Mr. Morley goes to Chicago: Part II

The last drop-off point of the morning was at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Chicago next to the Ralph Lauren store. The majority of day-trippers got off here with the reminder that at 8:45 p.m. that evening Bloomington time they should all re-group at the same place to get picked-up. \nAs soon as my 5-foot-7-inch, 120 pound frame used its Nunn-Bush saddle shoes to step off the the bus, I went to the curb and waved my hand around in the air until I saw three or four banged-up cabs all lunge at me. \nI got in the first one that didn't run over the fire hydrant or plow into the bus stop. \nI always enjoy talking with the cab drivers. They aren't afraid of having a conversation with you. But you have to be careful -- they have an opinion on everything and don't mind letting you know what that is. \nIt's always been my theory that cab drivers would be best suited to run the world since they know how to solve all its problems. \nI told the driver to head over to the oldest and most distinguished department store of the Chicago-land area: Marshall Field's. \nMarshall Field's, one of America's oldest department stores and a cornerstone in the rich history of Chicago, has been around since 1851, when it delivered textiles and dry goods to the people of Chicago. In 1881, Marshall Field's diversified into high fashion and home products to appease its lady customers. Marshall Field's flagship store is located between State, Randolph, Washington and Wabash. It was the first department store to start a bridal registry, the first to install an escalator, and the first to put a restaurant inside the store.\nBeing by far the largest of the 64 stores in the Marshall Field's chain, the State Street store is nine floors, covering an entire Chicago city block.\nMarshall Field's produces its own brand of chocolate, Frango mints, which has been awarded internationally for its delicate meltaway texture. The Walnut Room, a seventh floor upscale restaurant, features a forty-some foot Christmas tree around the holidays. These are only a few of the highlights a shopper can find everyday at the fashion capital of the third-largest metropolis in America.\nIf you're looking for classic Chicago eatery that's easy to get to, just hail a cab and tell the driver you want to go to the Berghoff. There's one at 436 W. Ontario St., and the other is at 17 W. Adams St. \nI walked in a little after 5 p.m. and the hostess walked me through the open restaurant decorated with beautiful wood walls with a high gloss and set me at a table for two. I had an excellent seat because I could see all the people walk in and sit around me against the backdrop of walls decorated with murals of old Chicago streets and the waterfront. Well - two were of Chicago. The area I was in was made to look bigger with a giant mirror on one side of the dining room. \nThere weren't any booths in the dining section I was in. There were comfortable wooden chairs with simple but nice looking patterns cut into the backs. And the tables were all of the same gloss and elegance of the walls. The floor was composed of clean looking brown and white square tiles.\nThe waiters were representative of big-city Chicago. There were Hispanic bus boys and German waiters with thick moustaches. Others were definitely Irish with their white hair, pale faces, and red noses. The patrons said a lot about the vast array of people in the city. There were people wearing T-shirts and jeans in their comfortable Nike well-worn gym shoes. There were people going to shows dressed to the nines. There were people eating there alone, or couples and probably a decent proportion of those couples were gay. There were lots of families, too. Some tables had three generations of people sitting at them. A few had just parents and children. In other words -- diverse. \nThe Berghoff is a landmark family-owned place in existence since 1898 and everybody in Chicago has either eaten there, or knows about it. It's famous for German cuisine. It has the basics like ribs, hamburgers, veal and chicken. But it also has sauerbratten, knockwurst and all sorts of other items you'd find at the best places in Germany.\nI started off with escargot (snails), had the veal medallions in some kind of a really tasty sauce that reminded me of an apple-glaze, and I finished with one of the best cups of coffee I'd every had. Not too light, and not too dark. Not too weak, and not too strong. I drank the whole without guzzling, but sipping so I could realize its full body and power.\nDinner for one, including drinks and an appetizer runs about $25 without the tip. Twenty-five dollars for an excellent meal in a metropolitan restaurant. More than Burger King, and maybe too much for some college kids, but for a once-a-week treat, it was reasonable. It's what you'd pay for a New York strip at Colorado Steakhouse or the Texas Roadhouse. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.\nAfter dinner I hopped a cab and zipped over to the drop-off point. I was early so I went into a coffee shop and devoured both a cappuccino and John F. Burns' (of The New York Times) account of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Baghdad.\nWhile I was reading, I saw a marionette show on the street corner through the window. One person was manipulating a caricature of President Bush and a barrell of oil. \nAs 8:45 p.m. drew near I walked to the appointed corner just in time to see the faithful coach draw near and collect us all for the drive home beginning on Lake Shore Drive and finishing up where it began over 12 hours prior at Union Circle Drive.\nWe had come full circle with all sorts of things to tell our friends, family and readers about metropolitan Chicago.