"Ready for some $13 pancakes?", I asked M as we made our way to the hotel lobby.
We're enjoying a weekend in downtown Chicago. The kids spent the night with my mother and we booked a room at the Sofitel Hotel a block away from Water Tower Place on Chicago's Michigan Avenue. Last night we met several family members at Ron of Japan for dinner. M and I took in some shopping (naturally, she bought shoes and a purse). And we enjoyed a light dusting of snow. It's cold, but I love Chicago this time of year.
This morning we left our room with the fluffy king-sized bed and went to lobby for breakfast.
The restaurant was top-tier. The atmosphere was charming, the staff was classy and the table was lavishly prepared.
Mary ordered a waffle and I ordered eggs and bacon.
The waiter brought juice, water and a fruit smoothie. He soon followed up with a basket of croissants and other assorted breads. Of course, the butter came in a small container with a serving lid. It was quaint.
M ordered some Earl Gray tea to ease her sinuses and enjoed the individual serving jars of apricot and strawberry jam.
Eventually, the main course arrived and it was absolutely delicious. As we approached the end of our leisurely meal, after varied conversation and periods of silent absorption, M was the first to say "It was worth every penny."
I had to agree as she had spoken the words that were on my mind.
$33.00 for breakfast? I wish I could afford to do it all the time. This must be how the wealthy dine all the time.

November 26, 2005 05:49 PM
Try having 5 kids to feed, then $33 for breakfast will seem like a drop in the bucket. We are lucky to eat out at all, since every meal is usually 50 bucks or more.
December 3, 2005 05:19 PM
What the hell was that? Is that from a book or something or is it just a really annoying tale of your travels? Are you trying to spark debate on whether paying $33 for breakfast is acceptable? I'm sorry I shouldn't be getting worked up about it but it's so poorly written and appears to be dressing itself up as something it's not, if it's dressing itself up as a passage from a novel..... ugh. I wanna know who wrote it and why it exists.