was when I was living in Chicago. The fiance' I had at the time as well as my closest friend in grad school, were Jewish. I associate lox and bagels with Jewish cuisine. I lived in Evanston (just north of Chicago), once I graduated. The next town was Skokie. It was an interesting town,populated by a large community of Jews and Middle East natives. On a Saturday, it would not be unusual to be sitting in a Pita place and watching Orthodox Jews walking to the Temple. I loved it there. AND, such an experience of Jews and Muslims living in peace as neighbors, side by side. I never would have left Evanston if I could have afforded to live there.

Baltik Bagels is the new place by my house. Not a chain. Family owned and run.

(I am chatty this morning!)