It's summertime Chi, so you know what that means! Taste of Chicago. Of course, I went to stuff my face and enjoy this Chicago fave. I always get the same food at the Taste and I was relieved to see that although there were less booths my faves were still there. Although there was an element of nostalgia missing this year, I do believe that the organizers of Chicago's infamous food festival are trying to make the fest safer and more enjoyable. The Taste was not during its usual 4th of July schedule. This year the Taste was the week after the holiday. I went with fellow streamer Vic and our friend April during on a weekday. We enjoyed short lines and a manageable crowd. So, all in all, I had a blast at this year's Taste of Chicago. Check out my pictures below and the two restaurants that have kept me coming back.
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Some people claim that African American people don't have the right to celebrate Independence Day. Those people are flawed for various reasons.
To persist that the Black individual has no right to celebrate the 4th of July demeans the fact that Black people are the fabric that built this country, even before America gained independence from British rule. It is also flawed because it is self-hatred at its finest. Saying that African American people cannot have pride in the only country that they have a claim to echoes that they cannot have pride in who they are. If I don't celebrate this country, what do I celebrate? I am patriotic, not because America is so great, but because this is the country where my lineage was created, passed down, and where it will continue. My great grandmother was a sharecropper; her child moved to Chicago in the great migration. Her child, my mother, made something of herself and now I live in suburbia. I am a vivid depiction of Black history in America. I celebrate that by waving a flag and eating good food today. This land is mine. I believe that African Americans should, by all means necessary, become patriotic. If the Black man learned to love this country, he would look at his neighborhood and his neighbor differently. Perhaps he would put down his gun. If the Black woman became patriotic should would respect her country and those around her. Perhaps she would respect herself. So let's love this country, ourselves, and the yummy food we get on days like today! Be safe, be fat, be free. -MK My summer is officially kicked off now that I have crossed one of my To-Dos off the list! I went to The Chicago Food Truck Festival held at the U.S. Cellular Field. Dressed in a blue maxi, toting my best friend, with money in my pocket, I came. I left full and dissappointed. Now I'm not picky when it comes to festivals. Give me food and some music and I will give you a smile. When I walked into the festival, it was clear that what I thought would be a day of gluttonous fun would be a lot less enjoyable. Lines wrapped around the venue in geometric shapes; which was great for business but horrible for the patrons. Ultimately, the food truck festival failed the test. I waited two hours for a Jamaican food truck called Jerk. Yes, two hours for some chicken. I would have left the line but all the others were just as long. I would have left the festival but I wanted to give it a chance. So, I waited. And I waited. To be honest, I don't think I can even give the restaurant a fair review. By the time I got to the window I was livid. There was a faint sound of a poorly organized festival, but there was not a lot of music. I truly believe that part of my problem with standing in line for two hours was because 1) there was no continual music 2) the only entertainment distracting me was a magic show and 3) neither the music that did play or the magician were loud enough. I could go on about things I didn't lime but you get the jist. As I discussed the festival with Mama Flo Flo, she said a very insightful statement. "I never heard of a festival with no music." Me neither, Mama! The festival is just kicking off. It's only 2 years old. There are clearly loads of kinks they must work out. Hopefully next year they will increase their sponsorship, the number of trucks and entertainment. I won't be in attendance but I sure wish them luck! |
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More About MkMk is 23 year old Chicagoan. She attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., studying English. Now back in Chicago, Mk has focused on writing her truths. Outside of ATS, she also writes on Youth Alert, a blog for young Christian believers. Mk is also a stylist at Akira Hyde Park. When she isn't working on the Mag, Youth Alert, or at Akira, Mk is with her family, she spends her time with a good book or cooking.
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