Kelly Foster Lundquist's first book, Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage (Eerdmans Publishing), comes out October 30. Part personal tale of love, religion and sexuality, part deep dive into the tropes sold to us about what it means for a straight woman to marry a closeted gay man. With humor and raw empathy, Lundquist revisits a marriage now over, one filled with tenderness and deep connection, one filled with hidden identities and performative roles, one filled with the risk that it takes to hand yourself over to another. Coming out on her own side of authenticity, Lundquist is not only sharing her love life with readers, but her favorite eats, no matter the digestive repercussions. Now a Minnesotan, Lundquist shares her past favorites, long time loves, and must stops when she is in town.
It’s the first thing in the morning, coffee or tea? Who does your favorite brew?
First of all, coffee AND tea is always my approach. Coffee first, then tea. The two neighborhoods where I’ve spent the most time in Chicago (as a full-time and partial-year resident, respectively) are Northalsted (back when it was Boystown) and Edgewater. If I’m in Boystown, I’m heading down Broadway to Intelligentsia immediately upon waking. If I’m in Edgewater, I’m headed to the Metropolis on Granville with the same haste. Last Saturday, I also grabbed one of the spinach and feta hand pies at Metropolis, and it was ABSOLUTELY delicious.
For the most important meal of the day, aka breakfast, where do you go and what do you order?
I can’t start a day without eggs. If I’m close by, I hit the Ann Sather in Andersonville where I get whatever the special omelette is. I had an omelette there in 2002 with fresh mozzarella and spinach and cranberries that I still think about several times a week. I don’t know why it was so good. It just was. If I happen to be in River North (where I often find myself for work), I go to Egg Tuck for the Classic Egg. It’s PERFECT.
Are you a grab and go lunch eater or a slow, sit-down type?
I’m always a sit-down girlie when I get the chance. Life’s too short for grab and go. This past weekend, I hit Qing Xiang Yuan in Chinatown for lamb skewers and wagyu and coriander dumplings (fried) as well as the shrimp and pork (steamed). Every single element, from the porcelain tableware to the dumpling wrappers is handmade there, and it’s a transcendent experience, start to finish. Also, if you’re not with your husband who hates cucumbers, PLEASE get the cucumber salad. It’s so good, but it’s too much for just one person who can’t take leftovers home. And I’ve learned from my digestive…feedback, not to force the issue.
Afternoon pick-me-up? Snack? Caffeine or happy hour? Where is your favorite spot to jump start the evening?
I can’t have caffeine past noon without sleep repercussions, so I skew happy hour. If I’m feeling fancy, I go to the Office Bar in Fulton Market where they have their own ice chef, which is basically the coolest job I can imagine (pun unintended, but I’ll let it stand). Tapster in Lincoln Park is also a delight. If I’m feeling hungry, I get cheese fries and half a polish sausage at Clark St Dog in Lakeview.
Dinner time, what place or meal brings your day to a close the right way?
Twice recently, my brother and his partner have taken me to places with pasta so good my mind was blown. The first was RPM Italian in River North where I had a special lobster pasta–literally the pasta had lobster inside it–in champagne butter with a quenelle of caviar that collectively tasted like silk if silk was delicious. The second was at Daisies in Logan Square where they had a rabbit pasta so good, it answered the perennial question, “How can we make celery erotic?” The answer, as it turns out, is to give celery to the chefs at Daisies. In 2019, I made my first and only visit to Alinea, and when and if I save up enough return money, I’d LOVE to go back! It definitely brought that day to a close in all my favorite ways.
Kelly Foster Lundquist's Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage is available wherever you purchase your books as of Oct. 30, preorders are available now.
