NPH got the Leroy Brown sandwich: homemade mac n cheese, BBQ pulled pork & onion strings on texas toast. Seriously. He got buffalo fries- fries swimming in buffalo sauce, natch. I tried it, you might imagine the blissful feelings it created.

If you’re in Chicago, go to Rocks. Especially on Sunday mornings when they have specials on mimosa pitchers for your hangover. If you’re not in Chicago, come visit so we can go to Rocks. The end.

SO– you can imagine my excitement when Cheba Hut set up shop two weeks ago. I have to start by addressing the theme: marijuana. The ganj. Smokin’ the reefer. Never before have I seen a restaurant quite as elaborately themed (they promise their employees aren’t toasted when they’re toasting up our subs. They can’t promise the same for the customers though, who I had the pleasure of watching wait quite impatiently for their subs through half-closed, fire engine red eyes.) I think the theme’s cute ‘n all– it’s a bit much when they yell at the end, “Brittney, I’ve got your Chronic.” Ok, I get it. Haha, it’s drugs. The Bob Marley music was far too loud on my first visit, but they seemed to have corrected that by the time Roomie Lauren and I had dinner there a week later. The menu’s decent: plenty of choices– though no Which Wich– but far more appetizing than your Subways/JJ’s/Milio’s. You can choose white, wheat or garlic & herb bread. The first time I had the garlic & herb, it was too… herb-y for me. I’m sure some would I enjoy it, I just happen to like the wheat better.

There’s a sign above the toasted that says it will be a miracle if you get your sandwich in less than five minutes– they take their time toasting it, which can be good or bad, depending on how crunchy you enjoy your food. One of my friends who’s not a huge fan of toast said he thought it made the bread too dry and “bread-y”, which I kind of found with my BBQ’d roast beef & cheddar sub the first time. When your ‘wich comes outta the toaster, you can then tell the toppings person if you want lettuce, pickle, tomato & onion along with some sauces. The pickle comes in a long spear laid on your sandwich instead of slices, and the lettuce one of the times I went was chunked up iceberg (though they had completely run out of product the day before, so I don’t know if this is what they usually use or if they had to run to the store last minute.) There were only two half slices of tomato on my veggie sandwich with hemp cream cheese, though said cream cheese was deeeeelicious. You can put on your standard mayo or mustard, then they ask if you want their special “house dressing” with parmesan and oregano, from what I can tell is just oil & vinegar.

Overall, I would give Cheba Hut three out of five stars. (Apparently I just became a restaurant critic, go with it.) They get HUGE points for delivering. They also stay open until bar close, something Which Wich should definitely do, though my wallet is glad it does not. Cheba Hut’s not exactly bare bones cheap, but their sandwiches come in three different sizes– 4, 8, and 12 inches– so you can pick your poison. Who is ordering a four-inch sandwich, by the way? They won’t be my first choice when wanting a sandwich from outside my own kitchen, but the novelty of a new place still hasn’t worn off, and I look forward to trying some of their more interesting veggie subs before I hit the dusty trail after graduation.

…oh, one of my co-workers made cake balls for the office today. No, you read that right: cake balls. Little balls of cake. Dunked in almond bark. There were two kinds, carrot & red velvet, I obviously went with carrot (and perhaps had a red velvet later.) There are a few different recipes out there, but here is the best, the one I had the privilege of trying today. I’m pretty sure there’s also crack cocaine missing from that recipe, that’s how good they are. I may have referred to them as Devil Balls a few times. So really, roasted broccoli is my new favorite savory food. Cake balls can be my new favorite dessert. Because they’re BALLS of CAKE. Feel free to snicker.

I’ve had two Taco Bell $5 Buck Boxes in less than 48 hours.

I know. It’s disgusting. But so, so good. I’ve eaten at Taco Bell maybe five times total in my life. It definitely wasn’t a place we went when I was a kid, and I generally try to avoid places where food comes at you through a window. I’ve been seeing the commercials for the five dollar box for a while and didn’t give it much thought, but one day I really paid attention and was like DAMN that’s a good deal. Five items for five dollars? Enough to fill you up for hours (though might perhaps make you regret your entire life later)? Sign me up. I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat this on just any regular day though, so it’s not always been sober consumption (that makes it all the more delicious.) God bless Neil’s still-fevered soul for being my enabler, for not breaking up with me after I waxed poetic on the sheer awesomeness of the Crunchwrap Supreme for a solid twenty minutes post-meal. Arteries, I’m sorry. Thighs, I’m even more sorry. I promise I’ll cool it on meals that come packed in laptop-sized boxes. For those of you who are now morbidly curious, go to Taco Bell and try it for yourself. Get the Beefy Crunch box, not that nasty Volcano one because it’s doesn’t come with aforementioned Taco Frisbee (crunchwrap supreme.) No need to thank me, your bloated, sour cream-filled tummy will be all the repayment I need. I’m gonna go lay in one position for a very long time.

But that’s not all! After the mac was in the oven, I made some zucchini bread. It took a while to shred/dice the zucchini since I don’t have any sort of vegetable shredder, but it was definitely worth it. The majority of the loaf was gone 10 minutes after bringing it to 713 (while it’s true they’re kinda like goats, even this is a new record.) NPH declared “your cooking is creating a following, your Fan Club will now be demanding it.” I’ve always been generous with them on the cupcakes/ brownie mix front, but now we’ve stepped it up and are getting gourmet. I’m thinking chicken and dumplings next, though as NPH has pointed out, I’ll be out of state next weekend, thus he will most likely starve until my return. What can I say, it’s nice to be needed.

P.S. To any relatives reading, click here to visit The Vine’s website. Two words: gift cards.