Company Abbreviations

Ever wonder what UPS or FTD stood for? Maybe you know! What about ALCOA, NABISCO, or 3M? Test your knowledge with this quiz. Can you think of other company names with abbreviations or acronyms?

The Zodiac - Neiman Marcus Department Stores

Knowing little else about Neiman Marcus beyond the urban legend of the cookie recipe, I ventured into The Zodiac (top floor of Michigan Avenue store). I arrived as the restaurant opened for lunch. The restaurant is very nice with white tablecloths and padded chairs. North facing windows reflect sunshine spilling over the lower park and firehouse in the adjacent block and the highrise marble facade of Macy's/Watertower Place a block beyond. The Neiman Marcus experience begins with the traditional hot chicken consommé, a popover, and strawberry butter. Very tasty!


For lunch I chose the Mandarin Orange Soufflé with NM chicken salad, toasted almonds, seasonal fruit, and house zucchini bread. Again, a very good choice (except the melons).

The portions are adequate and satisfying. The menu had many other attractive offerings as well. (I hope to return and try more!) The servers were attentive and atmosphere formal, but comfortable. When it came time to pay for my lunch, I was ready to charge the $20 fee to my credit card. Since this was my first ever purchase at Neiman Marcus, I didn't realize they do not accept Mastercard or Visa. Instead they only accept store cards, American Express, cash, or personal check. Perhaps a way to develop "personal relationships" with their customers. For a special occassion (or when someone else will take the check) head over to Neiman Marcus and try out their menu!

Don't Get Too Comfortable

I'm not sure how the work of David Rakoff first came to my attention. It might have been on NPR. Or it could have been from a recommendation on amazon. Or it might have been some other way. Regardless, I picked up his book, Fraud, at a second hand store in Chicago and enjoyed his humorous essays. His erudite writing is similar in a style to David Sedaris (before he gave in to quantity over quality) or Sarah Vowell (whose new book is next on my list to read!).


Last June, I posted my reading list for summer 2008. I didn't accomplish as much as I hoped, but I have finished reading Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, the Torments of Low Thread Count, the Never-Ending Question for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems. In addition to the indignities of the subtitle, this book explores the problems that arise when you dine at over-rated pretentious northern California restaurants; have time to scour the earth of Brooklyn for edible greens, berries, and mushrooms; cruise on the Concord; and seek high fashion. Getting a facelift is another "First World Problem." The clip includes the author reading an abridged version of his piece on that incident. I'm not sure about the graphics or the author's rendition of the piece... I think I prefer reading it for myself.

Reading anything by Rakoff will enlarge your vocabulary. Here are a few words he uses: anomie, auteurism, coruscating, gorgons, hypertrophic, japery, oleaginous, priapic, purling, putative, reticulation, spurious, tumescence. All part of the average person's everyday speaking vocabulary, wouldn't you say?

Firefly Grill - Effingham, IL

Bread Pudding with Poached Pears & Caramel Rum Sauce

Firefly Grill (1810 Mid America Avenue) is a pleasant culinary surprise in Central Illinois. Located at the cross-roads of I-57 and I-70 midway between St. Louis and Indianapolis, Firefly is tucked away behind the unsightly freeway staples of franchise fast foods and big box retailers.

From their website: "Firefly's menu changes daily and boasts fresh seafood, oak fired steaks and brick oven pizzas. Firefly uses local ingredients whenever possible and fresh herbs and vegetables straight from their very own garden!"

The interior is open and airy. There is a porch with more tables overlooking a "lake" behind the restaurant. Casual business attire was worn by most in the lunch time crowd. The truckers and weary travelers found at some other Effingham restaurants weren't present at the Firefire Grill. Chopped wood for steaks and pizzas is stored in the front of the building. Native-style grasses are planted around the building. A more detailed review is available from Chicago Tribune.

Porgy & Bess

George Gershwin's music to the "American Folk Opera" Porgy & Bess is a melding of blues, jazz, classical, gospel, and folk music. Set in fictitious 1920s "Catfish Row" of Charleston, South Carolina, the opera tells the story of Porgy, a crippled black man and his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her pimp, and Sportin' Life, the drug dealer. It is based on the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward and a subsequent play adaptation by his wife, Dorothy Heyward. Both of the Heywards and George's brother, Ira, collaborated with George on the creation of the opera. The Lyric Opera of Chicago is currently presenting the opera and is seeing strong demand. An additional performance has been added which I am planning to attend next week.



Familiar songs from the show include: Summertime; A Woman is a Sometime Thing; I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'; It Ain't Necessarily So; Bess, You is my Woman Now; and Oh Lawd, I'm on my Way.

If you want to hear more check out these youtube clips from a filmed version: one, two, three.

Bongo Room - Chicago, IL

Bongo Room (1152 S Wabash Avenue) is one of my favorite South Loop breakfast/brunch places. They have an interesting and changing menu although I often opt for the sweeter and richer creations offered. This time I had Chocolate Tower French Toast (half order) and a side of turkey sausage. Other tempting items include Banana Peanut Butter Chip Pancakes, White Chocolate & Caramel Covered Pretzel Pancakes, Red Corn & Fresh Cranberry Flapjacks, Pumpkin-Carrot Pancakes, Pear Tarte-Tartin Hotcakes, Smoked Salmon Benedict, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burrito, and more!

Chocolate Tower French Toast

bittersweet chocolate chunk bread stuffed with maple mascarpone,

banana creme brulee sauce, bananas & shaved chocolate

The restaurant is on the southeast corner of the block with windows on two sides letting in plenty of natural light. The service is friendly and quick and the decor is simple and colorful.

Food: *****

Ambience: ****

Service: ****

(out of 5 stars)

Macy's on State Street - Chicago, IL

The Marshall Field's Store (now called Macy's on State Street) takes up an entire city block in Chicago's Loop. It is one of three Macy's flagship stores. Currently it is the second largest store in the world with 12 stories (or more in some parts of the store). This was the first department store with an escalator and the first with a bridal registry.

There are several atria in the store. The one on the left is 13 stories in the northwest part of the store. The other two are in the central atrium with escalators and elevators. There is a fountain at the bottom.

A Tiffany & Co. mosaic dome caps a 5-story atrium in the southwest corner. The Tiffany Dome is over 6,000 square feet. It is the first iridescent glass dome and it continues to be the largest glass mosaic of its kind. It took over a year and a half to make.

The store is all decked out for the holidays. There are lights, ornaments, and other decorations in every department through the store. The 3-story tree on the left is in the Walnut Room on the 7th floor. The Walnut Room is a restaurant where many shoppers dress up for a special occassion dining experience. The exterior is also decorated with horns attached the entire block along State Street.

The store windows along State Street each have a display that tells a story. It seems that many people of all ages have a holiday tradition of walking along the street and looking at the windows.

If you want to know more about the store, take audio or video tours from the store's webpage.

Cafe Levain - Minneapolis, MN

Cafe Levain (4762 Chicago Ave South) is located in the back of a bakery. They take the time and make an effort to create a pleasant dining experience with creative and inventive food combinations. Overall the food is "home cooking" but with a contemporary twist.

While waiting for the entrees, they serve tasty, chewy bread with butter and pesto aioli. (see photo) This was good enough that I nearly didn't need dinner!

The atmosphere is elegant but casual. There are no white tablecloths, just white paper on the tables. Cafe Levain is only open for dinner so it is subdued without bright lights or loud noises. We went at 5pm (opening time) so there were only a few patrons. If you attend, be forewarned that prices are more than Subway or McDonald's. Appetizers are about $10, entrees about $20, sides about $5, and desserts range from $5 to $10.

Here is the food we enjoyed... note the pictures were taken after some food had been eaten.

Dayboat Scallops . . . (left)
Red Lentils / Mirepoix / Fischer Farms Bacon / Dijon

Local Mushrooms (side)
Shallot / Garlic / Chive / Parsley / Lemon

Roasted Kadejan Farms Chicken Breast . . . (right)
Thyme-Sage Brine / Fingerlings / Roasted Chicken Jus / Lemon

Cabbage (not pictured)
Char / Sweet-Sour Apple / Raw Apple / Dijon

Food: ****

Ambience: *****

Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Wow Bao - Chicago, IL

Wow Bao (Three locations: 835 North Michigan Ave./1 West Wacker Blvd./175 West Jackson Blvd.) is one of my favorite places to stop for a quick lunch or light snack in Chicago. I often get the Combo with a cool Thai salad and two bao (usually bbq pork, chicken, or coconut custard). If you don't know, a bao is a steamed "dumpling" or "bun" that is stuffed with meat or another filling. The service is fast and friendly. The food is always fresh and tasty. The ambience, however, varies by location. The North Michigan location is on the ground level of Water Tower Place with no seating nearby. Diners can take their order to go or head up the escalators and sit at a table in the atrium area. The tables are often busy and not always clean. The Wacker location has a nice seating area that is casual and comfortable. If you're near Wow Bao, stop in! Let me know what you think.

Food: ****
Ambience: depends on location
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Obama Rally - Chicago, IL

Attending the Election Night Obama rally in Grant Park, Chicago, was a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. (Yes, I know that sounds cliche!) But I don't anticipate being in attendance at an election night celebration with the new president again.

If you wish to see professionally filmed footage of the evening, check out CNN. If you want to see better quality video of someone who was at the event, click here (this videographer was several yards in front of me). If you want to see what my camera phone captured in the moment, I've included it below!

Although I was within view of the stage where President-elect Obama was speaking (I did get tickets to the event!), I wasn't the man on whose shoulder Oprah cried. Instead, you can see the view I had from far back in the field. I didn't think it was worth pushing to the front (or even the middle) to get a better view. After all, I was across the room from then-Senator Obama when he visited my workplace a couple years ago.

Tens of thousands of people were on the ball fields for the rally. Each one had to leave! Here is a scene from the exit.

The biggest impact I felt from the event is that the people in attendance there seemed to me to be "America" - The United States of America. Of course, the demographics reflected the demographics of Chicago and the state of Illinois, but it seemed clear to me that "everyone" was there - rich and poor, old and young, white and black, Hispanic and Asian, working people and students, etc. (This is in contrast with the demographics of another political gathering). To paraphrase the next First Lady, it gave me reason to be proud of the US considering its ugly past and the improbability that, even 35 years ago when I was born, the US would have an African American president - especially one with a "funny name." Now the harder task begins for the President-elect and the rest of the country: working together to make progress on the country's - and the world's - most important issues.

Campaign Songs

Presidential campaigns have long used music as part of their strategy to persuade voters to favor them. Music is also played at rallies while people await the candidate's arrival, as the candidate takes the stage, or after the speech has ended. Here are some songs from this and previous year's presidential campaign as reported by various sources on the web. (Click on the link to hear the song.)

• America (Neil Diamond) - Michael Dukakis '88
• Born in the USA (Bruce Springstein) - Ronald Reagan '84
• Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac) - Bill Clinton '92
• God Bless the USA (Lee Greenwood) - Ronald Reagan '84
• Only in America (Brooks & Dunn) - Barack Obama, John McCain, George W. Bush '04
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered (Stevie Wonder) - Barack Obama
• Take a Chance on Me (ABBA) - John McCain
• Yes We Can (will.i.am et al.) - Barack Obama

This list is by no means comprehensive. Do you have others to add?

Note the youtube selections were chosen for the music, not the visual imagery.

Ted Drewes - St. Louis, MO

For frozen custard in St. Louis, you must go to Ted Drewes (6726 Chippewa). This location has been serving customers from its location on Historic Route 66 since the early 1940s. Their specialty is "concrete" (shown above). Other dairy chains might name their replica specialty desserts after a winter storm, but Ted Drewes' concrete is an "original". Stop by on a summer (or spring or fall) day and get some refreshments. The adjacent residential neighborhood is the perfect place to stroll while you enjoy your treat. This quiet neighborhood has neat, well-kept brick homes, likely dating from the 1940s.

Companion - Clayton, MO

Companion (8143 Maryland Ave.) is a neat little bakery and cafe tucked into a neighborhood commercial strip in upscale Clayton, MO (Saint Louis metro area). I stopped for breakfast and enjoyed the baked French toast covered with fresh fruit. Patrons are served at the counter and then take their tray to sit in the cramped space or go outdoors to a nice patio area. It seemed like the type of place that was often busy but there also didn't seem to be a good way to organize the space. There was a notice the store was going to be temporarily closing for a remodel so maybe this issue will be addressed in the process. I would return to this pleasant place if I was in the neighborhood but I wouldn't drive out of my way to seek it. The French toast, however, is something I might try to recreate in my own kitchen!

Food: ****
Ambience: ***
Service: **
(out of 5 stars)

Hannibal, MO

Hannibal, Missouri (click for a link to an aerial view photo of Hannibal) is a small town of just under 20,000 residents on the Mississippi River a few miles downstream from Quincy, Illinois. The town is probably best town as the childhood home of Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). It served as the inspiration for the hometown of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Tatcher, and the other characters Twain wrote about in his famous stories.

This is Mark Twain's boyhood home. It is now a museum with a visitor's center.

Buildings along the main street of Hannibal. There are several gift shops, candy shops, galleries, and other shops catering to tourists.

Lynn's Paradise Cafe - Louisville, KY

Lynn's Paradise Cafe (984 Barret Ave.) is a funky restaurant in the Germantown area of Louisville. The cafe has been featured by Oprah Winfrey, the Food Network, the New York Times, and countless others. The kitschy decor is full of surprises. A gift store with tacky items is at the front of the cafe. The food was surprisingly good and the server was helpful in making recommendations from the numerous selections on the menu. We were there later in the day so didn't get breakfast, although that is what they are said to do best. It is a place I would return to for both the food the and the fun environment.

Mom's Meatloaf with Sweet Potato Fries

Food: ****

Ambience: ****

Service: ****

(out of 5 stars)