Wandering

Wandering around in my neighborhood today, I came upon Nini's Deli, a new Cuban deli/organic shop at Ohio and Noble, in a building that was once the clubhouse of a greaser gang called (I'm not making this up) The Almighty Gaylords.

I have not had one of their sandwiches yet, on account of it being Passover, but I DID marvel at the selection of candy and pop. I am a pop addict. I have stopped buying twelve packs of Pepsi, or any other pop to keep in the house, but I crave trips to restaurants where I can get a Pepsi, and occasionally do pick up a micro-brewed root beer or a 2 liter of something. I can't stop myself.

Nini's was carrying a thing called Chai Cola. It's cola, but "tea-and-spice flavored" cola. It's everything the late, lamented "Pepsi Holiday Spice" aspired to be. I was back for more inside of an hour.

It's remarkable how many stores and restaurants in a half mile radius of my house I've never been to. Now that I'm back in the ghost tour biz I'm drawing my first regular pay checks in, well, ever, and taking advantage by actually going INTO some of the places I usually just walk or bike past.

And speaking of that, I can now announce that I'll have a new GHOSTS OF CHICAGO book out via Llewellyn next Fall!