It feels cold outside, but not unbearably. You step onto Clark Street and look to your left, then to your right, and try as hard as you can to take it all in.
There are no cars on the street — there would be nowhere for them to drive. Bodies flood the blocks between Addison and Roscoe, but the scene is eerily silent. All eyes are turned onto televisions, worn like outdoors wallpaper at bars called Cubby Bear, Vines, and John Barleycorn. Down by Addison, the intersection looks awash in artificial light from the Wrigley sign.
Suddenly there’s an audible crack. Something happened. The crowd begins to gasp, then scream, then jump up and down. Five seconds later, perfect strangers are hugging, kissing, crying, and offering endless congratulations. Beers are thrown into the air and you can’t hear the sound of your own breathing over the nonstop roar. Somewhere nearby, a car horn is belting out the rhythm to “Go Cubs Go.” Honestly, all of this hardly seems real.
The Chicago Cubs have just won the World Series.
… Yeah, so this isn’t exactly a true story as much as it is a whimsical fever dream, but it’s just the kind of thing we’re all thinking about on Opening Day. I mean, this could be their year! HAS to be their year – it’s gonna happen! Executive Chef Carol Wallack and Sous Chef Bob Bagley invite you to sola every day to celebrate a brand new baseball season, free of heartbreak, disappointment, and bitterness.
Well… for now.
