and the poached egg on top of an egg scrambled into lemony sorrel over toasted brioche slices looked a little different than the breakfast sandwiches my wonderful friend Fil and I found a few days later, at a grill hidden inside a gas station on the way to Braddock, Pennsylvania on Monday, May 10th.

We unwrapped the foil to find our hash browns inside the sandwich of fried eggs, bacon, and mayonnaise—road food for a marathon day of driving.

A few hours later, we smiled at the sparkling mosaic sign in Braddock, Pennsylvania, proof of the artist communities that have formed here,

in this place that was once only known for steel.

We followed the signs around town, finding our way from one of the post offices to Braddock Farms,

gardens thriving near the steel mills,

with strawberries almost ready,

beds of flowers,

squares of dark, leafy greens,

and wider beds of tiny lettuces.

And even in abandoned buildings, we looked closely to see green growing on rooftops.

Different parts of this Pittsburgh suburb governed by Mayor Fetterman (who spoke at PopTech 2009 about his changing community) have architecture from different eras,

the oldest we found being the impressive Carnegie Library and its female herald of literary knowledge.

In the afternoon, we followed the yellow bridge road toward Ohio,

making our second road food stop at Henry’s restaurant in West Jefferson.

It was difficult deciding between the specials,

so Fil and I agreed to focus more on the dessert options.

The table was filled with corn, cole slaw, fried mushrooms, beets, and beef with noodles,

but it was the rhubarb pie that won Fil’s heart,

and the butterscotch meringue mine.

Singing all the way to Wilmington, Ohio, we met up with PopTech Fellow Mark Rembert who, with Taylor Stuckert (who was on a road trip himself) is energizing Clinton County, a community very different from Braddock in its reshaping for this new century.

After a tour of town and talk of local politics, Fil and I headed toward Chicago through the rain, battling fatigue with music, caffeine, and sporks.

On Tuesday morning, we readied for a day of preparation for the PopTech social mapping workshop and salon with breakfast omelettes at a Taste of Heaven (I really like how they serve vegetables like green beans alongside) with Fil’s good friend Erin, and I left with slices of carrot cake and morning bread with poppy seeds as snacks.

The carrot cake brightened an overcast day as I drove around West Chicago neighborhoods with my colleague Beth who directed filmmaker Daniel on interviews with Ceasefire “Interrupters” (look for her excellent video work on the PopTech salons page soon).

Wednesday was a full day of thinkers and creators listening and trying to think through solutions for timely crisis mapping and responding, capped with a full room of salon attendees, including women I greatly admire, PopTech Fellow Hayat Sindi of Diagnostics For All and PopTech Fellows Director Leetha Filderman, who are standing in front of Peter Durand‘s graphic report of the salon (Peter inspires me too).

Delayed by rains, my sister Kat’s flight landed in time for her to join us for the Chicago salon and reception, and that night we began to plot our route westward…

Related posts:

1. bright side of the road
2. reclaiming egg salad
3. a large ear and garden machines

I went up the L platform to meet my friend Brian, a groovy cat himself, and off we went to Pilsen, a Chicago area with notable Mexican food, in a city of very notable Mexican food.

Passing the rainbow building, we went to the “goat place” and had goat and cabeza (below) and consommé, the cure for the refrigeration of conference rooms and uninspiring box lunches.

Brian pointed out wonderful detail on buildings as we walked (I’m very taken by these four mythical women hand-painted on the doorways).

And then there was painting in progress,

and a plate of tender barbacoa down the street,

and Kristoffer’s tres leches cake so rich the milk almost spilled onto the plate.

Then, we headed over to a Vocalo party at WBEZ headquarters at Navy Pier and watched the sun disappear behind Chicago skyscrapers.

Walking back, I watched a rather masculine fountain spew,

and we stumbled upon the First Chicago International Poster Biennial:

My favorite part of the day, though, was inside the fountain, watching the blurred buildings through the colored water. Stray drops fell on my arms, and maybe it was the river, but I think this is a city where the transitions between who you were and what you may be are watery and fluid…

Until next time, charming Chicago—

p.s. If you recognized the title of this post, then we are friends…

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1. an ATV chorus at the end of the world
2. All the world’s waiting for you
3. lagniappe

John and I ascended to see the late Friday afternoon skyline, which John perhaps would have preferred to see from the ground,

(Read the rest after the jump)

but his love of all things American overcame his doubt about the wheel’s stability, and we safely rotated down in time for tapas and merriment in Boystown with Jenne, Jessica, Lee, and Ben that night…

The next morning, I was overwhelmed with flowers at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park—tangled up in blue,

noting blossoms that were all yellow,

and purple asterisks that punctuated neighboring tables of fruit

waiting to be transformed,

caramelized and surrounded by soaked brioche,

baked into cobbler.

The sweetest part of the market was meeting Alice Waters, a woman I admire deeply;

her commitment to local and slow foods has made the whole world into an edible schoolyard where we all continue to educate each other.

On the long stretch of grass and trees to the side of the market, families shared food on blankets while listening to local musicians,

and I stretched out to watch the clouds…

That afternoon, Jessica led Jenne and me on a birthday tour of her adopted city;

we watched people take pictures of themselves reflected in the Bean,

children playing in the fountains (the essence of summer in the city),

and donning pickle headpieces,

we sped to the Newberry Library book sale where I spotted this wonderful cover (for more typographic finds from the sale, try the very talented pk‘s Flickr stream starting here)

before we walked around the Gold Coast neighborhood and into a shop with bakeware covering the walls,

and then to Hopleaf gastropub and local mead to sip with mussels, frites, aioli, and bubbling macaroni and cheese with Jake and Mark.

Leaving Hopleaf, we stopped to look at a streetlight and the old sign of the city on it (my friend Brian moderates a Flickr pool with more pictures of these river symbols to look for as you walk Chicago).

Deciding we had to experience the sprinkle station, we walked into the magical world of Molly’s Cupcakes in Wrigleyville.

We ordered key lime, chocolate decadence, oreo, red velvet (with brown butter frosting), tiramisu, Intelligentsia coffee, and milk while perched on swings at the counter.

And we were impressed with the Chief Egg Cracker, Johnny Nicolaides, who told us about giving the profits back to local schools and organizations. Molly’s is his side project, and the place crackles with good energy.

All this and cupcakes with a tender crumb + buttercream icing that tastes as it should = a line of cupcakes that are wrapped little parcels of goodness instead of sugar bombs. How could you live in Chicago and not frequent this wonderful place?

This cupcake shop of love was the perfect spot for Jessica (also quite the baker and cupcake queen) to deliver a message to herself for this time next year:

A few hours later, I rested my suitcases by the door and joined Jenne and Jessica to pour birthday Veuve (Jenne’s birthday was yesterday) into orange juice,

and I joined these two fabulous friends of mine in toasting to safe travels to and from Miami in the year ahead…

Related posts:

1. kthread cooks: work that cupcake
2. kthread cooks: love to love you salmon cakes
3. year three: there was a star danced