Reader Judith DeCarlo of Cedar Lake contacted me with questions about her upcoming visit to dine at the Walnut Room, the iconic culinary destination originally of the Marshall Field’s flagship department store on State Street in Chicago. Now, a more than century old, it remains a premiere and popular holiday feast and festivities anchor for the Macy’s brand, but only in the Windy City. “My lady friend made our dining reservations many months ago to have lunch under ‘the Great Tree,’ but now, she’s not able to make that date,” DeCarlo lamented. “I’m on the fence now about going downtown, but I have so many wonderful memories of past visits, including a fairy princess who would stroll around the guest tables ‘granting wishes.’ I read your columns and I know you’ve written about this same restaurant tradition making the holiday visit to the Walnut Room with your parents. You even did a segment about it last year when I saw your ‘Christmas From the Farm’ stage show. Have you been to the Walnut Room yet this season? What is the holiday store theme this year. I’m not on social media so don’t keep up with what others have shared. I’m still hoping to keep my reservation.” Thank you for your note Judith, and yes, I did have my 2024 holiday dining moment and memory at the Walnut Room this year. But I had to slip it in extra early because of a jam-packed December schedule. My reservation was last month on the Sunday before Thanksgiving weekend. However, my parents (ages 95 and 93) opted not to drive into the city with me this year. Instead, as my guests I invited my stage co-stars who are joining me at Theatre at the Center in Munster this month for performances of our trio-telling of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” now through Dec. 15. Cara Schmitt, who serves as the stage narrator and does the female roles, had never dined at the Walnut Room, while Tony Panek, who shares our stage to provide the old-time radio sound effects during our performances, had his own past memories of Walnut Room dining. You should definitely keep your reservation Judith and enjoy the opportunity. The 2024 store holiday theme is “Give Love,” reflected in the famed windows along State Street and with the tree décor in the Walnut Room and other departments throughout the shopping floors. And yes, a fairy princess strolled the Walnut Room while we dined and “granted wishes.” You can find this year’s full menu and themed drinks along with reservation details posted at http://macysrestaurants.com/walnut-room/. The Great Tree remains up in the Walnut Room through Jan. 12, 2025. Someone who is missing from the Walnut Room and the store displays is Uncle Mistletoe, the created character who served as the holiday mascot for Marshall Field’s for more than half a century. In 2003, Polish glass Christmas ornament designer Christopher Radko created a custom ornament for Marshall Field’s in the likeness of the department store’s holiday mascot characters Uncle Mistletoe and Aunt Holly. (Christopher Radko Archive/courtesy) Paired with another character named Aunt Holly, the duo, dressed in Dickens-era garb, were dreamed up to be unveiled in 1946 as a counter-marketing plan to rival Montgomery Ward’s department store’s popular advertising crafted campaign around their created character “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Uncle Mistletoe and Aunt Holly were featured in commercials, in custom-created storybooks, as toy items and woven as a general theme throughout the store billed as “Santa’s helpers” for the holidays. In 2003, Polish glass ornament designer Christopher Radko even visited Marshall Field’s and designed a collectible ornament in the likenesses of Uncle Mistletoe and Aunt Holly. Though the characters were phased out in 2006 when Macy’s acquired Marshall Field’s, I’d still occasionally see references to Uncle Mistletoe in recent years hidden in displays around the store, such as tucked in the branches of the Great Tree, or in 2022 when the Walnut Room featured a holiday cocktail named after him. For 2024, Macy’s has a “new Santa’s helper” with a character simply referred to as the “Macy’s Gift Guide” starring actor Alison Brie as the elf helper in the commercials, displays and promotions. The character is described as “responsible for curating all things holiday, from gifting to festive dressing to hosting, along with her mentee portrayed by Matt Bush.” I spotted Brie and Bush in their characters making an appearance at this year’s televised 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. On the theme of ghosts of “Christmas from the Past,” I’m excited that Brie is about to start production in the cast for Amazon and MGM Studios with Mattel Films’ new live-action movie “Masters of the Universe” based on the popular action figure line of characters I grew up with during my own Christmas mornings of the 1980s, and later, a popular syndicated animated cartoon series. Brie will play the scheming sorcerer Evil-Lyn opposite Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man and Camila Mendes as warrior Teela. The film is scheduled to be released in June 2026. Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at [email protected].