By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
January 14, 1994
Lecturer, stand-up comedian, body-builder, writer, singer and now talk show host. Bertice Berry has it all at the ripe old age of 32.
If she wasn’t so darned nice, it’d be so easy to hate her.
“I just happen to do a lot of things, but so do a lot of people,” says Berry, who hosts the “The Bertice Berry Show,” which airs at noon weekdays on WFLD-Channel 32. “All my accomplishments just happen to be public, so it seems like I’m a bigger deal than I actually am.”
See what I mean about nice?
Born in Wilmington, Del., Berry moved to Chicago six years ago because it had “the cheapest connecting flights.” At that time, she was working as a stand-up comedian and traveled a lot, hence the need for economical connecting flights.
During a recent break from taping her gab fest, Berry sat down with WeekendPlus to tell us about a few of her favorite Chicago things.
TO MUNCH: “I’m a strict vegetarian, so I’m a little more difficult to feed than most people. My favorite place is Soul Vegetarian (203 E. 75th). They serve these barbecue twists (made out of tofu) that all my friends say taste just like meat. I’ve never eaten meat so I wouldn’t know about that, but it is delicious!
I also like the pecan pie at Michael Jordan’s (500 N. LaSalle). The people there are always very nice. And for pasta, I love to hit Mia Francesca (3311 N. Clark), even though there’s always a long wait to get in.
I SAY “CHARGE IT!” AT … : “Contessa Helena (106 E. Oak). A woman from Greece owns the boutique and she always gives you her undivided attention. She also has a fragrance called Contessa that I wear all the time. Plus, she’s a Chicagoan, and I love promoting Chicago. I alos enjoy browsing through AJ’s Place (566 Chestnut, Winnetka) and Toshiro (3309 N. Clark) is a must. Another good place to find bargains is at TJ Maxx downtown and in Evanston.”
A GOOD LAUGH: “I was on the road so much (doing stand-up) that the last thing I wanted to do on my off-time was go to a comedy club. But I remember performing showcases at Zanies Comedy Club (1548 N. Wells) and liking the room very much – small, compact and intimate. But the best comedy in Chicago would be found on the corner of Clark and Belmont where all the kids stand around outside the Dunkin Donuts.”
TO PUMP UP THE JAM: “At home with my personal trainer Nino Siciliano.”
TO BUMP INTO MEN: “At a Bulls game. Also at the Harold Washington Library (400 S. State).”
TO KICK IT: “My favorite place to dance is at the Wild Hare (3530 N. Clark). I also like the Equator Club (4715 N. Broadway) because they’ve got some great world beat sounds. The Cotton Club (1710 S. Michigan) also is a lot of fun, especially when Tim Cunningham is playing there.”
