DLA Piper US real estate chair Jay Epstien, at podium, presided over more than net absorption discussions yesterday at the law firm's real estate summit lunch for 500 in Chicago. On stage with Jay to talk about lots of scary foreign policy subjects: former Obama chief-of-staff Bill Daley, former Senator Majority Leader George Mitchell, former Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen, and former US Special Rep for Afghanistan Marc Grossman. Fortunately there were some light moments.

After the full-day event, we walked a few blocks to Mario Batali’s new Eataly at Wabash and Ohio, in the shadow of the 1,389-foot-high (including spire) Trump International hotel. At 63k SF, the sleek food market is even bigger than the original in NY opened in 2010 near Madison Square Park.

Those hanging items, we believe, are actual slabs of prosciutto and wheels of cheese in just one small corner of the market. Here’s the Washington relevance: a third US location is headed here. (Rumor is to Property Group Partners’ Capitol Crossing.)

Also last evening, your publisher snapped this of Bisnow’s Chicago team (business director Jonathan Hobfoll and reporter Marissa Oberlander) eating outdoors in perfect weather on Chicago’s Rush Street. We show you this so you appreciate we have real live people following real estate in 27 cities around the country. You, too, can follow, by subscribing.