Though always the first to eat and the last to leave the table, I used to think that cooking was more about fueling myself — mere drudgery. I decided two years ago that I love eating too much to not know how to cook well. I’ve come to enjoy the improv, self-expression, and sharing in cooking and serving meals.

So, when my friend and fellow foodie Melissa Yen opened Vella Cafe with co-owner Sara Voden in ‘06, it was right around when I was learning to look at the act of cooking as art, as self-expression, as a gift for those I care about. Of course, I loved the blunch menu and the open, sunlit aesthetic of the cafe. Between stuffing my mouth and talking with my buddy about our craft projects, I thought about how creativity and pleasure can be found in the least expected places. I wager that Searah, owner of Early to Bed, would agree.

Vella Cafe, “The m.henry of West Bucktown,” is up for a Time Out Chicago Eat Out Award. Get your own edible Big O this Saturday, March 2. It’s the last day to vote Vella.