Since moving to Chicago I have been blessed to fall in with a great group of people, Pete's childhood/highschool friends. They have made the transition so much easier, and I have had one of the best summers of my life getting to know everyone. I feel like my greatest contribution to the group has been the invention of the wildly popular, Worldly Wednesdays.
Worldly Wednesdays, or WW if you are in the know, is a sort of dinner club I started and each week someone volunteers to cook a different cuisine from around the world for everyone. We started out with German, Asian, Mexican, Texan, and Italian nights before people really started getting creative. Since then we have had Kindergarten Night (grilled cheese, tater totts, ants on a log, chocolate milk white russians), and last night, Tailgate Night.
Unforunately a particularly violent case of food poisoning kept me from attending Tailgate Night, and I am distraught. I heard it was fabulous though. Normally Thursdays will be entertaining day over here at FYB, with tips from the previous nights WW, recipes, and other party inspiration. However, since I was unable to attend, I cannot provide you with all of the great cuisine I surely would have been treated to otherwise.
Instead, I thought, perhaps I would tell you an entertaining story about how Pete and I spent WW this week. Sound good? Great.
So, before Pete and I moved into our current rental our landlord was operating it as a "boutique hotel". Let me assure you, there is nothing that says "hotel" about our current digs. There is no lobby, no card swipes on the doors, no concierge desk, it is a straight up house.
Shortly after moving in, Pete and I stumbled on the website for the "hotel", which I would provide the link to for your viewing pleasure, but like I said, there are boogeymen out there and I must keep some air of mystery.
However, I will share with you this gem of a discription meant to lure in potential travelers from the website:
___ is a place to improve ones state of being: physically, emotionally and spiritually. ___ is a chance to revive your spirit and take care of yourself. Here you can stay for a “home-made” meal in an intimate setting, get a massage followed by a nap, or get the encouragement you need to take better care of yourself by one of our personal care coaches. It is a special experience for the overnight traveler away from the institutionalized setting of the modern luxury hotel. Here you can experience what it is like to live with your own personal maid, chef, and trainer...
After talking with our landlord I come to find out that the majority of guests at what is now Chez Bailey and Pete were divorcees recently ousted from their homes, and wayward travelers, so I guess having a life coach on hand at ones hotel would be appealing. Oh! And ___ also boasted a fabulous restaurant, apparently:
Because ___ is only able to accommodate a small gathering of guests for a meal, it definitely tastes like a” home cooked meal” instead of going to a restaurant.
*Editors note: That is because it IS a home NOT a restaurant!!
The meals are prepared from the freshest ingredients and whole grains. Any pancakes, waffles, or baked goods are made from scratch. The size of the portion is up to you. You can create your own plate from the choice of ingredients listed on the menus. Specials are created weekly based on what is in season.
Room Service - Room Service is available from 6am until 2pm. Anything on the menus can be served in your room. A 20% gratuity will be added to the bill to cover the cost of providing this service in the room.
Sound enticing? Here is a picture of the "restaurant".
Aka, our kitchen. ALSO, 20% gratuity sounds a bit steep for a "service" that basically involves someone bringing food from the kitchen up one flight of stairs. Could you imagine today as I lay on the bathroom floor Pete charging me 20% for delivering saltines and gatorade??
Annyywayyy, Pete and I have been living here for about two months now, when last week something curious happened.
There was a knock at the door and when Pete opened it, a young man handed him his bags saying, "This is the __ Hotel, right?" Pete explained to him that it was, in fact, no longer operating as a hotel. Surprisingly, this seemed to satisfy the young man and he walked off without much of a complaint.
Tonight, we had our second "guest", Francois, who was not nearly as understanding. Francois had a confirmation and I think he thought Pete was trying to play a trick on him. Although Pete patiently explained that this was no longer a hotel, he walked right in, made himself at home in what we call the "den", and what the website calls a "conference room". He unpacked his bag, pulled out two chargers, and plugged them into the wall as Pete looked on in stunned horror. Since his phones were otherwise occupied, he then requested that he use both of our phones to get in touch with the landlord. While he was on the phone with the landlord he casually grabbed the channel changer and muted the TV show Pete had been watching, (Top Chef, you do not get in the way of Pete and Top Chef). Next, as any wayward traveler is apt to do, he asked if he could trouble us for a refreshment. Again, Pete, quite baffled by the whole situation, obliged. Finally, he requested to use our facilities, or the "loo" before he left. Pete, the Good Sport, was at a complete loss.
None of this is in any way an exaggeration. It was completely hilarious for me as I lay convalescing in the "garden suite" listening to Pete patiently try to explain, that no, unfortunately Francois, there is no room at the Inn.
Things I learned today: My future husband is a fantastic nurse.Seriously he doted on me all day and I could not be more grateful because I know I am a terrible patient. Secondly, my future husband can always go into the hospitality industry if this whole "Law School" thing falls through. He would make an adorable bell hop.
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