[Ed. note: Welcome back to Lunch Meets, our weekly online column where TOC's Food & Drink intern, John Irvine, infiltrates the anonymous lunch masses in the Loop and asks the tough food questions. This week, to coincide with our story on retro icebox cakes, John asks the men and women of the street this question: What was the dessert of your childhood? The answer—and why everybody is thinking ice cream—is after the jump.]

My obsession with the Olympics is predetermined—I was literally born as the Olympics were playing in the hospital waiting room. But serendipity aside, how can anybody hate the saccharine patriotism and benevolence that the games inspire? And have you seen those P&G videos about raising Olympians? Killer.

Luckily, many Chicago restaurants and bars agree that this joyous occasion that comes every two years is reason to celebrate, and you don't have to wait to start your celebrations. The Anthem is hosting Olympic trivia on Tuesdays through August 14th with specials on domestic beers.

The Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club is hosting an Opening Ceremony viewing party on July 27 complete with an America-themed martini and drag show. Mahoney’s is also having a viewing party during the ceremony, but on Saturday July 28; the Summer Bar Olympic Games will be played. Pong, flippy cup, bags and more will determine who takes home the gold. 

If you don’t make it out to these, Moonshine Brewing Company will hold the Beerlympics from the July 27 to August 12. Each day, a different beer region from around the world will be on highlighted, and the favorite will be crowned victorious during the Closing Ceremonies and remain on special. Also offering daily food-and-drink specials is Division Ale House. Because nothing is more patriotic than cheap-ish burgers booze.

If food is your libation of choice, Sidebar Grille has an Olympic Burger Menu during the games. Some highlights are the Japan (grilled tuna burger with soy-ginger mayo and cucumber salad) and the Sweden burgers (veal sirloin burger with apricot jam and pickled cucumbers.) And if you don't feel like leaving the house, West Town Tavern is offering 20 percent off carry-out orders during the games.

But perhaps you're more of a marathoner. In that case, make it to all seven of Four-Star Restaurant Group's restaurants during the month of August to be entered to win round-trip airfare to London.

If you aren’t on the balance beam, in the pool or at the starting line, represent America in the next best way: eating and drinking.

At yesterday's Green City Market BBQ, One Off Hospitality (Blackbird, Avec, the Publican, etc) represented with barbacoa. Traditionally, barbacoa—Mexico's answer to barbecue—happens when you rub beef (or another protein) with chilies and spices, throw it into a huge, smoldering barbecue pit in the ground, and let it sit there for half a day. Almost no restaurant makes it like that anymore. But on Wednesday afternoon a group of chefs from Publican Quality Meats led by Erling Wu Bower started digging in the yard of a suburban home in Long Grove. When the pit was ready, they doused it with lighter fluid, lit a flame, waited for the flame to die and then tossed in about 400 pounds of marinated steer. Then they covered the entire thing with cattails, burlap and sheet trays to trap the heat; filled the pit with dirt; and crossed their fingers. It would be fourteen hours later until they knew if it was a success. Which, of course, it was. The shredded beef was served on house-made foccacia and covered in cherry-tomato salsa verde and was, according to one TOC employee who was lucky enough to try one, "the best the BBQ had to offer."

You know the drill—every year, pretty much the whole city of Chicago heads over to the Taste to consume as much food as humanly possible. Of course, in a festival as massive as the Taste, it's hard to know where to spend your money (or tickets, as the case may be). So we sifted through some of the booths for you, and here's our take on the best—and the worst—the Taste has to offer.