I went to Chicago over Veterans Day weekend, to get away and to catch the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Art Institute. Macy’s was not on the list, not on the radar, not anywhere, and one of the best hours I spent in Chicago was at Macy’s. Life is full of surprises.
We were looking for a place to eat breakfast Saturday morning and stopped at an information desk on State Street to ask for a recommendation. A shopper standing near the desk suggested The Walnut Room, just across the street at Macy’s, which now owns the old Marshall Field’s flagship downtown Chicago store. I would never have thought to eat at Macy’s. I don’t even like Macy’s. And yet I found my holiday happy place there.
The tree at the entrance is a screaming Mimi, but once you get past that, the restaurant is old school in a good way.
We boldly (and hungrily) traversed the Macy’s cosmetics department on Saturday in search of elevators, dodging perfume counters and holiday shoppers literally buying into the gifting-palooza. When we reached Macy’s seventh floor, what we saw would normally give me something between an anxiety attack and a major eye roll. A gigantic Christmas tree plastered with red and silver sparkly stuff. A buffet. A gaggle of red-shirted hostesses congregated at the restaurant entrance.
Away from the massive tree. The wall on the far left of the photo is all windows.
We were there late for breakfast and early for lunch, so were able to sit away from the blinding glow of the Christmas tree. We were next to a window looking on the green roof of the building with the information desk, and another building with window washers rappelling from window to window. Unlike most urban restaurants, there was a lot of space between tables and we didn’t have to out-volume multiple other conversations. The room was lovely in an old dark wood way; I sat next to an original working iron heat register. It was festive but hushed, not screaming “SPEND LOTS OF MONEY HERE!!!” Just after we sat down, my favorite version of my Christmas song (Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas) came on. The food was comforting and surprisingly good. Our server, Olivia, was lovely and thoughtful. The Walnut Room introduced holiday crazy warmly, rather than with dread.
They don’t make them like this anymore. A great place to sit on a cold Chicago day.
I am old enough to remember shopping and lunch at nice old department stores before they went into malls and lost their dining rooms or closed altogether. I have vague memories of the Detroit Hudson’s and Marshall Field’s in Chicago and Jacobson’s in Birmingham, with animatronic elves in holiday window displays. Shopping then was an all-day thing with my mom and sometimes my grandma, who worked for another department store, Bonwit Teller. Those trips would mean lunch out, new clothes, and time with mom and grandma and without my younger sister. They were good days.
So Macy’s brought back good memories, but it wasn’t all about that. It was cozy, a comfortable urban oasis without blaring music and loud conversations. It was old school in a good way, a way that I haven’t experienced in I don’t know how many years. It turns out The Walnut Room in Chicago was the first department store restaurant, open since 1905.
The future seems dire for department stores (Marshall Field’s, Bonwit Teller, Jacobson’s, and Hudson’s all went out of business years ago). Though I tend not to grieve for things that are replaced by easier, more accessible, modern options, I would be sad if this place, and the feeling it still creates, disappeared. I left Chicago with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head.
What disappearing places do you miss? Leave a note in the comments or drop me a note at ordinaryvirtues@gmail.com.
Bonus material:
Macy’s has quite a history of Christmas magic: the classic holiday movie “Miracle on 34th Street” prominently features Macy’s and its Santa Claus. AND… Natalie Wood’s character, the little girl who wonders whether the Macy’s Santa is the real thing, is named Susan. Coincidence? I think not!
I’ve been one poor correspondent, as America would say, which is due in part to having one crazy year. I’m currently between homes, since I sold my house of 22 years and moved out in September. My stuff is scattered between friends and storage units. Despite not living with most of my stuff, it has taken more energy to maintain it than when I had it with me all the time. At any rate, I’m house hunting and expect a few more months in transition before things settle down. My hope, though, is to spend more time writing for fun, which this is. And I’m taking requests. Anything you’d like to see here? You can leave a comment or email me at ordinaryvirtues@gmail.com.
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