My husband grew up in Chicago and I have heard for years how amazing the food was. Way back when he was craving hot dogs and wanted to make us veggie dogs. Now, even in my meat eating days I thought hot dogs were disgusting. He insisted it was because I never had a Chicago Dog. 

Let me tell you, when he made me a vegan version of a Chicago Dog I fell in love instantly. It is still one of my go to meals. What’s on a Chicago Dog?

It is topped with mustard, onions, tomatoes, celery salt, sports peppers, and relish. From what I am told though it’s not regular relish and that I still haven’t had the complete experience. Well, today before heading out to the O’Hare airport I was able to by a couple jars of the relish. Shhh…Phillip doesn’t know yet!

  
Here at the DeRobertis family we have the opportunity to travel quit a bit. With some traveling under our belt we have gotten pretty good about eating just about anywhere. With that said, the last few days I’ve been on a business trip where food was provided and it wasn’t an option to leave during the day.

The meals were all buffet style and I could make something work. Breakfast was melons, lunch was a salad bar, and dinner a taco/burrito bar with veggie fajitas. Today, however, the pickings weren’t as good but I figured I’d have time to eat at the airport. Instead the TSA checkpoint took forever and after running like a crazy lady, I just made my flight. Seriously, one of the last to board.

Anyway, I was starving and all I had left was one Primal Strip bar. Alaska Airlines saved me with their Meditteranean Tapas, which was completely vegan (gluten-free and kosher too.) Best airplane food ever, well aside from the meal I had on Signapore airlines, back in my less compassionate days! Here is a picture of my snack pack.

  
I just landed in Portland an hour ago and before making the drive home to Salem, Phillip and Anzia took me for a feeding frenzy at Veggie Grill. Yum! As my friend Molly Kate says in her song Coming Home, “The best part of leaving is coming home.”