Dec. 08--Many people don't know that the brownie is a Chicago invention, created in 1893 (though it wasn't called a brownie at first) at the behest of Bertha Palmer, who wanted a "ladies dessert" to be served at the Women's Pavilion at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
(The very fact that the Columbian Exposition had a Women's Pavilion was due to Palmer's efforts as well.)
In celebration of the even more arcane fact that this is National Brownie Day, staffers at the Palmer House hotel (17 E. Monroe St.) will be passing out complimentary brownies, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Staffers also will be handing out gift certificates redeemable at the hotel's Lockwood Restaurant Bar, which might be an even better reason to wander by at lunchtime.
Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic.
pvettel@tribpub.com
Twitter @philvettel
