No, but "Baby Fishmouth" is sweeping the nation!

I went out last night for dinner with two friends of mine, Brad and Nele. I hadn't seen them for a while and I won't see them again now until after Christmas (Brad's off to the south and Nele's returning to Germany to see her family), so it was the perfect weekend to get together for a meal.

On the recommendation of work colleagues, we went to "Coobah", a really neat little Mexican place on Southport. This street is absolutely full to the brim of funky bars and restaurants, and I know it will take me the rest of my time in Chicago to visit all of them. But owing to good traffic and a leadfoot taxi driver, I arrived at the restaurant early. Settling down at the bar, I enjoyed a margarita - but a traditional one - no frosted glass or beach umbrella garnish here. This margarita was served in a regular water glass, with rustic salt around the rim, and chunky bits of lime making sour but welcome surprises throughout the bitter drink. Oh it was delicious but, on reflection, perhaps a rather ambitious choice BEFORE a meal.

Never mind. When my friends arrived, we adjourned to a table at the back of the restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meaty-cheesy entree followed by some really tasty chicken for main course. The service was great, the portions were well-sized, and I very much enjoyed the Corona beer with my meal. Plus I was wearing my new emerald-coloured Donna Karan chiffon top (eat your heart out Jems!), so I was feeling altogether the part.

But Nele and Brad were both really tired after a rather boozy Friday night, so I was left looking at my watch at 10.30pm, wondering what to do with myself while the night was so young.

Fast forward to my apartment, where I arrived home to find Lexie and two of her friends (plus a Chicago native they all know) in the loungeroom having a similar debate about what to do and where to go. Helpfully, I advised that it was bloody freezing out there right now, and perhaps the evening should continue somewhere close by.

So it was agreed that we would share a cab to "Guthries", the bar we had been to before with the Wisconsin visitors. You might recall me mentioning it once before - you can play board games there out the back.

A rather heated game of "Pictionary" commenced, and we got to play with the set that had never been opened before. We were very chuffed with ourselves. And my team won, though I doubt it was because of anything I did. I had great difficulty trying to graphically represent "pounce". No one understood my clear illustration of a smiling lion creeping up ever so cunningly on an unsuspecting giraffe. Oh well, at least my other team mates dragged this lame duck over the finish line victoriously!