I needed to kill time while waiting on friends to go to the Brauhaus* in Lincoln Square. Since Delicatessen Meyer has (sadly) been shut down-where will I go to listen to little old ladies complain in German that the ham is cut too thin now?-I decided to wander through the nearest Walgreens, one of my favorite pastimes. I especially like to take mental notes on differences between Walgreens in different neighborhoods of Chicago. For example, the one in Chinatown has a vast display of Pocky and Dried Squid as well as a pretty extensive dried herb and tea display, while the one in Boystown by my old apartment has the biggest selection of lube and condoms I have ever seen (located conveniently next to the ice cream freezer).

The Walgreens in Lincoln Square, however, is quite possibly the best Walgreens ever and here's why: They have ALL the ingredients to make chilaquiles. ALL. Black beans, salsa, El Ranchero chips, Chihuahua cheese, even queso fresco if your heart desires it. Have you ever been in a situation where you really want chilaquiles but you find yourself in need of a key ingredient with nary a full service grocery store near? I have, and let me tell you, it is one of the saddest things you will ever go through.

also they have this weird drinkable yogurt called Lala which if you ask me is a terrible name for a terrible product. Oh, and Maria cookies which are so indescribably delicious I recommend trying them for yourself.

*If you go to the Brauhaus they really really try to get you to buy a giant soft pretzel. It's totally unrelenting. Jon says it's because they imported them all the way from Bavaria and they need to sell them before they all go bad. I just think the waitress likes to scare the customers by yelling "YOU WANT PRETZEL???" as loudly as possible.