Dinner at the Berghoff
Chicago

The Berghoff staff pushed a long table up against a large round table to give us seating in the shape of a keyhole. From the left are Tim Hoye, Ellis Sandoz, the almost never smailing Max Arnott, and the almost always smiling Robin Seiler—both of whom report having had a good time. Robin led me to Iwan Ries, the tobacco emporium extraordinary, where I reminisced about my long gone pipe-smoking days while he found cigars suitable for this visit in Chicago.

Standing directly behind Tim Hoye is Jimmy, the master waiter who took care of us with such skill and courtesy.

Another view of the diners: Nancy Theodoropoulos offers her radiant smile for the camera. In the background left of center can be seem the late arriving Thomas Hollweck, hungry and searching for a seat.

Larry Chappell, seated at the right, should be pleased for having garnered, together with Bernard Bray, the top awards for analytical writing from the American Political Science Association (APSA), the second award coming scarcely an hour before he arrived at table. Paulette Kidder sits between him and Gary Kass, an acquistions editor from the University of Missouri Press.

The men ate while the lady smiled. It is not often that one catches in one photo three men with food in their mouths and unable to speak. They are from the left: Tom McPartland, Chip Hughes and Mark Theodoropoulos. The lady is Beth Chandler, in charge of publicity and promotion for the U. of Missouri Press.

Is Mark thinking about Brasserie Jo of the night before —the food and the conversation about The Bulgarian Women's Folk Choir, "Shape Notes," and other things musical? Or is he thinking about the afternoon at the Chicago Art Institute, the Ellsworth Kelly exhibit, or the Albrecht Dürers? Or perhaps he's gloating because he has been vindicated in his assertion that Chicago is the most architecturally interesting city in the U.S? He has no idea that on the morrow he will dine with talk of Dvorak, Gorecki, Miloš Foreman and Jiri Menzel.

Thomas Hollweck raises his glass in salute. To the right sits Joe Feeney and next to him sits Nancy Theodoropoulos, who is known to cap her dinner with a cappuchino.

Is Nancy's mind wandering back to the cappucino Wednesday night in The Cape Cod Room at the Drake Hotel? The oysters, crabcakes, soft shell crabs and turbot and the impeccable service?

As has become the custom at APSA conventions, Joe Feeney had done his homework, checked out the facilities, and guided his friends to the best places—in this case the best jazz club in Chicago. Your correspondent had the chance to meet another club guest, Ms. Toshiko Akiyoshi, one of his favorite jazz muscians.

Tonight the younger musicians showed a freshness that was most enjoyable. Sometimes they reminded one of Charlie Parker, whose photo mural dominates the stage. When they learn to play the spaces between the notes they will offer the complete experience.