me SOMETHING to look forward to, por favor!!!

WFL? inspire me folks.

"I smell like the bar" and other thoughts

Well, I'm here. I made it back.

Things I could have done without:

I'm not sure that 2 McGriddles were necessary. (and considering they didn't stay down all that long, apparently, they weren't)

The SUPERHAPPYTOBEALIVE business traveler guy who wanted to talk to me this morning on the plane about how, "Gosh, this is an early flight!" Go away. When was your last shot? If it was more than 2.5 hours ago, I have nothing to say to you.

The cop that followed me the entire length of the toll road on my way to the office. How embarrassing it would've been to get a DUI this morning. My parents would have been so ashamed.



Anyway - last night was so much fun. Everyone was as cool and fun as I imagined and then some. I am now even more excited for the Spring Conference, though, my liver is cringing at the thought. I need to start conditioning now.

So team, how is everyone curing their hangovers today? I definitely have plans to cut out of the office early, but since I no longer have food in my tummy, I'm going to need to eat something. I haven't put my finger on exactly what, but I can guarantee it won't be a ham/mustard/relish sandwich.

WFL?

I haven’t even thought about Adams in YEARS.

Simultaneously, I have Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’” and The Kinks “Alcohol” stuck in me ‘ead.

I haven’t even thought about Adams in YEARS. Yesterday, out of the blue, the theme song comes to me (which I posted, and nobody caught or bothered to acknowledge, leaving the blogger formerly known as dipso hangin’ -- ouch). Then, last night, out of the fucking blue, some guy at the bar turns to me and asks “What was Uncle Jesse’s donkey’s name on Grizzly Adams? Six?”

Life is really something.

I think it was “Seven.” ANYONE??!!?

What the hell am I going to have for lunch? I need to recover/prepare from/for a night of heavy drinking. Please use all of your powers, people. Lester needs you.

6 Days till X-Mas and my True Lunch Gave to me...

I like my title this morning, but can't figure out how to end it because I don't know what I should get for lunch. Today is my last day of work until January 3rd. Almost too excited to eat. So tell me everyone, with 6 days till Christmas, what do your lunch plans hold for you?

Help me I'm drunk!

I'm back WFLers and I'm drunk.

It's 10:00 a.m. in NY and I am hammered still. Last night was the company Christmas party. I was coerced into doing at least 7 shots or Makers Mark, Jameson, and Jack Daniels. I drank a lot of beer, switched to Vodka at 2:00 a.m. and then went and karaoked. I sang "White Wedding" walked on couches (didn't fall) wouldn't give up the microphone after, etc. Was a mess but remember every part of the night. Anyhow I just had a Ham & Cheese Croissant and a large coffee. But it didn't help. I can barely type and I can feel my stomach churning.

WFLers, what can I do to cure my hangover and queasy stomach?

Pizza? Burger? HELP!

P.S. The best thing about the x-mas party is that I wasn't even close to being the drunkest person there.

bad omens and some sage advice

so, on my commute to work this morning, i was acutely aware of some details that made me wonder "are these bad omens that will affect lunch today?" first of all is the dude that i happen to ALWAYS be on the bus with who loves to make 5 cell phone calls en route. he has this annoying southern accent too. this morning, he called to talk to his mother about how he saw some tv program last night on how drugs are so much cheaper at costco. "mom, can you hear me? hello? yes, drugs are way cheaper at costco. you already know that? well, i just thought i'd tell you again that drugs are so much cheaper at costco." shut up buddy. she already knows.

then, i saw a gross dirty condom on the sidewalk as i was walking to the office. also, a woman who was wearing a plaid checkered winter coat with plaid checkered winter skirt both completely different colors and different patterns. another dc fashion disaster.

last but not least was the construction worker dude eating an egg mcmuffin and chewing with his mouth wide open...that of course made me want to vomit.

so, this is what has happened so far. are these bad lunch omens WFLers? also, ethics and i have to go to a stuffy and stupid holiday office luncheon. so it is breaking my asian lunch hommage. damn work.

oh, and my sage advice is DO NOT eat homemade chili for dinner at 10pm and then go to bed. my stomach is yelling at me right now saying "stupid la choi...why have you foresaken me!!!!!!!!"

i think that i will drink heavily at lunch and embarass myself in front of my coworkers. that will hopefully ward off the bad evil omens of the morning.

A Counterpoint to Yesterday's Rhapsodic Waxing on the Holiday(s) - NOT THE LUNCH POST

Fuck Christmas.

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

I know it's still early, but I am feeling the holiday spirit today after watching a Christmas special on television last night. More on that in a bit, but first let me say that like millions of other Americans my favorite holiday television special is "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and my favorite scene is Linus' famous telling of the true meaning of Christmas. I'm a sucker like that.

Let me also admit that I am a huge fan of "It's A Wonderful Life" as well. If I happen to be channel surfing and have to stop and watch the whole thing. Again I'm a nostalgic sucker like that. So much so that I used to get excited when I would pick up pop culture references to the movie, like the ending to every "Thirtysomething" or the awful Andrew Dice Clay movie "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" (Special WFL prize to whomever can figure out that reference).

I also remember fondly the HBO Christmas special "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas" and the Bruce Willis Christmas classic "Die Hard II: Die Harder" (which takes place right here in our nation's capital).

That all brings me to the television special I watched last night. On the Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" block they aired a show called "Moral Orel: The Best Christmas Ever". It lasts only about 12 minutes, but it filled me with such joy and good cheer that I am moved to complete all of my holiday shopping online in the next 4-6 hours. Never before has a television program brought the whole American Christmas experience together in such a wonderfully disturbing way. The special will remain in my DVR library for a very long time (or at least till The Shield, 24 and new episodes of Lost start up again) so if you are in the DC area feel free to drop by my place and watch. Make sure to bring you own tissue.

What Christmas or Holiday programs/movies hold a special place in your heart?

By the way, I hope you WFLers have taken a gander at the WFL t-shirt/logo post below. We need to get moving on this stuff folks. We also need to contune discussing the proposed Spring WFL conference in Chicago.

In the meantime I will be dining on some sort of chicken for lunch. I am betting a Chicken Salad sandwich from Cap Grounds.

Happy Holidays and WFL?

P.S. I loved "Bad Santa"

P.P.S. Damn I just remembered I left a cinnamon raisin bagel out on the counter at home. The cats are going to get into mischief.

popping my WFL cherry

even though i've been a WFL commenter for months now, this is officially my first post...yippee! did i mention how honored i am to be now a part of the exec committee? i hope that i can live up to the expectations of my peers and contribute worthy lunch posts.

as i sit eating a "fat kid alternative" of the "fat kid special" (the "fks" is sausage, egg & cheese on a croissant. a "fka" is just egg & cheese hold the sausage on a croissant) i am contemplating the meaning of lunch. it's an existential question, really. i started thinking, what can i do this week to dedicate myself to lunch and feel as if i'm making a difference in the world of lunch?

i've decided to go theme and dedicate myself to asian foods this week. that's right, it's an hommage of sorts. yesterday was korean and now i'm wondering what wonderful goodies to scoop up today: indian? thai? japanese? vietnamese? (though i'm protesting some japanese foods due to a ny times article i read dissing my peeps.) so many choices; what's a WFLer to do?

so, yes, i would love some suggestions for today in the asian genre. so kids, WFL?

The First Annual What's For Lunch T-Shirt Logo Design Contest

The lovely Ms. Jade had the brilliant idea to have t-shirts made for our upcoming conference. (again I must mention just how damn excited I am about this). I am good with witty slogans, but I haven't an artistic bone in my body, so I appeal to the WFL brethren to come up with your best design for the inaugural conference t-shirt. We'll vote on the submissions (Ms. LaChoi - can you hook us us with a voting mechanism?) and the winner will get something cool. (probably lunch on Madame Presidente, or something)

So, get your inner artist on, and come up with something worthy of our collective wonderfulness!

(oh, and lest everyone think this conference is simply an excuse to eat, drink, and generally carouse in an awesome city with even more awesome company, we do have business to discuss, such as the official launch of The Original What's for Dinner and The Original What's for Breakfast, officer elections, future conferences, and bylaw type stuff. The agenda will be set For Us, By Us - so anything you'd like to see on it, let us know.)

Please send all t-shirt submissions, agenda items and other such correspondence to yours truly at: ethicsrock@gmail.com

I also want to say that if I had known when we started how much I'd grow to love this place, I would've chosen a MUCH cooler "alias".


Chicago Welcomes The First Annual Original What's For Lunch Conference

I'm so excited about our upcoming plans! Please use this post to submit your favorite Chicago lunch spots. If we're ambitious and focused, we should be able to hit two spots per day on Friday and Saturday, and possibly one on Sunday. (thoughts on this?)

Ms. LaChoi will develop an online survey for everyone to vote on their favorites, with the top five represented at this year's first ever What's For Lunch conference!

This post can also serve as the General Conference Discussion Clearinghouse.

Happy Lunching!

Welcome and Congratulations to LaChoi

I am pleased to announce that Ms. LaChoi has joined the Executive Team as an Associate here at The Original What's For Lunch. After months of thoughtful contributions and her clear dedication to the art of all things lunch, we welcome her continued participation and insights.

Congratulations, LaChoi!

2 Hour Delay

Well cats and kittens, we here in the greater DC area are operating on a 2 Hour Delay (those of us operating on a government schedule, that is). Of course, since my ass got in all manner of shit for not going into work yesterday (the email was so ugly, one of those, "You're transitioning into a more senior role here, and while I'm pleased to offer you this sort of position, you must be present and productive..." - it might as well have been my mom telling me she was disappointed in me), I was here right on time (well, for me, which means 9:30ish).

So, now it's 11am, the city is snow covered, and I'm starting to feel hungry. It certainly seems like a good day for soup - but oddly, I think I'm craving sushi. Of course, since I have a lot of work to do to make up for my recent slacking (and overblogging), I should stick close and just run out and grab something quickly.

So, what's a girl to do? Does she go for her craving, or does she seek something equally as satisfying, but nearer to her office? The possibilities are endless. But one thing is sure, I wish to eradicate my hunger, but also make it through the day at a high level of productivity. A performance enhancing lunch is a must.

So everybody: What's For Lunch?

Stress reducing lunch ideas?

As some of you may have noticed I have been absent lately from our Blog. This is not by choice. I have been wandering around like a lost puppy trying to figure out lunch ideas on my own. It's not fun. It's a cruel lunch world out there filled with people trying to steer you in the wrong direction.

Anyhow, I'm back (albeit briefly) and I need your help. Since I am super stressed out right now due to work (major presentation next week), moving into a new apartment tomorrow, planning my honeymoon, and trying to buy x-mas gifts, I really need a stress reducing lunch idea. Is there such a thing as a stress reducing lunch? Thoughts?

It's going to be a long winter if this keeps up.

I read all the labels at the grocery store last night and prepared a low cholesterol baked pasta dish with tomato sauce and broccoli. I ended up making two pans of it. It’s not bad. No cheese. I almost bought some imitation mozzarella – does anyone have any experience with this substance? I think the brand was “pizza mate.” So anyway, that’s WFL for Dipso’s foreseeable future. I’m not going to keep harping on this cholesterol thing. I’m really most interested in seeing how much I can change my score in three months with diet and exercise. I’ll report in @ the end of February.

Also, there’s no heat in my office. Everyone’s walking around in coats, hats and scarves. My feet are blocks of ice.

WFL?

What the Hell Happened?

So, I wake up yesterday morning, on my couch, in my clothes from the night before, all manner of unmentionable things near my head and a headache that could slay an elephant. I look around the room at all the empty bottles and cups and become slightly less confused for a second. Then I remember that I slept on my couch because my bed was occupied. Cool, I remember what happened. And then I look at my phone. 3 new text messages. Of particular interest was the one from LaChoi that read, "Your car is safe and sound and parked at my house. I'll bring it by later on tomorrow."

Well, that's interesting. I don't have the vaguest clue what that even means. My car? Surely I didn't drive anywhere, I'm home after all and the party was at my house. Intrigued, I dial LaChoi and inquire further as to the whereabouts of my car and the details of how it got there. She explains that she played taxi to everyone and took care of getting a whole bunch of folks home. Good job, LaChoi!

I went back to my hangover, which was now settling in for what was to be a full day of nonstop pain and nausea. Not that I wasn't fully aware this was going to be the outcome when we purchased the case, yes case, of Boone's Farm's finest (Strawberry Hill, Apple Blossom, Sun Kissed Peach and Wild Island) earlier Saturday afternoon. But all of that was forgotten when the greatest hits of 95 started playing, all sense was lost, and the group started passing the bottles around with reckless abandon. As the night wore on, and folks got "hungry", the jello shots came out, and I'm proud to say all but 6 or so out of 50 were consumed.

I couldn't have asked for a better party. At one point, looking around at the room full of people in their late 20s and early 30s drinking $2 "wine" from the bottles and sucking jello shots out of Chicken Little dixie cups, I thought, "I've got the best friends in the whole world." It was certainly an "I love you guys!" moment.

Thank you all who came and shared the love. It was a good night. (and to whomever drank that Bud Light can: You should be aware that can has been in my fridge since before I moved into that apartment in 2002. There was more beer in the crisper...)

So, on to the matter at hand. Lunch. I'm having a greek salad, that I ordered with my pizza last night as part of my hangover dinner, but never got around to eating the salad. I'm looking forward to digging in to the onion-y goodness.

How is everyone else lunching this Monday? What's For Lunch?

"Friday night it was late I was walking you home we got down to the gate and I was dreaming of the night..."

I am extremely hungry. I have asked a few friends off line for lunch suggestions and two stuck out.

" barbecue chicken salad with avocado, corn, black beans, blue and red tortilla strips and ranch dressing"

and...

"maple ham with gruyere, a tad of dijon, endive on ciabatta or a nice light, sweet rye"

Both sound good but I don't have the slightest idea of where to find them within walking distance of the corner of Connecticut Avenue and K Street.

Any ideas friends?

And of course What's For Lunch?

Client Lunches

Ok so my boss and I are taking a client to lunch today. The client requested Steak (Angelo & Maxies) but the one close to my client's office is under renovation at this time. When told my client was saddened but said he'll survive. So he said to try and pick another Steak place nearby. So we settled on BLT Prime. http://bltprime.com/ . What should I get? How do people share portions of Steak? It strikes me as odd to order a Rib Eye for two with a client. I thihnk I'm going to go for the Kobe salad or the Skirt Steak Salad. At least then I'll still think I'm healthy.

This might be the earliest lunch post ever!

WFL?