WOW! I was not expecting to find awesome barbeque in western Massachusetts but I did! More on that later but yeah, I’m still dreaming about the brisket.
We finally took our MASS MoCA trip at the end of April. It’s been on my to-go list for quite a while and I definitely needed the time off from NYC. I love Mass MoCA, it’s 200,000 square feet of art and barely a soul around. Maybe because we went on a Monday? It just felt like we were alone…and was free to roam the entire museum.
My favorites were James Turrell’s Perfectly Clear and all of Sol LeWitt. I have seen Sol LeWitt at Dia: Beacon but not at this scale. We were treated to 3 whole floors of his work and it was just amazing.
Ahhhhhhhhh………A-OK Berkshire Barbeque. Another reason to love MASS MoCA, great barbeque. A-OK sits at one of the entrances to the museum. It’s a tiny shack but you can bring your food into the brewery across the driveway. I was super looking forward to this meal, not just for the meat, but also the bread. The owner bakes her own baguette and I strongly recommend getting one. It was crispy, crusty, and soft. Oh the brisket ($13 for half a pound) was amazing. Flavorful, soft, and peppery. It’s up there next to Hometown BBQ as one of my favorites. Another great bite was the mac n’cheese! I ended up dipping the baguette into the cheese. YUM!
We stayed at Tourists for two nights and really loved it. It was beautiful, cool, and quiet. My favorite part was napping on the window nook daybed after a long drive on our first day. The check-in/out and common space were lovely as well.
Although the food was a hit and miss. We ordered a pizza, salad, potatoes with miso aioli, and a pasta on our first night. The salad was kind of weird and we ended up not eating it. The potatoes were great and the pasta (red sauce with 'nduja and ramps) was fine. The pizza…hmm….I wanted to like it. The crust was nice but there was too much cheese and a little too salty.
But dinner on our second night was great. We had the cheeseburger (delicious), crispy chicken over a bed of barley (it was some time of grain) risotto, and a beet and fennel salad.
For breakfast we shared a rye waffle (SO GOOD!) with sweet ricotta, maple syrup, and sour cherry compote on the side.
On our way home we stopped at The Clark Art Institute. You can get a combo ticket that gets you into both MASS MoCA and The Clark for $6 less. We didn’t spend too much time at The Clark but we definitely want to come back later in the year to see their Ida O’Keefe exhibition and to hike up to Stone Hill (right behind The Clark).
Just a block from my Airbnb, I ended going 3 times. Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits, as you can tell from their name, has pies and biscuits and also grits and sausages and bacon and pot pies. I was lucky enough to get the chance to hang out with Michael, the owner, and his crew in the kitchen (check out my 
When you're on a life long fried chicken project, you'll go and search for some when you're in another city. I walked 20mins from Logan Square to Avondale for Honey Butter Fried Chicken. I got the 2 piece meal with corn muffin and a side of mac n'cheese. Really worth that 20min trek.
Tacos from Big Star in Wicker Park were good but not great. My least favorite bite from my trip.
Lost Lake. I would live here if it was possible. My Airbnb hosts had warned me about how strong the drinks were at this tiki bar. So when I went there on Saturday night, I made sure to only have 2 drinks.
On Sunday, I headed back to north Logan Square, just around the corner from Lost Lake for some chilly Sunday night ramen action. My friend, Jose, had pointed me towards Yusho. On Sundays, they offer a $25 meal that includes beer, ramen, and dessert.
On my last night, I trekked over to west loop to Bernie's Lunch & Supper. 
And finally, I left an hour early for the airport because I made a 40min detour to this place, Pleasant House Bakery. The owners used to be part owners of Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits and after trying the food at Bang Bang, I knew this would be good. The steak and ale pie was delicious. Flaky crust. I added a side of peas with mint. You gotta have peas with steak pies, I think.
Between meals, I took the opportunity to snap some photos of Chicago. I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Lake Michigan, the Riverfront, the Bean, and walked the 606 trail from Logan Square to Wicker Park. Sadly, the 360 Chicago was closed for a private event when I attempted to visit. Next time I guess.
