Illustrator Tom Bachtell's ideal day in Chicago
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Self-portrait. Illustration courtesy of Tom Bachtell
Many Chicagoans know Tom Bachtell for his two decades (until 2018) of iconic illustrations for the New Yorker magazine's "Talk of the Town" column.
- Today, the acclaimed artist creates his distinctive brush and ink illustrations for magazines, album covers and books while also finding time to dance and perform chamber music around town.
What's up: We recently caught up with Bachtell as he accepted a posthumous Studs Terkel Award for his longtime partner and arts reporter Andrew Patner.
- We asked the Chicagoan of four decades to describe his ideal day in the city.
☕️ Breakfast: "Pastore's, a cheerful and bustling breakfast place in my Lincoln Square neighborhood. The owner is from Guanajuato in central Mexico.
- "I always order oatmeal and traditional café de olla, and just soak in the atmosphere."
🕺🏽 Morning Activity: "I like to burst out of the gate by Zoom swing dancing and improvising with my hooping, dancing friend Denise E Williams."
- "✍️ Then I take the el train (along with a stop at my neighborhood farmers market) to my studio office in the Monadnock Building and draw and draw and draw."
🥙 Lunch: "I go to the Oasis Cafe in the back of a jewelry mart at 21 N. Wabash, and order an eggplant sandwich. Or to the Walnut Room (yes!) at Macy's and order chicken pot pie.
🖼️ Afternoon Activity: "A stroll in the Loop, back to my studio in the Monadnock Building — to get back to my drawing pad."
- "If there's time at the end of the afternoon, I'll head over to the Art Institute or go for a quick workout at LA Fitness."
🥡 Dinner: "It's an easy subway ride to Chinatown to grab a Cantonese seafood dinner at the Golden Bull, but not eat too much, because I plan to go swing dancing afterwards."
💃🏼 Evening Activity: "In my dream world, I head to the Green Mill every night to pretend I'm Fred Astaire, and dance every number during the Cellar Boys' first set from 8 to 9pm."
- 🎹 "Afterwards, I head home to practice the piano for an hour to prepare for my weekend chamber music rehearsal."