Dine at the Walnut Room and step back in time to an old-fashioned Chicago Christmas

Macy's Walnut Room is taking reservations now for holiday dining under the Great Tree

Walnut Room at Macy's(Michael Kappel/Flickr.com/CC BY-NC 2.0)

It was still Marshall Fields the first time I ate at the Walnut Room. It was the second Christmas season I had spent in Chicago and the first at my new job.

As a transplant from Kansas, everything in Chicago was exciting to me, and the Walnut Room was no exception. My boss had decided to take our small department out to lunch, and she thought the girl from Kansas should have the experience of the Walnut Room at Christmastime.

Our offices at North Michigan Avenue were close to State Street, so we took a brisk walk in the cold over to the sprawling department store. With the holiday windows on full display and the sparkly decorations, Marshall Fields transformed itself at Christmas to the place to be when you came into the city.

I don't remember what I ate that day at the Walnut Room. But I do remember the Great Tree, the wood-paneled walls, the chandeliers, the excellent service, and the feeling we had stepped back in time to an old-fashioned, big-city fancy restaurant.

Needless to say, the Kansas girl was impressed.

A Chicago tradition

The Walnut Room opened on the 7th floor of Marshall Fields in 1907 and soon became a family Christmas tradition.

And when Macy's took over the Marshall Fields space, they kept the restaurant. And now, families can still enjoy a holiday meal around the Great Tree.

(circulating/Flickr.com/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

What is on the holiday menu?

The menu offers traditional, American fare. You can get a crowd-favorite and long-enduring, Mrs. Herrings 1890 Original Pot Pie. There is even a small version of the pot pie on the children's menu.

If chicken pot pie is not your thing, there are other traditional options like the meatloaf, roasted turkey breast, or spice rub salmon.

And be sure to save room for dessert. Or you can buy a whole pie and take it home. Options to take with you include the Frango Mint Pie, the Frango Mint Cheesecake, and Yule Logs.

Macy's Christmas display(Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA/CC BY-SA 2.0/Wikimedia Commons)

What are the details?

• 7th Floor, Macy's State Street, 111 North State Street
• Reservations are required for dining.
• Masks are required at all times, per the website, unless eating or drinking.
• For now, the restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch from 11 AM to 7 PM, except Sundays when they close at 2 PM. Be sure to check their website as holiday hours may change.

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