Besides seeing Robyn Hitchcock & Joe Boyd, and going to the spring flower show, we did some other stuff.
We ate. Friday night we had a pre-theater supper at Trattoria No. 10 – a reliable old fave. I had the squash ravioli – 4 large ones, and the nice touch was shreds of zucchini and carrot over the top – softened by the heat of the pasta.
Then on to see Merchant of Venice, staged as Mad Men. I liked it – thought it was pretty incredible how Shakespeare’s words were uttered so easily by actors in modern dress, with cell phones and laptops. The couple next to left at intermission, though. Mark bought us CTA cards and we used the sh*t out of public transportation. When we hit Belmont Ave. at 11:30 on a Friday night, walking back to the hotel from the EL, the sidewalks were packed – we knew we were in the big city.
We ate some more. On Saturday morning we went to Bittersweet, a neighborhood bakery recommended by Lottie + Doof. Good bakery, but they don’t have the retail thing down at all – must be making all their $$ on wholesale out the back. As it should be, but still didn’t make it nicer for us front of the store customers. And, come to think of it, I had to look on Yelp to get their open hours – couldn’t find them on their website to save my life – so it all figures.
Sticky bun at Bittersweet
O'Keefe & Steiglitz in 1944
Then we walked to the Lincoln Park Conservatory, and the flower show. Took the EL to the Art Institute. We saw John Marin – most of the large collection of Marin’s paintings the Art Institute has came by way of Alfred Stieglitz. This picture of Steiglitz with O’Keefe was in a display about how they framed Marin’s work; made me miss Mark’s mustache.
I think my favorite thing at the Art Institute was the show by Peter Fischli & David Weiss – photographs of stuff they took out of the refrigerator mostly, and arranged into cities and fantastical machines. Reminded me of Robyn’s vid for Ordinary Millionaire, that stars a vegetable steamer and a tequila bottle.
Then we ate again, at 11 City Diner. Had a little lie down, and then to Hitchcock & Boyd. It was the early show, we were done at 9:00, so we took the EL back to Clark St. and saw the new Jane Eyre, with Alice as Jane.
