chicago restaurants 1980s
Cafe Bonaparte Sheraton, Blackstone . 2 All-American Burger Kai L./Yelp Advertising that it had 50 varieties of fish on hand daily, a lunch or dinner could include sunfish, crappies, smelts, cod, brook trout, sea bass, shrimp, and lobster among many others. Walkers Caf in Wichita KS advertised chitterlings and catfish in 1910. Chef Louis stayed busy in retirement and donated his vast cookbook and culinary arts collection to libraries at the University of Iowa and Johnson & Wales University. But, oh, that country bird chicken sandwich (fried chicken topped with Gouda, pimento mayo and shaved onion). Chef Michael Short whipped up offbeat flavor combinations (scallops and pasta bathed in mint-Montrachet sauce, skate wing in wasabi beurre blanc in 1992, mind you) and was using Sichuan peppercorns long before they became a thing. Miller laments the decline of restaurants that serve soul food, marked by the closure of landmarks such as Army and Lous and Soul Queen in Chicago. When most restaurants close, the Chicago eating public just shrugs its collective shoulders and sets its sights on the latest exciting opening in Logan Square. 1898-present // Loop We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. The Tip Top Inn, just like the Albion and the Pullman dining cars, had always been staffed with Black waiters, some of whom worked there for decades. Greg Borzo's new book "Lost Restaurants of Chicago" celebrates departed eateries, from those lingering in recent memory to the nearly forgotten class, from high-end to bizarre, and spots serving everything from standard American fare to ethnic cuisine. American. Free shipping. 1946-1987 // Evanston He's cheerful and funny and he takes every single order, so everyone gets a few minutes to chat with him, long line be damned.What's taken its place: If you want a creative hot dog, you can go to Hoppin' Hots or Franks 'n Dawgs. $2.99. Gurnee. Thanks to Gary Allen, author, food blogger, and researcher extraordinaire, I now know more about the proprietor of Chicagos 11th Heaven Tea Room. . 1982-present // Lake View (Spanish) I think tapas-style dining is going to be the next big food experience in the country. Richard Melman, president of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, January 1986. In an opening advertisement Bowl & Roll promised a range of unusual soups such as Hungarian sour cherry soup, Scandinavian fruit soup, and kohlrabi soup. We gathered them from experience, of course, but also from Chicagos voluminous files, avid conversations, and old guidebooks. Maison LaFite, they shoot back. (steaks, Italian) If the walls of this 1870 edifice could talk, they would spill decades of political deals cut over perfectly char-crusted aged prime steaks. (Contemporary American) The bon vivant Gordon A. Sinclair brought sophistication to a seedy stretch of North Clark Street, and River North was born. Fox, Liza Minelli and Cary Grant," according to the. Fred Harvey revisited Street food: tamales Famous in its day: Blums Women chefs before the 1970s Speed eating Top posts in 2020 Holiday greetings from 11th Heaven Dining with Us Mortals Your favorite restaurant? The thin doughnut-crepe treat could be pulled off in spirals.Whats taken its place: As far as we can tell, you cant get chimney cakes anywhere in Chicago. Dining underground on Long Island My blogging anniversary Underground dining Odors and aromas Digging for dinner Restaurant as community center The Mister chains Celebrity restaurants: Heres Johnnys Pizza by any other name Womens lunch clubs The long life of El Fenix Pausing to reflect Sugar on the table Famous in its day: Le Pavillon Native American restaurants Restaurant ware An early French restaurant chain Biblical restaurants Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel Dinner and a movie Restaurant murals Dining at the Centennial Restaurant-ing in 1966 Romanian restaurants Nans Kitchens Fish & chips & alligator steaks Appetizer: words, concepts, contents French fried onion rings Hash house lingo The golden age of sandwiches Black Tulsas restaurants They delivered Americas finest restaurant, revisited Tableside theater Bicycling to lunch and dinner Anatomy of a chef: John Dingle Sunny side up? The party came to an abrupt end in 2002 when the restaurant closed its bright yellow doors for good. The building was to be the new headquarters of the Pullman Palace Car Company which manufactured sleeping and dining cars used by major railways. To mark Day of the Dead (All Souls Day, if you prefer) on Thursday, Phil Vettel shares his 15 most-missed restaurants in Chicago and suburbs. He also disavowed any special attraction to watermelon. We're far too young to have firsthand experience, but we still dream of sitting on the chrome stools in the pink neon glow every time we watch Risky Business, when Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay enjoy a bite after some slo-mo CTA shagging.What's taken its place: Still seeking a gastrointestinal lube job at 4am with a side of nostalgia? Among the Gordon chefs whose creative food I enjoyed were John Terzcak, Kornick, Ron Blazek, Michael Smith, Stewart Parsons and Don Yamauchi.) (steaks) At the epicenter of Rush Street action, this always-packed prime meat scene follows the ultimate Chicago steak-house paradigm to a T. 19. (Continental) As well known for its chicken la kingyes, that chicken la kingas its indoor ice-skating, this razzma-tazz club knew how to throw a party. Liebling labeled Chicago America's "second city" in 1952, it wasn't meant as a compliment. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune ). Tragically, chef Terczak died two years later from a rare liver disease. somehow Busy bees Eat and run, please! 32. The rest of us have finally caught up. 4. Mannys Coffee Shop &Deli (deli food) Where cops, aldermen, yuppies, old-timers, and multi- cultis have always stood shoulder to shoulder for massive potato pancakes and pastrami sandwiches. 1943-present // River North Tea at the Mary Louise Restaurant-ing as a civil right Once trendy: tomato juice cocktails Famous in its day: Thompsons Spa The browning of McDonalds Eating, dining, and snacking at the fair A Valentine with soul (food) Down and out in St. Louis Serving the poor For the record The ups and downs of Frank Flower Famous in its day, now infamous: Coon Chicken Inn Nothing but the best, 19th cen. 23. Alinea Tackle the off-menu "Dick Burger"topped with bacon, egg and hash brownsat Diner Grill, the tiny counter spot in Lakeview.Caf 28What it was: This family-owned spot served well-executed Cuban- and Mexican-inspired fare just off the Irving Park Brown Line stop in Ravenswood for 17 years before closing in 2013. (German) Natty waiters have handled hot corned beef sandwiches, Wienerschnitzel, and house-made root beer with pride and aplomb for 112 years. More like 1980's; they just operated for a couple of years circa 1982-83. Chicago Tribune, July 23, 1976 Celebrities who visited the restaurant included "Frank Sinatra, Burt Reynolds, Phyllis Diller, Michael J. Le Franais It opened for business in 1924, making it nearly a quarter of a century older than the People's Republic of China. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. 1980. There's a group page on Facebook called "Chicago Restaurants 86 But Not Forgotten." The Whist Room was decorated with enlarged playing cards and lanterns with spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. Louis Szathmarys restaurant, The Bakery, opened in Chicago at a time when restaurant going in that city was not a very exciting proposition. A while back I found two small Christmas cards from the 11th Heaven Tea Room, run by Ella Roberts. Feel free to disagreeall my friends didand register your complaints in the comments below. (He famously banned cellphones from the dining room in 1991.) The Pullman Building was demolished in 1956. In his book Soul Food, Adrian Miller observed that Cleaver wrote in Soul on Ice (1968), The emphasis on Soul Food is counter-revolutionary black bourgeois ideology. Instead, wrote Cleaver, The people in the ghetto want steaks. . Not like Fronteras, we hadnt. 5. Also obvious, perhaps, but impossible to ignore. 1986-present // South Loop Perhaps to attract new customers, Hieronymus created an associated restaurant on the 9th floor called The Black Cat Inn, with somewhat lower prices than the Tip Top Inn and a menu featuring prix fixe meals. (American) The Alexander brothers swanky meat palace was such a star magnet that Nicky Hilton flew buckets of their salad dressing to the Anaheim Hilton when he married Liz Taylor. It took Jarvis nearly a year to reopen, this time in larger digs in nearby Northfield (the opening wine list included "fire-sale reds," which had water-damaged labels), but Melange finally was back, along with those oysters. Regardless, I echo Ellas messages: may the world treat you right, have a gorgeous appetite, and call again. The danger of asking your friends what they consider the best Chicago restaurant ever is that they will tell you. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! It was a riot, and if you were lucky, you'd catch a glimpse of Winfrey herself; 1989-Me was enthralled. (1969-2008) Restaurant-ing al fresco A chefs life: Charles Ranhfer The (partial) triumph of the doggie bag Early chains: John R. Thompson Anatomy of a restaurateur: Mary Alletta Crump Laddition: on discrimination Between courses: dining with reds Banqueting at $herrys* Who invented lobster Newberg? The restaurant advertised heavily during the Lenten season. What was the name of the Chinese restaurant on 26th street across from the pet store in the 1950s and 1960s owned by Charlie Bing? 16. . 1944-1968 // Loop It was such a hit, in fact, that Gilbert opened another location in Lincoln Park in 2009. Fritzels I'm working on a book about the Rush Street area from the 1800's to the 1980's and the characters, movers & shakers, nightclubs, restaurants, and music that made it happen. (seafood) Unapologetically trapped in time today, the grande dame of the Drake Hotel was ahead of its timeflying in fresh fishyears before the daily catch was de rigueur. Following on Garys research I learned that Ellas three children were stage actors in the early century. Bob Winter died in 1953 and the entire contents of the restaurant were auctioned, including groceries. Even as Beef Wellington lost its fashionability in the 1970s and 1980s, it continued as a Bakery mainstay. Its clever design may have been due to owner Bob Winters background in advertising. 11. www.domu.com/chicago/apartments-for-rent/living-renting-in-chicago/restaurants-over-50-years-old-chicago, Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:102.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/102.0. Over the years but surely not simultaneously there were the Colonial Room [pictured at top ca. Interior of Restaurant, c.1895. In 1912 her daughter Maude Le Page created quite a stir and became a minor celebrity when she stood up in the balcony of a Chicago theater and loudly proclaimed that she would sell herself to a man for $1,000 so that she could escape working in a deli (!) 1. 29. He declared he was proud that he never served one kiwi fruit.. Urbis Orbis served as a social center where the artists and musicians moving in to the area could linger all day over a cappuccino (unlike at the neighborhood's old-school, low-rent diners) and put on performances at night. Swingin at Maxwells Plum Happy holidays, eat well Department store restaurants: Marshall Fields Anatomy of a restaurateur: Don Dickerman Taste of a decade: 1860s restaurants The saga of Alices restaurants The brotherhood of the beefsteak dungeon Famous in its day: Maillards Lets do brunch or not? Still, in 1977 Cornell University named it one of the countrys six great restaurants, and, despite its loudly banging front door, too-brisk service, lack of decor, and awkward layout, its loyal patrons stuck by it and it remained profitable to the end. Pizzeria Uno What to watch. But for refined Mediterranean, the best place to go these days is Taxim. In 1970 he opened Bowl & Roll, another family-wide venture drawing in not only the Kobatas but also the mothers of both Louis and Sada, plus Louis brother and sister-in-law. Its interior of papier mache simulated the walls of a cave covered with prehistoric drawings as researched by Chef Louis. The name was evidently inspired by the tea rooms location on the 11th floor of the Browning Building, an oddly narrow building for its height, located in the Chicago Loop. Gordon Taste of a decade: 1980s restaurants Despite an off-and-on economy, the 1980s was a decade in which Americans ate out more often than ever before. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. 1966-2005 // Gold Coast 1868-1962 // Loop (American) Some pretty hotsy-totsy chefs have discovered hamburgers lately, but time was when the half-pounder on dark rye and fried onion loaf at Hackneys had no peers. 36. In the 1940s and 1950s, and even into the 1960s, tiki bars popped up all over the United States, including in Chicago, as people found escape from drudgery and horror. Inserra worked his way up at Gino`s and bought the restaurant in 1979. Vintage menus from some of Chicago's dearly departed restaurants, including The Eccdentric, Gordon and The Cottage, help tell the tale of what made them so great. With no meat on the menu, the restaurant would have had the advantage of escaping wartime food restrictions and shortages. (Contemporary American) Its star has faded, but memories of damned good food and Booth Onewhere Bogie and Bacall celebrated their weddingstill make our hearts race. 27. and casinos in the 1980s. [1949 advertisement shown]. After he left Armour to concentrate on The Bakery, Chef Louis continued to praise the use of convenience foods in restaurants. Hieronymus died in1932 but he and his restaurant were remembered by Chicagoans for decades. Fish & chips, inc. was conveniently located in the Loop, across the street from the central Chicago library, now the Chicago Cultural Center. Whenever I dined here, I always felt cooler than I really was. Railways provided employment, churches influenced many people, the heavy industry remained in the city. Most soul food histories note that some prominent Black leaders have rejected soul food, pointing to Eldridge Cleaver of the Black Panthers and Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. Wing Yee Doug Sohn is Hot Doug's, and while the bratwurst is perfect and the creative links (like a hot sauce chicken sausage) are great, Doug is the best part. 1962-1989 // Lincoln Park He arrived in the US in 1951, working as a chef in several institutional settings in the Northeast before moving to Chicago in 1960 to join Armour & Co. in product development. Locals and visitors seeking an unusual fine dining experience embrace the idea of appetizers and entrees featuring cocoa in creative, savory applications. As a toast to this magazines 40th anniversary, we name the 40 best Chicago restaurants of all time. Amidst the steak and potatoes of 1963, its pt, bouillabaisse, Wiener schnitzel, and Viennese tortes stood out as exotic. 1970s chicago restaurants. He published a column titled Use Psychology on Your Customers in a trade magazine in 1965 in which he urged restaurant managers to be honest about the food they served. (American) The Spinning Bowl salad: A waiter would lay out 21 ingredients and narrate the drama as he gently tossed and spun them. I have been able to find out almost nothing about the tea room or its owner, who had an unfortunately (for me) common name. He found only one restaurant serving them (Rosalies and Frances Clam House and Restaurant). I included some big names, but also quite a few lesser-known restaurants that appealed to me personally. 1989-present // River North For 23 years running, all hail the chef. Pre-1980 MOTEL SCENE Oak Brook - Near Chicago Illinois IL AE0993. (Viennese) In the heart of the theatre district, the steadfastly Old World Henricis was known for fine coffee, delectable pastries, and its advertising slogan: No Orchestral Din. He reported that Harlemites were just as likely to eat Chock Full O Nuts nutted cream sandwiches, Chicken Fricassee, Weiner Schnitzel, or Oysters Casino. Carsons 17. This seemed to hold especially true for those higher in social status. $2.99. If you need Filipino food, like, right now, hit up Chrissy Cambas Laughing Bird.TerragustoWhat it was: BYOB with exceptional pastas, chef/owner Theo Gilberts Terragusto was an immediate hit when it opened in Roscoe Village eight years ago. 1973-1991 // Gold Coast It started on Franklin Street in 1991,and between the crispy pizzas and the rosemary-perfumed porchetta, there was nothing not to like. Aside from Prohibition, Hieronymus attributed the restaurants demise to the death of gourmet dining. The name was a contraction of "tutto a posto," roughly meaning "all is as it should be" (we might translate it to "it's all good" today), and the Mediterranean restaurant with the Italian name was the brainchild of Tony Mantuano, who created it in between his two terms running Spiaggia (where he's running things today). (steaks) This indie steak house nodded to its Jewish deli rootschopped liver, herringattracted celebs like Johnny Carson, and spawned a cheesecake empire. The Street Life of Chicago in the 1970s through these Fabulous Vintage Photos. 1970s chicago restaurants Actualidad. But before that Grace, there was chef/owner Ted Cizma's restaurant, named for his younger daughter and located, oddly enough, a block east of the current Grace. led to Earwax angrily closing its doors in 2011.What's taken its place: Heartland Caf, minus the good vibes.Hot Doug'sWhat it was: Doug Sohn is closing his revered hot dog temple on October 3, but we're mourning the end of our interactions with Doug as much as the sausages themselves. Whats taken its place: When were craving perfectly al dente pasta, we head to Due Lire in Lincoln Square.Tizi MelloulWhat it was: Sumptuously designed in a hip Moroccan style, this Mediterranean restaurant in River North was a date-night go-to. Star Top Cafe wasn't for everybody, but I loved the joint. Regulars would mark their calendars for the two-week stretch in March when Pollin would feature bouillabaisse and cassoulet on the menu, and for Flori's occasional wine dinners, during which he played guitar. The first Taste of Chicago (1980) Flickr/Monique Wingard Set up along Michigan Avenue between Tribune Tower and the Wrigley Building, you may have been one of the 250,000 people to first enjoy this one-day event if you lived in Chicago in the 1980's. Entradas. Good eaters: Andy Warhol Birth of the theme restaurant Restaurant-ing with royalty Righting civil wrongs in restaurants Theme restaurants: barns Men only Taste of a decade: restaurants, 1900-1910 Celebrating restaurant cuisine Decor: glass ceilings Between courses: dont sniff the food In the kitchen with Mme Early: black women in restaurants Burger bloat On the menu for 2010 Christmas feasting Todays specials: books on restaurants With haute cuisine for all: Longchamps Restaurant-ing on Thanksgiving High-volume restaurants: Smith & McNells Anatomy of a restaurateur: Dario Toffenetti Between courses: rate this menu You want cheese with that? The mid-1970s saw the first signs of gentrification in nearby neighborhoods due to the downtown office revival. What restaurants do you miss from the 1990s/early 2000s? Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Atmosphere Taste of a decade: 1840s restaurants Eating Chinese Park and eat Thanksgiving quiz: dinner times four Dining sky-side Habenstein of Hartford Back of the house: writing this blog Image gallery: supper clubs Restaurant cups Truth in Menu Every luxury the markets afford See it, want it: window food displays Time to sell the doughnuts Who was the mystery diner? Until then the words had religious connotations for Protestants. Pie in the skies revolving restaurants Way out coffeehouses Taste of a decade: 1890s restaurants Sweet treats and teddy bears Its not all glamor, is it Mr. Krinkle? Three dollars was a steep price for the Depression when this menu was introduced, at least double what a comparable meal would have cost in a moderately-priced good restaurant then. A Chicago institution since 1941, Gene & Georgetti is beloved for their traditional Italian dishes (like chicken vesuvio, eggplant parmesan, and homemade lasagna on the weekends) and, of course, their huge and flavorful steaks. The illustrated menu shows 14 entrees. In 1944, during World War II, lines formed at the door. Helmed by a complicated chef, the restaurant was open for 25 years and, by the time it closed in 2012, had changed the face of Chicago dining. 302 West was one of the finest restaurants the western suburbs ever produced. These are the closed Chicago restaurants, bars, nightclubs and more that we pine for the most, and the spots that have taken their place Tuesday September 9 2014 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email . During the Columbian Exhibition in 1893 Adolph Hieronymus left his job as chef at the Palmer House and took over the Pullman building restaurant, renaming it the Tip Top Inn. Novel at the time for having a techno-spinning DJ in the dining room, Okno was also known for its space-age design and its second-floor bathrooms featuring translucent glass doors that left little mystery of what was happening inside. The first Taste . While some Northern Blacks slowly accepted soul food, others were more resistant. Frontera Grill Fannys Watch the restaurants Facebook page for the next appearance. 39. 1989-present // Gold Coast )What's taken its place: Though the crowd is less singer-songwriter, more graphic designer, Filter has a lock on the all-day camping set in the Wicker Park of today. The restaurant caught national attention, too, winning best new restaurant from the James Beard Foundation. Spring Lamb with Peas Rice Pudding Reservations became hard to get. Yes, kids, Oprah Winfrey once had a restaurant. The Cave, in Old Town, opened shortly after The Bakery. Then Uno introduced deep-dish, and it was revolutionary. Now its sold online, along with her famous spaghetti sauce. But what sometimes seemed like capricious ingredient pairings always made sense on the plate. 3. That same year the Gopher Grill in St. Paul MN claimed to be headquarters for chitterlings and corn bread. Similar menus were often found at dinners at Black churches and homes. The building, designed in Moorish Gothic style by architect Harry S. Wheelock, was constructed in 1899 and razed in 1990. These fly photos of Chicago street style in the 1980s are a parade of yes The Windy City never looked so good East Oak Street and North Michigan Avenue, June 1988. (Contemporary American) Paul Kahan put American food through a modern lens and unleashed a sleeping giant. As executive chef at Armour he helped launch the companys Continental Cuisine line of frozen entrees for the home and commercial market that came in polybags that could be immersed in boiling water and served. . At the same time, he observed that whites visiting Harlem enjoyed spare ribs with red beans, concluding, there are no fundamental points of difference between eating habits of Harlemites and those of the lighter-skinned folk downtown.. Located next to the Ohio House Motel, the 27-seat diner was known for its "Deuces Wild" special, consisting of two pancakes, two eggs, two strips of bacon and two sausages. When I first moved to Chicago in 1993, our city had just become famous for its music scene. 9. It's only open for breakfast and lunch, and the menu consists of trademark dishes like cupcake-batter pancakes and sweet and savory French toast, but you can also just get a basic omelette or granola.The Mashed Potato ClubWhat it was: Named for its signature dish, which could be garnished with more than 100 toppings including jelly beans and pickled beets, the Mashed Potato Club was an eccentric outpost in River North. Ohio + Tahiti = Kahiki Find of the day: the Redwood Room Behind the kitchen door Before Horn & Hardart: European automats Distinguished dining awards Restaurant as fun house: Shambargers Dressing for dinner Dining on the border: Tijuana Postscript: beefsteak dinners Three hours for lunch Light-fingered diners Mind your manners: restaurant etiquette Celebrity restaurateurs: Pat Boone Diary of an unhappy restaurateur Basic fare: bread Busboys Greek-American restaurants Roadside attractions: Totos Zeppelin 2012, a recap Christmas dinner in a restaurant, again? Le Perroquet Alexanders Steak House Its possible that Trebor is a play on the owners name Robert. Toddle House Truckstops Champagne and roses Soup and spirits at the bar Back to nature: The Eutropheon The Swinger Early chains: Baltimore Dairy Lunch We burn steaks Girls night out 2013, a recap Holiday greetings from Vesuvio Caf The Shircliffe menu collection Books, etc., for restaurant history enthusiasts Roast beef frenzy B.McD. Charlie Trotters French Dressing Best of all was brunch, an assortment of American dishes served dim-sum style from wheeled carts a gimmick that would inspire restaurants such as State Bird Provisions in San Francisco. Black Bolshevik Harry Haywood wrote in his autobiography that he quickly worked his way up from Tip Top Inn busboy to waiter and then landed jobs on the ultra-modern Twentieth-Century Limited train and with Chicagos Sherman Hotel and Palmer House. In 1945 another reporter from the Amsterdam News set out to find chitterlings in Harlem restaurants. The food was spicy, the music loud (vinyl only, played on a console stereo), the tablecloths reptilian. For a few brief years, strip malls and chain restaurants gave way to cocaine and disco balls The Suburban Chicago Coke Bars of the 1980s Anna Rupprecht By Aaron Goldfarb @aarongoldfarb When we think of the suburbs, we often think of strip malls, drive-throughs, chain restaurants and big box stores. There were eight-course tasting menus with dishes like roasted Muscovy duck with bitter melon and duck consomm, but no matter what was on the menu, dining at Trotter's was an experience.What's taken its place: These 14 restaurants. I skipped the obvious choices (Ambria, Charlie Trotter's, Le Francais), recent closings (mk, Tru) and places that I never got to experience personally (The Bakery, Barney's Market Club, Henrici's, Mister Kelly's). With Carolyn running the kitchen and Jerry as affable host, a delightful experience was all but assured. Salad (Italian-American) In 1948, Fanny Bianucci said no to $75,000 from Kraft Foods for her salad dressing recipe. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. 1946-circa 2003 // Bronzeville And then opened Ripasso, closed that, and then opened Starland and closed that. Oprah Winfrey, left, was known to stop by tables at The Eccentric, the restaurant she opened with Rich Melman. 1935-1983 // Gold Coast The decor was all over the map (including a cunning street map that seamlessly linked Chicago to London and Paris), using mixed floor materials, abrupt color shifts on the walls, and art that included a picture of Charlie Brown rendered as a Romanesque bust. It was considered advanced at the time to locate restaurants on top floors so that cooking odors would not drift throughout the building. There were also numerous restaurants owned and patronized by Blacks in the North that did not serve soul food, or at least didnt specialize in it. The caf also featured movies for renting, but you can bet they were David Lynch and Fellini and Kurosawa and if you want to watch something pedestrian like Scorsese you can go back to Wrigleyville, frat boy. Oprah Winfrey, left, was known to stop by tables at The Eccentric, the restaurant she opened with Rich Melman. French cuisine, sometimes with Japanese accents, was the menu's stock in trade, opera music played discreetly overhead and, due to Rohr's severe allergies, Jimmy's Place was the first Chicago restaurant with an outright ban on smoking (along with perfumes and scents; Rohr often said the overly cologned male customers were most problematic). . (French) In its heyday, the best French restaurant in America. Vintage menus from some of Chicago's dearly departed restaurants, including The Eccdentric, Gordon and The Cottage, help tell the tale of what made them so great. Henrici's was indisputably a Chicago institution that billed itself as "Chicago's Most Famous Restaurant" and for a time, it might well have been. 26. (1989-2018) Chicago's Blarney Stone / 3424 N. Sheffield Ave. Chicago, IL. Bread service has become optional at many restaurants these days, but back in the late '90s, bread was a statement at this New York import, which closed in 2002. (Contemporary French) From day one, Carlos Nietos patented silver bow tie has said it all: Check your ideas about formal French dining at the door. Winfield, IL. The space occupied by the Tip Top Inn was divided into a bewildering number of rooms, at least five and maybe more. 12 1924 Orange Garden - North Center. Dining outside the home may be divided into three broad categories: sit-down restaurants (from fine dining to "cheap" eateries . 1938-present // Gold Coast Too obvious? Dessert As the massively solid Pullman Building was under construction on Michigan Avenue in Chicago in 1884, a young Adolph Hieronymus was traveling to Chicago from his native Germany.