Robert Merriam, picking up where his father left off, once indicated that it would take 50 years for an aroused citizenry to root out corruption in Chicago. It has taken at least that long to upgrade Chicago's restaurants. Several decades ago, top gourmet societies labelled Chicago a “gastronomic wasteland.” Among the many old clichés and modern prejudices that the Windy City is constantly seeking to outlive is the quality of its restaurants. New Yorkers, of course, will not let old myths die. Gail Green, New York Magazine galloping gourmet, recently went away from Chicago dubbing its restaurants the “Big Potato” — homely and solid, mealy and bland. Chicago epicureans responded by a whirlwind tour of the Gotham Town's “Best and Most Delectable,” writing devastating critiques of New York's much overrated eating places. If one can transcend these diatribes and gastronomic polemics, you will find Chicago to be as good a dining town as there is in the U.S.A. — variety, service, and prices.