Alex

What the other folks said. As an alternative to adding the mint leaves themselves, perhaps you can infuse some of the apple juice with mint then add just the juice at the end.

Club Quarters, at least the last time I was there, had a couple of public-use computers with Internet access. I don't recall any thrift stores downtown, but I think there's a Salvation Army store on Milwaukee near the Damen stop on the Blue Line.

Oh, yeah -- luau + Cliff Robertson = Gidget I'm kind of embarrassed that I knew this.

That's it! From a New York Times article after the film was released:

Knives can be an intensely personal thing. She'd need to be ready, willing, and able to deal with new ones, especially after 15 years with the old ones. They'd also need to fit her hand. If the element of surprise is not crucial, I'd just ask her if at some point in the near future she might like a new knife or two. (I'm a fan of Forschner for low-end knives.) If she demurs, I like joiei's idea of getting the old ones sharpened. If she keeps her knives scattered about in a drawer, I'd get her a wooden knife holder that fits in the drawer. Or, if she's willing to have them on display, get her a standing knife block. Here's one place for mail-order sharpening. There are many others, of course. They also sell a very nice Forschner 8-piece set, including a block, for $150.

Numerous brands of bottled water, including Perrier, Evian, Glacier, Vittel, and Volvic.

Re #61, the only movie I can recall in which the characters don't eat the food is The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. I can't recall the specific foods, but still, that's my guess.

Yes! Way to go, ptdc! That was one of my favorite scenes in a movie filled with wonderful scenes.

What everyone else said. If you want to pick up some sweets to get you through your long meetings, Sarah's, as Eliot mentioned, is very, very good. I also wouldn't pass up an opportunity to load up on truffles at Vosges, just a few blocks down Michigan. Also very close to you is the Museum of Contemporary Art, which houses a Wolfgang Puck Café. I've not been to the café, but folks seem to like it and the setting is very cool.

Rosemary's Baby. Chocolate mousse, if memory serves. edited to add: Whoops. Looks like Human Bean got it first.

Another easy one: an omelette, cooked on the sly.

I spoke with them yesterday and was told the bakery would be ready in March. I didn't ask about nor did they mention a specific date.

Thanks, dls and LAZ. The sandwiches and desserts at Artopolis look like winners. I'll have to try the loukaniko at Greek Islands when I'm back in town in May. Keep those great suggestions coming, folks!

Thanks, dls. Yes, assuming it's on time, Amtrak leaves at 5:20 and boards around 5:00; Metra arrives at 3:40 from Lisle. I have no idea what's near that station but if I get there early I can take a look around. According to menupages.com, My Thai and Takumi are open then. Have you eaten at either place? Avec -- now that's an interesting idea. Those dates should get some interesting looks on the train, eh? I'm guessing the round-trip cab fare would be about $6-7; does that sound right? And nsxtasy, thanks for the Greektown reminder. A nice wedge of spanakopita and a piece of baklava would make an excellent dinner.

Great idea! It's a brisk 12 minutes or so from the station. Unfortunately, they're open only until 2 on Saturdays, and my train doesn't arrive until well after that.

Have you ever had a Potbelly sub?? My friend is raving about the Kobe burger at Nine. ← Thanks for the ideas, Eliot. I haven't had a Potbelly yet. I see there's one a couple of blocks away but it closes 20 minutes after my train arrives -- is it worth a quick jog? I've only been to Nine once, for dinner. It's just a bit too far away, though, and anyways I think a Kobe burger would lose some of its charm after an hour or two in a takeout container.

When I take the train back home from Chicago I make a point of eating some good take-out for my rolling dinner. My schedule usually allows me to pick most any place I want, within reason. Last trip, for example, I hit the salad bar at Whole Foods; the one before that, an entrée and dessert from Trotter's To Go. However, next Saturday I'll be in the 'burbs, and my Metra arrives perhaps an hour and a quarter before Amtrak boards. I know there are several places right at Union Station where I can pick up a sandwich -- Corner Bakery, Metro Deli, Nino Panino -- and I'm wondering if anyone has feedback about them. Or, weather permitting and if the food is worth it, I could handle maybe a ten-minute walk. I know there's a collection of restaurants in the Presidential Towers a few blocks away, at Madison and Clinton -- My Thai, Takumi, etc. Any thoughts about these, or other places within a few blocks of the station?

This is a very tentative guess, and it probably isn't right, but I clearly remember a blue dancer on an episode of the original Star Trek. Her name was something like "Veena," IIRC. I can't quite remember the frogs, though. (It's clear what my adolescent priorities were -- I can remember the exotic dancer but not the food. )

My friend and I have been looking forward to this meal for months, so we should probably play it straight! Nick, what is your position with Alinea? ← The answer to your question is here.

Moo-Moo's is on Charlevoix near Wayburn. I haven't had a chance to get there yet. I think they have just a few tables. BTW, that stretch of Charlevoix is another interesting area that also includes Embellish Cafe and Gifts (a cutsey little tea room), Janet's Lunch, and Ye Olde Tap Room.

I'll second that. The Sprout House is just a couple of blocks from a friend's house, and when I visit I always make it a point to pick up some stuff there. Their cookies are great, too. BTW, they're in Grosse Pointe Park, on Kercheval at Beaconsfield, which has become a nice little food corner. Mulier's Market is just a couple of doors down, and across the street there's a small seafood shop where I stock up on smoked whitefish sausage.

Here's an additional (and very large) clue: in another scene, there's mixed fruit, cheese, fish, corn, peas, and carrots — we assume that each is in some sort of liquid form. ← Apollo 13? Nope, but you're on the right track. ← Space Odyssey? Yep -- 2001: A Space Odyssey. Good catch, Rachel! When the movie was first released, I watched it -- in its longer, original cut, which included an intermission -- six times in two days. Can you tell I wanted to be an astronaut? (I still do.)

Here's an additional (and very large) clue: in another scene, there's mixed fruit, cheese, fish, corn, peas, and carrots — we assume that each is in some sort of liquid form. ← Apollo 13? Nope, but you're on the right track.

Days of Wine and Roses (Figure someone whose eGullet name is Alex would get this one, eh?)

Yes, caroled answered that yesterday. You gotta be quick in this league...