Restaurant Review: Celebrating ‘Christmas in July’ at the Marshall Field’s Walnut Room
July in Chicago means hot, sticky weather. What better way to beat the heat than to celebrate a wintry holiday? The legendary Marshall Field’s Walnut Room, located on Macy’s 7th floor, 111 N. State Street, has you covered!
From July 1-31, the sixth annual Christmas in July brings back the limited Christmas menu that has held Chicagoans and the world captive since the early 1900’s. While the iconic 45-foot “Great Tree” won’t be there, a wintry oasis of smaller trees, and holiday fairy appearances create a festive atmosphere…enough to tide you over til December!
Walnut Room History
Did you know…that at one time, women couldn’t eat in restaurants without an escort? Enter entrepreneur Marshall Field. Early in the 20th century, a woman was shopping in the Millinery Department of his store and said she was hungry. With the lack of restaurants serving women, a sales associate named Mrs. Hering shared her homemade chicken pot pie. The gesture became incredibly popular, prompting Marshall Field to open a modest tea room. In 1907, due to the tea room’s massive success, a larger space called the South Tea Room opened in the newly built Marshall Field’s building. By 1937, the space was officially renamed The Walnut Room after its distinctive Circassian walnut paneling and Austrian crystal chandeliers. Mrs. Hering’s original chicken pot pie recipe remains on the menu today.
On the Menu
Start your holiday adventure in the ala carte menu with a Poinsettia, a refreshing mix of cranberry juice and sparkling wine. Or, a Frango Irish Coffee, served hot or iced, with Frango Mint Liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Starbucks coffee, and whipped cream.
You haven’t lived fully until you’ve tried their Lobster Bisque, creamy, with a bold splash of sherry and filled with small pieces of tender lobster meat.
Follow that with your choice of entrée. Their Cranberry Citrus Chicken Salad Sandwich is a sandwich for all seasons, with a mix of chicken, oranges, dried cranberries, onions, celery, Dijon mayonnaise, butter lettuce and tomato, served on a buttery croissant. It’s accompanied by a dill pickle and seasoned fries.
Or, you can go traditional Christmas fare with a Cider Glazed Slow Roasted Breast of Turkey, with whipped potatoes, turkey gravy, sautéed vegetables, and cranberry citrus chutney (a must!)
A note: Being strange and experimental, I’ve mixed the chutney and whipped potatoes together on previous visits. I liked it, but I like odd flavors competing with each other for attention, and the buttery whipped potatoes and citrusy chutney were certainly that! That said, the turkey gravy certainly works with the potatoes and provides the most traditional of flavors.
There’s no messing with dessert at Marshall Field’s Walnut Room. Their traditional Holiday Yule Log isfestiveenough, with layers of vanilla cake rolled with chocolate and covered with bitter chocolate icing.
When I was a kid, my Mom took us to the Walnut Room for our holiday meal as a reward for good grades in the fall. What we looked forward to most was their Build Your Own Snowman! DuringChristmas in July, you can recapture those days with vanilla ice cream, a marshmallow, strawberry licorice, and chocolate chips.
Another favorite Christmas memory was baking cookies with my grandmother, who was stellar at everything from Snickerdoodles to holiday thumbprint cookies made to look like little wreaths. Here, you can recreate those days with their Cookie Exchange Platter, also available on their dessert menu.
A bonus for diners
You can make reservations for the fall and winter while you’re there! Regular holiday reservations begin October 1st, and usually sell out quickly!
The Marshall Field’s Walnut Room is open Sunday- Tuesday from 11am-3pm, and Wednesday -Saturday from 11am-7pm. For reservations,click on the following link: https://www.opentable.com/restaurant/profile/74479?ref=android-share&refid=123
Happy Holidays!! Stay cool.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
