This Chambermaid loves room service

Wow, it's hot here. Supposedly with the heat index, it's 110F degrees outside. That means it's very humid & people look like they're melting on the streets. Cooper and I were out early, but finally decided to pack it in when it seemed like folks were starting to get cranky. The good news is that we happened to pass by Garrett's popcorn shop just as we were wrapping things up. Garrett's is a tiny little storefront on Michigan Avenue. I don't know how long it's been there, but it's a Chicago institution (my opinion) that offers plain, cheese, and caramel popcorn. Or -- the secret mix: the cheese/caramel combo! It might sound odd, but it's really good! The salty-sweet thing. People love Garrett's so much that they will stand in line for over an hour to buy it. I know, I've done it. It sounds stupid, but it happens. So today, I got a jumbo bag of the mix to take back to the hotel, much to the delight of Troy and the boys. The last time I had Garrett's popcorn, I cracked a tooth. My dentist told me that popcorn is "a dentist's best friend." Well, you can see that incident did not deter me; I could not resist. The best part is that, because it's so damned hot here, there was no line, no waiting!
Back at the hotel, I decided to chill, and ordered up a late lunch. Now, I love hotels -- especially old-style hotels with charm & an interesting history. When I first started college, I declared my major as Hotel & Restaurant Management and had fantasies of working my way up to general manager of a great hotel. But that's another story. This hotel, The Ambassador East, houses The Pump Room, an old-school bar & restaurant with wood-paneled walls covered with black & white framed photos of celebrities of all sorts. Actors, singers, comedians, I think there may even be a puppeteer. And Booth 1 is thee table. Robert Redford & Paul Newman stayed here during the filming of "The Sting," and Redford reportedly returned to The Pump Room every day for lunch of a ham sandwich & a Pilsner beer. So, today, faced with a late-lunch room-service choice, I thought I'd follow Bob's lead, but since there is no ham sandwich on the menu, I ordered the Pump Room Club Sandwich. That's ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, bacon, and mayo on whole wheat bread.
Let me tell you something: it was THE BEST club sandwich I've ever had in my life! No exaggeration; it was perfect. And I didn't even care that I wasn't eating it seated in Booth 1.

Garrett's popcorn