Some people have FOMO about a big night out on the town. I suffer from FOMO when it comes to the Oscar Best Picture nominees. Each year, I do my best to try and see all of the contenders for the coveted Best Picture. I realize the thought of seeing a movie doesn’t sound that taxing, but it can be tough to knock out eight movies in a month’s time when the rest of the country is trying to do the same thing. Life is hard and all that, I know.

I can’t tell you when this goal of mine started. My family has always gotten into award shows, whether it’s the Grammys, Emmys, or the grand daddy of them all: the Oscars. We always watch the full show, talk about everyone’s ensembles and speeches, and whether or not the host was entertaining. I used to keep lists of my favorites and guesses for the winners, tallying when I got one right. It made for great playground chatter the next day.

Recently, my family even started having a special meal to go along with the award show. Special is in Italics for a very special reason. I’m not talking a perfectly cut steak with a slaved over reduction sauce. I’m talking better than that. If you’re from the Chicagoland area, you’re likely aware of the literal heaven on earth restaurant Portillo’s. It’s a chain hamburger, hotdog, and Italian beef restaurant that cures the deepest of problems and fills all of life’s voids. I would say that I’m exaggerating but that would be a lie.

So yes, among all the glitz and glam of Hollywood’s biggest night out, my family is busy filling out ballots (oh yes, we now have ballots) and noming on Portillo’s delights. There is a great level of satisfaction in discussing how much weight someone lost for a role or the cinematography of an award winner as you reach for a handful of fries.

I’ll admit that it isn’t fancy or even standard fare at our house, but it’s tradition and I like it.

What are your Oscar predictions?

PS – I’d give you hints on my predictions, but then my family would have an early peek at my ballot, and that’s just not fair. Also, we have no basis on who we pick for things like editing, foreign film, or best animated short. We pick the names we like.

The year I won.