Just another ridiculously early morning


Third consecutive morning where the alarm rings at 5am or earlier. Not good at all. But it was OK because the line for TSA screening at O’Hare Terminal 2 was only 30+ minutes long. I actually got to skip the line thanks to flying in first class, and they were opening an extra lane as I passed through, but that would really have sucked.

On the plus side, the flights from Spokane to Chicago, via Denver and Houston, were just fine. There was one rather bitter agent in the Denver Red Carpet Club complaining to a passenger about how United Airlines’ new upgrade scheme for elites means that not only did his upgrade not clear but that she “would never get to sit in first class ever again for the rest of my career here.” She also predicted that the program would lose the company too much money and that they’d eventually switch back to a scheme that requires instruments for upgrades. I almost said something about being on a paid first class ticket but I decided not to egg her on.

And then I was in Chicago and off to dinner at Shahi Nihari in the suburbs (there is also a location downtown). It may have been the only time I’ve had Pakistani food but I’m quite certain it was the best I’ve ever had. The Nihari they served was delicious, with the sauce having just the right amount of heat in the flavor and the meat tender enough that it was easily pulled apart with the naan. Or, perhaps I should say the freshly made right as we ordered it naan. Forget the uniform, round doughy disks that come in so many Indian restaurants. These were obviously homemade, showing variety in their shape and size, and they were steaming hot, fresh from the tandoor. Delicious. Add ridiculously cheap. Dinner for two for $25, with plenty of food left over. Cannot beat that.

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Seth Miller

I'm Seth, also known as the Wandering Aramean. I was bit by the travel bug 30 years ago and there's no sign of a cure. I fly ~200,000 miles annually; these are my stories. You can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.