02 April 2010

Good Friday in Chicago

I spent most of yesterday shopping. It is funny how two years in London has changed my perspective. I am in one of the biggest cities in the US and wow… everything seems so incredibly cheap. In the midst of my shopping I stumbled upon Berghoff’s Restaurant. It was apparent that this place WAS something… just look at the sign. I later learned that it had closed and reopened, so it is no longer what it was. The portabello sandwich was good… and the homemade crisps (potato chips) LOOKED awesome… but unfortunately lacked any taste whatsoever… and some of them were quite rubbery. The Berghoffs apparently were brewers back in the day and they had a selection of beers, which I later learned are of the Dortmunder-style. I had the dark. I have apparently become a real/cask-ale snob because this stuff tasted like it had added carbonation and it had that mass-produced kind of flavour. I mean it any beats any of big piss-water makers (Budweiser, Millers, Coors, etc) hands down. But that’s about it. Staff was nice and friendly, but after living in London, I might have low standards for customer service. It was amusing watching the Chicagoans huff off out of the T-Mobile shop (store) after having to wait in a queue (line) more than a few minutes when I was getting my phone topped up (refilled).

Last night, the Shakespeare Association of America had an event at the Chicago Cultural Center, which is an old library. It was absolutely GORGEOUS inside. This morning, I am in search of a place called West Eggs Cafe in a few minutes. Then I am off to St Chrysostom’s for something called The Three Hours. Tomorrow after the conference, we are off to the Art Institute, where the Seurat hangs. Then its off to the floods of New England.

All Photos from Wikipedia.

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