You've gotta try the shortbread cookies with icing on top in whatever shapes they have out there today - that's always among my first stops in Durham.

I can't pass up the Snickerdoodles! I do like the Smiley Face iced ones though especially as they do them with silly faces.

Sticky chilli wings and rice

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps4lrfas8t.jpg

Gummi Bears an Diet Coke. Yes, I just checked into a Hampton Inn and it's what I chose for my Gold amenity :D

Pad Thai... Yum. And for dinner making crab tacos.

Absolutley LOVE that stuff. While not my dinner TONIGHT, did try making it myself a few months ago... turned out decently, but def not like I have in Thailand.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/PSUhorty/006.jpg

Too much today!

- Breakfast: Hampton Inn spread, cereal, pastries, fake scrambled eggs, sausage, toast

- Lunch: Leftover Chinese (orange chicken)

- Dinner: Leftover Chinese (orange peel beef)

Then there were snacks upon snacks. A shake from Smashburger, a bunch of fries. It was a good day for the stomach.

It seems that the "charcuterie" plate is de rigueur in restaurants in the US.

They normally catch up in the end! :D

Just back from a few days in Catalonia where I ate plates of Iberian ham,superb prawns in garlic and chilli,squid on sliced new potatoes doused in olive oil and great fish washed down with my favourite Spanish grape Tempranillo.

Temperatures in the low 20s as well.

Marvellous.

I am envious. To be honest ... we can do with a bit of a change ... and some sun and tapas would hit the spot.

From the plate .... mortadella is our favourite.

I am too technology-challenged to figure out how to upload the pictures while I was still at the restaurant, but here was dinner last night:

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_0071.jpg
Gai Tod

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_0074.jpg
Krapow Gai Pet

Thanks to a helpful tip from fellow FTer chgoeditor (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chica...l#post22786190), I found a little slice of Thailand in the Northern part of Chicago. Rainbow Thai Cuisine.

It is a very small (seats 12) restaurant owned by a very nice Thai couple. Close your eyes and it is just like being in Thailand. This is not your cookie-cutter faux Thai place. Food was spot on and service was very friendly.

Though hardly convenient to downtown (25 minutes or so on the L), I will certainly be going back on future Chicago trips.

That gai tod looks really fantastic, very much like the version I most prefer. Although it looks like it's missing the essential plate of som tam on the side... ;)