New York Times political--latterly, food--writer R.W. Apple Jr., died October 4, ensuring a long lifespan for the word "Falstaffian" in newspaper obituaries everywhere. Apple, a legendary figure in appetite and talent, was an Akron native and wrote well about Chicago (which he called "the most characteristically American city"), including one well-known recent piece about hot dogs.

According to a brief article yesterday in the Times' Sunday magazine (subscription required), the night before he died Apple sent an email to food writer Jill Santopietro, who was looking for example of "great American pancakes." According to Santopietro, he wrote that (yes, American pancakes were overrated and) he didn't have his notes, but she "might try the Bongo Room, in Wicker Park, north of Chicago.” The Times piece then includes the Bongo Room's take on cornbread-cranberry pancakes, which Santopietro recommends, noting, "As was often the case with food, Apple was right."

No word yet on whether or not the Bongo Room plans on capitalizing (tastefully) on this deathbed recommendation, as it were, or if that's just a fancy of my tacky imagination.