Dr. Ryder, Maria writes, have you ever been to the odd-shaped room?

The short answer to your question, Maria, is no. I've never had the pleasure.

I've talked to many who have due to the nature of my work and the fact that I live in the city. Chicagoans love to tell me their own tales of the

fabled bar. For those of you who are unaware, there's an

infamous drinking establishment here in Chicago, one whose door will only open for you, once, will only appear for you once, will only appear for you once, and never again.

The odd-shaped room might materialize anywhere in the city.

All who visited describe it as busy but never crowded.

There's always seats available at the bar in private booths or tables

scattered about the floor. Several archetypal characters make frequent

appearances across hundreds, if not thousands of witness statements about their visits to this singular place.

Of course, there's the bartenders themselves, one a stout red-haired man in his mid-50s with a faint Irish accent,

the other a tall Turkish woman somewhere between her late 20s and early 30s. The red-haired man will offer you

beer or whiskey, but nothing else if you approach him. The Turkish woman, the other hand will offer to make you a

cocktail. The cocktail she makes you've never heard of and will not be able to find

anywhere else in the world. You must be careful when you first approach the bar.

Whoever you get drinks from first will be your bartender for the rest of your time there. The other will refuse to serve you.

Many in Chicago know as much as I've told you so far,

and so many make the mistake of walking up to the Turkish woman and asking for a cocktail.

I say mistake, not because something miserable will befall you for this decision.

No, simply because the choice isn't made with all the information available.

If you want your one and only experience in this magical place to be about a singular pleasure that can be experienced only once,

then by all means ask the Turkish woman for a drink.

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