I wasn’t planning to blog but a bunch of stuff has happened that warrants a comment, so away we go:

I’ve been nominated for an award! Out of the blue, a nomination for the Time Out Eating Out Award for Best Indie Restaurant Blog, alongside some fine competition— Audarshia, tireless newshound behind 312DiningDiva; the hilariously filthy Chicago Gluttons; and the yummy, soothing-when-you’re-hungover Chicago BrunchBlog. Many other places I strongly approve of are nominated too, so why not go there and vote up and down the list (my category is third from the bottom).  Thanks to Fruitslinger/Waffleizer for alerting me.

My latest collaboration with David Hammond will, as noted, be up Monday, but in the meantime, check out his hilarious Valentine’s Day sex-and-food radio piece at the 848 page, or listen to the rebroadcast tonight.

The greatest butcher shop in the universe, Paulina Meat Market, alerts me that they’ll be having an in-store event involving meatloaf, Saturday, February 27th from 10 to 2.  Author Connie Fairbanks will be cooking meatloaf from her book Scratch That (an admirable sentiment) and selling and signing copies.

Another event you might want to check out, if you want to hobknob with bigtime chefs and do some good for an arts school (Chicago Academy for the Arts): A Taste for the Arts, Thursday February 18, with chefs including Rick Bayless, Rodelio Aglibot (Sunda), Bill Kim, Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno) and David Schneider (Taxim) cooking… what surely must include Tallgrass Beef, since Bill Kurtis will be there.  More here.

This is slightly less than new news, but I keep forgetting to mention that FOB (Friend of Bacon) Art Jackson (SFOB #7) and his wife Chelsea are featured on the cover, no less, of this month’s issue of Dwell for their way cool, spare and white Pilsen condo and how well it works for their cooking lives.  See it here, and check out the slideshow linked as well.

Finally, the above photo is my new Twitter icon. I loved the Pan-Am-Stratoliner 1962 feel of the package; just spotted it at a Dominick’s the other day. Anyway, follow me on Twitter here.