Kung Fu Byk Ride: Washington DC to Lincoln NE: The Food Edition

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Washington DC to Lincoln NE: The Food Edition

I like to think of February as my month of "see you laters" ... this is not goodbye because I was sent off by the best of friends, the type of friends you keep forever no matter the time and distance spent apart.

Best "see you later pake" ever... buttermilk pie baked into a chocolate cake made by Robin which is on par with the birthday cherpumple by Phil.

The first week of March has ushered in the first 1500 miles of my cross-country driving trip, and the firm belief that my friends and family think I am somehow starving now that I am unemployed and traveling. My last night in the Washington DC area was a quiet night of homemade carbonara, a couple bottles of red wine, and a few good friends (thanks Alex and Jeff!). After a leisurely breakfast at a local Ethiopian cafe (thanks Robin, Lizzie, and Jeff!), I found myself battling traffic on I-495 with the biggest smile on my face and a full belly.

Since then, I have been plied with craft beer and lamb burgers (thanks Efrain!), homemade omelets (thanks Aaron!), homemade waffles and portobello burgers (thanks godparental units!), Belgian waffles (thanks Katy!), grasshopper pie and T-bone steak feast (thanks Sius!), Chinese roast duck (thanks Lorien!)...

The beer fairy leaves my host and good friend Efrain an early birthday present. In return, I got a tour of the underbelly of the Cleveland craft beer and soul scene.

My hometown of Grand Rapids is home to several amazing craft breweries as well as one of my closest childhood friends.

I drove straight into winter storm Saturn as it hit Chicago, and then Lorien and I decided to go on a lovely walk to Lake Michigan. Ouch, pokey snow in eyeballs!

I went for a short bike ride in Chi-town! And made a snowman. Because that's what you do when it snows... I was amused by the panic in DC about the snowquester.