The Hyde Park and Kenwood Issue
W. Stratford Place
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No one mentioned that he opened the original Medici Coffee House & Gallery —which quite probably had the first genuine espresso machine in Chicago outside of private Italian “social clubs”—in Hyde Park in 1958 and sold it to Hans Morsbach (for change), a young German emigrant, then a newly-minted U. of C. MBA, in 1962. Morsbach was a natural businessman and entrepreneur and of course built a hugely successful business which he’s had for 48 years now. The original Medici was on 53rd Street. Not long after it opened, the space behind the Green Door Bookshop on 57th Street near Harper became available and my dad moved it there. That was the space that Hans bought and later expanded when the bookstore left to fill the storefront, and where he introduced pan pizza, burgers, and other cooked food. Later, when Morsbach lost that lease, he moved a few blocks west along 57th Street to the Medici’s present location. But the idea of a European-style coffee house and gathering place, with espresso coffee, hot chocolate, Italian flavored-syrup drinks, real continental pastries, was my dad’s with the help of a few of his friends and my wonderful, long-suffering mom!
Andrew Patner
I think [Emanuel’s] use of “retarded” should actually be applied to himself, given the near-debacle of attempted health-care reform by the Obama administration where he has so much, in my opinion unfortunate, influence. Perhaps “retarded” should have a new, political meaning, opposite to “progressive.” Emanuel would seem a logical choice to lead the retarded wing of the Democratic Party and to represent its corporate backers. Let’s just hope he doesn’t again return to Chicago to run for mayor, or any other office.
The Problem at Shimer
Current students and faculty obviously do not like what is taking place, but the president has devoted many hours to talking with them and their opinions have influenced his decisions, including the wording of the mission statement. Sometimes, dialogue doesn’t result in your getting everything you want from the other party.
