In Search of Schnitzel and Stollen

The drive to Chicago Saturday morning went well. There was progressively less snow the farther south we drove and it got noticeably warmer as well. Immediately after landing at my mom's place, it was off to catch the L. Destination: the Christkindlmarket. Oddly enough, after I had finalized plans with my mother a week earlier, I hung up the phone, turned on the TV, and found myself watching Rick Steve's European Christmas special wherein he was wandering the Christkindlmarkt in Nürnberg.

It was Miles' first time on a subway train (methinks anyway – definitely his first time in Chicago) and he was a little apprehensive but soon he settled into watching the cityscape fly by the window. There was blue line track repair ongoing so we had to exit at Clark/Lake and walk a couple blocks instead of getting off at the Washington stop right at Daley Plaza. The Loop was a-rockin'. If Neil Peart were there, he might have observed that the pavements teemed with intense energy. People out shopping, people doing the tourist routine, locals enjoying a mild day outside by the lake, and some unfortunate souls who were on the job making Chicago go.

Daley Plaza and the market were brimming with people and stalls full of food, crafts, ornaments, cuckoo clocks – all kinds of Teutonic goodness.



Our first stop was for lunch.



The Dulcinea and I had been looking forward to schnitzel and by gum we got it.



The kartoffelsalat was mighty tasty as well. Plenty of bacon and vinegar. For dessert we had chocolate covered fruit.



More than one vendor was selling hot nuts and so for second dessert, I bought some cocoa dusted almonds.



Northern European and Slavic ornaments were everywhere. I believe these are Russian.



Miles found a small wooden checkers board that he liked and promptly asked me to buy it for him. Being the nice guy that I am, I did so. It's like a travel game as the pieces are pegs that firmly fit into holes on the board. In an act of super-human restraint, I managed not to buy any beer steins.





We had to wait in line in order to get in the candy store but eventually we found ingress. I think Miles wanted pretty much everything on the shelves although I was a close second. Does anyone other than the Germans make marzipan pigs? I've never seen them anywhere other than in German stores. And, yes, we bought a 5-pack.

In addition to schnitzel, I was determined to get some stollen, which is basically a loaf of fruitcake dusted with powdered sugar and usually eaten around Christmas. Here it is on Sunday morning becoming my breakfast:



If we had stayed any longer, I would definitely have been buying strudel.