The lasting impact of Mary Tyler Moore can still be found on a spot overlooking the Crystal Court of the IDS Center in Minneapolis.
Almost 40 years later, a plaque marks the location where Mary was seen dining in the opening scenes, after the first season, to "The Mary Tyler Moore" show, her 1970s sitcom. She was seated at what was then the Gallery restaurant (which became the Jolliet in 1989, and has been Basil's Restaurant since 1994).
Settle into Table 5, as the staff calls it, and you can have the same expansive, light-filled view that Mary did as she chatted with Grant Tinker, her then-husband and producer of the show, from the restaurant on the third floor of the Marquette Hotel (710 S. Marquette Av., Mpls., 612-376-7404).
In 2006, then-manager Dan Meador of Basil's told the Star Tribune, "It's the most requested table in the city."
The show ran from 1970-1977, and by March 1977, city boosters were calling for a plaque at the site of her table. Columnist Larry Batson of the Minneapolis Tribune noted its placement in an October 1978 article, where he also pointed out that many visitors were curious about the IDS escalator from the main floor to second floor, which appears in the opening scenes, too. (Grab a potted plant and ride the escalator, if you're looking for more MTM memories.)
It should be noted — and don't take this too badly if you're a serious fan — that the table is not the actual piece of furniture where Mary sat. Only the location remains the same. The original table has been gone at least since the hotel was renovated in 1989, when the furniture was replaced. The plaque has changed, too, over the years. Today it has an engraved image of her.
If you're looking up from the Crystal Court, you can find the spot where the table is today, directly above the middle banner hanging below the railing.
Note to visitors: The Marquette is currently undergoing a renovation, which will reach the restaurant in late spring. Plans are to keep Table 5 as Mary's designated spot, though the furniture may be shuffled temporarily when the update takes place in the restaurant.
