Too obvious? But in 1981, all the locations changed their name to Druther's, which was more inclusive of the fried chicken and self-serve salad bar that was also on the menu. (773) 478-9129. Cafe Bonaparte Sheraton, Blackstone . The address remains in the Lettuce Entertain You family; the space now houses Il Porcellino, Ramen-San and the rooftop Studio Paris nightclub. From venues, restaurants, and bars to events, festivals, and music weve got you covered. Greg Borzos 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. Chicken Unlimited / Multiple Chicagoland area locations. Shockingly, the restaurant continued to grow and there were more than 1,000 spots by 1979. Avec 33. (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. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, John Candy, Gilda Radner, Joel Grey, Bonnie Hunt, The Pointer Sisters, Peter Max, the Maharishi and Steve Stone and Bobby Douglass are just a few of the famous guests in the 70s. Too bad; Gordon was the very first restaurant I reviewed for the Tribune (even though it was 13 years old by then), and I went back multiple times in the following 10 years, thanks to the restaurant's frequent chef turnover (most of whom left to open their own restaurants). Cafe Bonaparte Sheraton, Blackstone Hotel, Chicago. (1979-1991), Silver Stallion Restaurant / 1275 Lee St. Des Plaines, IL, 6401 W. Addison St. Chicago, IL. 7. . /a > Name Good. .. respond @windflowerfarmalpaca @ Gmail.com, Egg Harbor WI, (former home ofBarbara Cady, our dining companion in those days:):). Mantuano was forced out in late 1999 by his money partners, and the space went through a few name changes before closing for good in 2009. .goog-tooltip, Fritzels Oprah Winfrey, left, was known to stop by tables at The Eccentric, the restaurant she opened with Rich Melman. Phil's 50: Chicago's top restaurants rated, reviewed, mapped , 25 Chicago restaurants earn Michelin stars in 2017 , Craving: Italian -- a month of Chicago's best pastas, antipasti, pizza, secondi and more . / co-owned by Steve Dahl. The chain's signature hamburger was the Sirloiner, made from sirloin steak. So if you're "hungry for a Henry's," that's where you should go. If you got to try these 1970s restaurants before they closed, consider yourself lucky. Didn't know Walgreen's used to have a restaurant chain? Zephyr Cafe / 1777 W. Wilson Ave. Chicago, IL. 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. It was called Flos, right on Randolph near State, and it had a young gal on a trapeze swinging back and forth outside in front of the restaurant to attract people in., Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. You probably have a go-to favorite restaurant, whether it's a chain or just a local eatery in your town. I'd take extra time every visit to read through the wine list, written by Joel Findlay and peppered with informative and sometimes humorous commentary. The Bakery Visit Website . Chicago, IL. Linn Burton's Steak House / 744 Rush St. Chicago, IL. On Diversey Pkwy and Halsted St. there used to be all kinds of small family-owned businesses. Cizma loved cooking game blackberry-stuffed venison loin, grilled boar tenderloin, rabbit with prunes and port-wine sauce and I loved eating there. It's changed so much since the 60s and 70s. 1997-present // West Loop She died of natural causes following her testimony before a grand jury, forever a queer icon for the LGBTQ+ community. 15. After graduating from the U of I with a Bachelors in English, Courtney hit the ground running. It was a riot, and if you were lucky, you'd catch a glimpse of Winfrey herself; 1989-Me was enthralled. I was going to go all inside-baseball and say the restaurant I really missed was Mistral, the John Hogan project that never quite got off the ground. College Inn La Piazza / Piper's Alley Old Town Chicago, IL. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! } The impact this place has on Chicago history speaks for itself just browse through their collection of memories submitted to their website by nostalgic patrons. Desserts included the opera-inspired Tosca's Kiss and the Otello, and the dining rooms were decorated with vintage opera posters American opera companies in one room, international companies in the other. (German) Natty waiters have handled hot corned beef sandwiches, Wienerschnitzel, and house-made root beer with pride and aplomb for 112 years. Brought to life by a Swedish immigrant, this bar is one of the focal points of Andersonvilles deeply rooted culture. } 20. 1973-1991 // Gold Coast 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. And on and on. Originally part of the Pillsbury Corp., the restaurant was founded in 1976. Downtown was a bit quieter and the density of buildings on the Near North Side, especially around River North, was far lower. Fortunately, the restaurant announced in June that it's changing its name. Light on the tongue pizzas, terrific pasta dishes and clever desserts helped Sole Mio to a very nice, nine-year run that ended in 1997. This piano bar in the Gold Coast proudly totes thethird oldest liquor license in the city. St. George & The Dragon / Multiple Chicagolandarea locations, The Pacific Club / 50 Yorktown Rd. This breakfast diner is known throughout the world, having been visited by politicians, celebrities, and athletes alike, making it a staple among Chicagos oldest restaurants. Patrons could order martinis and Jell-o shots at a bar decorated with tinsel, nude murals and Mr. If youre interested in visiting some of the oldest bars and restaurants in Chicago, we put together a handybucket list for you to explore in the new year. Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chicago, 1970. These restaurants don't exist today (or if they do, they exist in a very reduced form). The Indiana-based chain served up flame-broiled burgers, such as the Big Shef, a double cheeseburger with special sauce. Then Uno introduced deep-dish, and it was revolutionary. The Green Mill served Al Capone in the famous booth where he and his henchmen could keep a wary eye on both of the clubs entrances. Kinzie Street looking west from State Street, Chicago, 1970. We still miss the cloches and the gorgeous dessert cart. Stouffer's Top of the Rock, Prudential Building, Chicago, The Three Graces Blue Fountain Room, Hotel La Salle, Chicago, View from the Allerton Hotel, "Tip Top Tap" Cocktail Lounge, Chicago. 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. 1970s Chicago: Fascinating Photos Show Streets, Landmarks and Everyday Life. When Marriott acquired the company in 1979 and shut down all the company-owned spots, the franchise ones closed not long after. The rest of us have finally caught up. These amazing black and white photos were taken by ceebop that show what Chicago looked like in the early 1970s. 1935-1983 // Gold Coast (1960-2014), The Golden Point / Multiple Chicagoland area locations (1958-19??). When Joel Findlay died, much too soon, in 2004, Catherine Findlay kept the staff together and operated the restaurant for nearly two more years before selling it, ending a 19-year run. Among the Gordon chefs whose creative food I enjoyed were John Terzcak, Kornick, Ron Blazek, Michael Smith, Stewart Parsons and Don Yamauchi.) Still operated by the original Glascott family four generations later, this bar boasts having hooked up thousands of singles over the years, only to see their inevitable move to the suburbs.. In its heyday, the chain had more than 1,000 locations, which served fried clams and a whopping 28 ice cream flavors. 1942-present // South Loop Chicago has made countless contributions to global food culture, from the obvious (deep dish pizza) to the less-so (chicken a la king). 1976-1999 // River North Chicago misses these closed restaurants but, in most cases, you can find something similar to sate your longing. Still as sophisticated as it was in its prime during the 30s and 40s, this jazz club-turned-cocktail bar maintains its vintage charm and excellent service in todays world. A wicker basket crammed with goodies cloud-soft mini loaves, peppered cornbread, crunchy carrots arrived at the table moments after you sat down at the Gold Coast restaurant. When shes not at her desk with headphones in, cranking out articles on Chicagos music, dining, and nightlife scenes, you can usually find her at concerts around the city, watching horror movies, psyching herself into going to the gym, or obsessing over scented candles. Established in 1941 by true Italian chefs, this is one of the city's premier steakhouses, and it has been owned by the same family since it opened. (French) Well, maybe faux French, but the flower-bedecked courtyard was incredibly popular with the Ladies Who Lunch long before the phrase was coined. the chain sold to the Marriott Corporation in 1988, English actor who played the butler in the Shirley Temple films, 9 Old-Fashioned Recipes From the Back of Iconic Product Boxes. Club Lucky opened in the early 1990s, and it's meant to resemble an old 1940s Italian supper club. In the 1970s the restaurant industry and the custom of eating in restaurants grew rapidly. 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. (1979-2014). November 20, 2014 1960s, 1970s, Chicago, life & culture, street. So said Bon Apptit, Julia Child, Jacques Ppin, Craig Claiborne, and Mimi Sheraton. 31. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. But not with these restaurantsthese are the places we truly miss, and not always because the food was so great or the atmosphere was so alluring. The home of jazz legends Von Freeman, Franz Jackson, and Wilbur Campbell, The Green Mill is still operating today as one of the best jazz clubs in Chicago. Shaped like an actual barn, Red Barn restaurant chains weren't hard to spot. 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. No, not the four-star restaurant by Curtis Duffy and Michael Muser, which is still very much alive. Star Top Cafe wasn't for everybody, but I loved the joint. D.B. Founded in 1926, White Tower was long thought to be an imitator of White Castle, which was founded five years earlier. (German) The stately original across from the Germania Club fell to urban renewal, and when RSI closed for good, we lost the citys best German pancakes. 1973-2007 // Wheeling Everest Although younger generations may know of Howard Johnson's thanks to Mad Men, '70s kids will remember actually visiting the orange-roofed restaurant chain. co-owned by Garry Meier, Prince Castle / Multiple Chicagoland area locations (1928-196? Moran & Galvin's Restaurant Lounge / Harrison St. Hillside, IL. When you think of ancient cities, Chicago is not typically the first to come to mind. 8. Built shortly after the Fire, one of the citys most well-known, long-standing establishments was one of the only wooden buildings left after a law was passed to prohibit them. 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. While it peaked in the '50s, White Tower was still fairly popular in the '70s. 1981-present // Highland Park She was best known for her Heavenly Hots (thin pancakes served with a compote of peaches, raspberries and blueberries), but we also loved the vanilla bean waffles. 10. But there's no one in Chicago who so embodies a restaurant the way Sohn embodies Hot Doug's.Ina'sWhat it was: Ina Pinkney ran Ina's, a charming breakfast restaurant in the West Loop, for 12 years before closing it last New Year's Eve. 2020 Chicago magazine / A Chicago Tribune Media Group website. The Berghoff When it became part of a larger restaurant chain in 1976, there were more than 100 locations. Addressing Deforestation Across Supply Chains, 15 Discontinued Sodas You'll Never See Again, Big Shef has been available for limited runs, 17 Failed Chain Restaurants From the 1980s That Will Make You Feel So Nostalgic, 10 Old-Fashioned Sodas You Forgot You Loved, staff members went by the nickname "Towerettes. Before its demise, Burger Chef was sold to the company that owns Hardee's, where the Big Shef has been available for limited runs in past years. No. Many brides wore domed pillbox A cool photo collection that shows what naughty ladies looked like in the 1950s. We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. And for more chains that didn't stand the test of time, don't miss these 17 Failed Chain Restaurants From the 1980s That Will Make You Feel So Nostalgic. 6. Schaller's Pump, opened some 130 years ago in the city's Bridgeport neighborhood, took top honors in the ranking. Spiaggia The level of hospitality provided at this place rivals none, and anyone whos been there can attest! When I started this project I thought I knew the restaurant scene pretty well, but I was surprised to find out about this one, said Borzo, a Chicago-based writer and author of Chicagos Fabulous Fountains, among other books. It was such a hit, in fact, that Gilbert opened another location in Lincoln Park in 2009. 1938-present // Gold Coast The president of the National Restaurant Association reported that the country's half million restaurants enjoyed rising sales throughout the mid-1970s, with 1975's take 16% higher than the year before. A small collection of 10 color photographs captured street scenes of Chicago from between the 1960s and 1970s: Wabash St, Chicago 1962. If there were more justice in the world, Savarin would be around still. P: 630.864.5270,