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. . Then Brasserie Jo debuted (at 59 W. Hubbard St.) with sub-$15 entrees and a menu featuring choucroute, tarte flambee, Joho's shrimp bag and other delights. It took our breath away then, and it still does. American. By 1975 the number of entree choices for the then-$12 five-course dinner had extended to ten, with Beef Wellington and Roast Duckling with Cherry Glaze [pictured] among the most popular. Pre-1980 INN SCENE Geneva - Near Chicago Illinois IL G9056. Le Titi de Paris chef/owner Pierre Pollin, center, stands with maitre d' Marcel Flori, left, and captain Claude Marcel, in 2002 as the restaurant was entering its 30th year. 2005-present // Lincoln Park Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1980s *Unstruck* Chris Lancers Steaks Seafoods Restaurant Matchbook Chicago, IL at the best online prices at eBay! Cream of Tomato Soup 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. 1973-1991 // Gold Coast It was a riot, and if you were lucky, you'd catch a glimpse of Winfrey herself; 1989-Me was enthralled. 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? Restaurant history quiz (In)famous in its day: the Nixons chain The checkered life of a chef Catering to the rich and famous Famous in its day: London Chop House Who invented Caesar salad? The first thing I discovered was that it is available as a reproduction. Spiaggia The Pullman Building was demolished in 1956. "I always had a passion for photography, and I went by Uptown every day, twice a day, actually on my way to and from work. 1987-present By 1931 when the Tip Top Inn restaurant closed, it was regarded as an old-fashioned holdover from a previous era. 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. A little more than a year after it opened it was given a distinguished dining award by Holiday magazine. The address remains in the Lettuce Entertain You family; the space now houses Il Porcellino, Ramen-San and the rooftop Studio Paris nightclub. . You'll undoubtedly think of many places I've overlooked. 5. 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. 500 N. Franklin St., River North Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse 2. -- Trash, garbage, and waste Americas literary chef The smrgsbord saga Meals along the way Dinner in Miami, Dec. 25, 1936 An early restaurateurs rise & fall Runaway menu prices Thanks so much! 1970s chicago restaurants. (Italian-American) In 1948, Fanny Bianucci said no to $75,000 from Kraft Foods for her salad dressing recipe. Dinners would begin with warm, crusty bread, accompanied by a spreadable blend of olives, sun-dried tomatoes and capers. (steaks) This indie steak house nodded to its Jewish deli rootschopped liver, herringattracted celebs like Johnny Carson, and spawned a cheesecake empire. I raved about the eclectic, but utterly professional, gem in Wilmette, a very pretty space done in aqua and salmon hues and dishes like Jarvis' wild turkey breast stuffed with truffle mousse. .. respond @windflowerfarmalpaca @ Gmail.com, Egg Harbor WI, (former home ofBarbara Cady, our dining companion in those days:):). 36. No wonder it felt like an affront when MTV turned the building into the first Chicago Real World house in 2001, even though Urbis had closed three years earlier; it was a sign of the next wave of gentrification coming with condos. Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. It was said that anyone who worked at the Tip Top could find employment in any restaurant across the country. Reading the tea leaves Is ethnic food a slur? In their honor the restaurant posted one of Johnsons quotations over their table in which he criticized French menus, requesting thy knaves to bring me a dish of hogs pudding, a slice or two from the upper cut of a well roasted sirloin, and two apple dumplings., It was a popular restaurant, said to be especially well liked by male patrons. 38. He reported that Harlemites were just as likely to eat Chock Full O Nuts nutted cream sandwiches, Chicken Fricassee, Weiner Schnitzel, or Oysters Casino. With no meat on the menu, the restaurant would have had the advantage of escaping wartime food restrictions and shortages. Same location or home to something new..?? Don Roths Blackhawk Roast Chicken with Dressing Lang wrote, I would very much like to preserve the level of cooking and the niveau [peak] of gastronomy that we practice at the Four Seasons. To this Chef Louis replied that he was simply trying to be provocative. I narrowed my list to 15 restaurants, which wasn't easy. Gene & Georgettis The domed, dark Crescent Room, home to many a bachelorette and birthday party, featured low tables, pillow seating and multicolored Moroccan lamps hanging from the ceiling. Taste of a decade: restaurants, 1810-1820 Between courses: nutburgers & orangeade Subtle savories at Nucleus Nuance Between courses: keep out of restaurants The Automat, an East Coast oasis Good eaters: James Beard Basic fare: waffles Anatomy of a restaurant family: the Downings Taste of a decade: 1950s restaurants Basic fare: pizza Building a tea room empire A black man walked into a restaurant and Who hasnt heard of Maxims in Paris? Watch the restaurants Facebook page for the next appearance. 2003-present // West Loop (Continental) Cognoscenti flocked to Louis Szathmrys quirky storefrontno menu and mismatched everything for beef Wellington and an inexplicable BYO policy. 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. Aside from Prohibition, Hieronymus attributed the restaurants demise to the death of gourmet dining. Some of Chicagos Bronzeville residents who held themselves superior to migrants expressed criticism of newcomers food customs, such as eating chitterlings. In Blacks Blue Book for 1923-1924 which listed Chicagos prominent African-American citizens, along with recommended businesses there were only four restaurants that advertised what kinds of dishes they served. 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. 1941-present // River North 1. 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. She lived to be 96. (Contemporary) This treasure has delighted for three decades simply because Yoshi Katsumuras gentle fusion continues to sparkle and his wife, Nobuko, continues to charm. In 2012, the big news was the closing of Charlie Trotter's after 25 years, but out in the northwest suburbs, Le Titi de Paris called it a career after a remarkable 40-year run, which began in Palatine and ended in Arlington Heights. 1977-1992 // Skokie The following year it was enlarged to seat 300. 2020 Chicago magazine / A Chicago Tribune Media Group website. (pizza) In the beginning, there was Chicago-style thin-crust pizza, and it was good. America's first hamburger served on a bun is said to have debuted in the Windy City in 1917 at a small restaurant called Drexel's Pure Food. 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. By 1910 she was divorced; she remarried and in later censuses she was described as widowed. For 23 years running, all hail the chef. (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. 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. No doubt it was his loyal staff who made it possible for him to run a restaurant while producing books and copious newspaper and magazine articles, appearing frequently on TV and radio, teaching and lecturing at colleges, and conducting sideline restaurant consulting and cooking school businesses [shown above training waiters]. Access from your Country was disabled by the administrator. 10. 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. 1981-present // Highland Park Famous in its day: Feras Why the parsley garnish? Trotter's incredible legacy has stretched all across the city, as alumni of his kitchen have opened some of the best restaurants in Chicago. When the imposing building was completed, the company occupied two and a half of its nine floors while the rest of the space was rented for offices and what were known then as bachelor apartments, probably lacking anything but the most rudimentary cooking facilities. 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. 1844-1973 // Loop Jacques somehow Busy bees Eat and run, please! The building, designed in Moorish Gothic style by architect Harry S. Wheelock, was constructed in 1899 and razed in 1990. 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. Rohr passed away in 1999, leaving a wonderful legacy. 37. Railways provided employment, churches influenced many people, the heavy industry remained in the city. Apple Pie with Cheese 2158 reviews. But Hungarian bakery Vesekys in Berwyn at least makes sweets from that part of the country.The Dog HouseWhat it was: Occupying a 6-by-12-foot trailer that was purchased for $1,100, the Dog House opened in 1963 on North Ave in Villa Park, serving a simple menu of hot dogs, french fries and tamales. In a July 1968 column for the trade magazine Food Service, he insisted that the restaurant industry should welcome factory-produced food because of the shortage of help at a time when restaurant patronage was on the rise. 1986-present // South Loop 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. 1938-present // Gold Coast 1987-present // Lincoln Park and casinos in the 1980s. (French) In its heyday, the best French restaurant in America. If you want high-end, Naha puts out a mean mezze platter at the bar.TrioWhat it was: Trio, owned by Henry Adaniya (who now operates a gourmet hot dog restaurant in Honolulu), was a much-lauded fine-dining restaurant in Evanston. 4. (American) The Spinning Bowl salad: A waiter would lay out 21 ingredients and narrate the drama as he gently tossed and spun them. Chicagoans were sharply divided into lovers and haters. The late Jimmy Rohr, veteran restaurateur and opera devotee, ran this refined, sophisticated restaurant in Avondale. 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. 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. Yoshis Caf 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. 1943-present // River North Bob Winter died in 1953 and the entire contents of the restaurant were auctioned, including groceries. In addition, diners at The Albion, and later the Tip Top Inn, had excellent views of Lake Michigan. (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. For New York City, it broke restaurant listings into the categories Steaks, American Specialties, Seafood, and Chinese but not Soul Food. Digesting the Madonna Inn Halloween soup Restaurant-ing with John Margolies True confessions Basic fare: pancakes Black waiters in white restaurants Catering to airlines What were they thinking? 31. Bally was was acquired by Hilton Hotels in 1996 and the health club was spun off as an independent company. Public dining has an important role in Chicago's social, cultural, and economic history. French Dressing In Chicago, leaders of the N.A.A.C.P., the Urban League, and visiting foreign dignitaries were inevitably entertained with dinners at top Black tea rooms such as The Ideal, the Bird Cage [pictured, 2018], and the University tea rooms. 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? Owner Dick Portillo changed the stand's name to Portillo's in 1967 and ditched the trailer for a storefront.What's taken its place: While there's still a location in Villa Park, Portillo's has grown into a 50-location Midwest chain that reportedly sold for $1 billion to a private equity firm in July.EarwaxWhat it was: Before Wicker Park became Lincoln Park West, it was an edgy, angry enclave for irate hipsters wearing clunky boots and clunkier glasses. Annie M. Chicago, IL; 10 friends (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. He found only one restaurant serving them (Rosalies and Frances Clam House and Restaurant). 35. distinguished dining award by Holiday magazine. We gathered them from experience, of course, but also from Chicagos voluminous files, avid conversations, and old guidebooks. 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. 17. Calumet City's contribution to the fine-dining scene was a formidable one. (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. 27. 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 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. and publish her poetry. (Italian) In a city with a proud red-sauce tradition, Tony Mantuano singlehandedly awakened us to the exquisite joys of Northern Italian cuisine. 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? 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. (Mediterranean) The trendoids embraced the small plates and communal seating and never looked back. Le Titi de Paris chef/owner Pierre Pollin, center, stands with maitre d' Marcel Flori, left, and captain Claude Marcel, in 2002 as the restaurant was entering its 30th year. In 1944, during World War II, lines formed at the door. At the 1989 closing Chef Louis said that the restaurant business had changed so much he could not have successfully created a restaurant such as The Bakery then, partly because of the publics growing preference for lighter food. 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. The diner has landed itself on the pages of USA Today and Zagat as a must-visit Chicago restaurant, inspiring patrons from all over the world to give it a shot. Elis Place for Steak Taste of a decade: 1930s restaurants Anatomy of a restaurateur: H. M. Kinsley Sweet and sour Polynesian Bar-B-Q, barbecue, barbeque Taste of a decade: 1920s restaurants Never lose your meal ticket Beans and beaneries Basic fare: hamburgers Famous in its day: Tafts Eating healthy Mary Elizabeths, a New York institution Fast food: one-arm joints The family restaurant trade Taste of a decade: restaurants, 1800-1810 Early chains: Vienna Model Bakery & Caf When ladies lunched: Schraffts Taste of a decade: 1960s restaurants Department store restaurants: Wanamakers Women as culinary professionals Basic fare: fried chicken Chain restaurants: beans and bible verses Eating kosher Restaurateurs: Alice Foote MacDougall Drinking rum, eating Cantonese Lunching in the Bird Cage Cabarets and lobster palaces Fried chicken blues Rats and other unwanted guests Dining with Duncan Basic fare: toast Department store restaurants Roadside restaurants: tea shops Tipping in restaurants Rewriting restaurant history Basic fare: ham sandwiches Americas first restaurant Joels bohemian refreshery. 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. Jul 19, 2016 at 11:50 am. 1935-1983 // Gold Coast Check out these old photos to see what Chicago's restaurants looked like in the 1950s. Staples like ropa vieja, honey-roasted pork chops and ceviche were served alongside finely crafted mojitos by a friendly (and, we'll say it, impossibly attractive) staff; weekend brunch featured chilaquiles and a terrific chorizo benedict.What's taken its place: Though Logan Square is a trek to sate North Center Cuban cravings, D'Noche, Cafe Con Leche's nighttime alter ego, offers a solid approximation of Caf 28's menu and ambience.Charlie Trotter'sWhat it was:Charlie Trotter's was one of the most iconic restaurants Chicago has ever had. Then there was chef David Burke's menu, which included now-ubiquitous pastrami salmon and Burke's signature swordfish chop. We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. I loved the bustling look and feel of the place, the bagged demi baguettes that greeted you at the table; and when I griped in print about the lack of a coatroom, management quickly added one. With its intriguing concept of cocoa-inspired cuisine (and not just for dessert), The Chocolate Sanctuary is one of the most famous restaurants in Chicago. 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. The restaurant closed in 2010 after 10 years.Whats taken its place: Well, literally, its GT Fish & Oyster that takes up the 531 N Wells St space. Fish & chips, inc. was conveniently located in the Loop, across the street from the central Chicago library, now the Chicago Cultural Center. 18. 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. This was the perfect fall restaurant, I thought; the menu offered game (chutney-glazed grilled quail, grilled venison with mustard sauce), and Carolyn's voluptuous soups were not to be missed. 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 . (Chicago Tribune ). Rice Pudding Chef and owner Pierre Pollin (who bought the restaurant from original owner Christian Zeiger) was a masterful chef, aided in no small measure by maitre d' and sommelier Marcel Flori. Expand. . But for refined Mediterranean, the best place to go these days is Taxim. 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. Between courses: mystery food Ode to franchises of yesteryear Chuck wagon-ing Taste of a decade: 1940s restaurants Just cause it looks bad doesnt mean its good The other Delmonicos Between courses: Beard at Lucky Pierres Basic fare: spaghetti Famous in its day: The Maramor Between courses: wheres my butter? 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. Fanny's 1946-1987 // Evanston. In Spring 1923, the University Tea Room (The Most Beautiful Spot in Chicago) advertised the following menu: 65c Special Table de Hote Dinner 65c 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. Savarin showed Hogan's mastery of French technique; the menu interspersed bistro classics with sturgeon-wrapped crab mousse and a knockout composition of sea urchin and crabmeat in lobster sauce with a sabayon gratin. Bamboo Inn Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge at 11 N. Clark Street, Chicago. Was her tea room a victim of the Depression? Launched in January 2016 by longtime Chicago chef Patrick Crane (currently at the Hidden Shamrock gastropub in Lincoln Park), the site is a place where chefs and others reminisce about departed restaurants. Subscribe for free today! It closed in 2006 after 12 years, but the restaurant launched the careers of Grant Achatz, Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand and Curtis Duffy, among other important Chicago chefs.What's taken its place: Through December, Next Restaurant is serving a version of a Trio menu from 2004. 1976-1999 // River North 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). The restaurant advertised heavily during the Lenten season. The Viking / 27 W. 150 Roosevelt Rd. It started on Franklin Street in 1991,and between the crispy pizzas and the rosemary-perfumed porchetta, there was nothing not to like. Mortons The Steakhouse In 1989, as the restaurant was about to close, Szathmary said that although current food writers made fun of it, they all raved about it once, and I know 50 percent of our sales after 26 years is still beef Wellington.. 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? What was the name of the restaurant located at 6930 south shore on the main floor in the 1970s. Although he sometimes used frozen foods, he said he always revealed that on his menus. While some Northern Blacks slowly accepted soul food, others were more resistant. 26. By any name, soul food was not often found in restaurants outside the South until African-Americans began migrating northward before, during, and after World Wars I and II. Cape Cod Room 1962-1989 // Lincoln Park Alinea 1973-2007 // Wheeling Everest What to eat. Frontera Grill chicago restaurants 1980saiken county sc register of deeds chicago restaurants 1980s Wing Yee 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. Chicago's 12 Oldest Bars Have Stories To Tell Chicago's 10 Oldest Restaurants Thrive by Staying (Mostly) the Same Chicago's 10 Oldest Hot Dog Stands Have Stayed Inside Families For Decades. 3. Gibsons Steakhouse Liebling labeled Chicago America's "second city" in 1952, it wasn't meant as a compliment. Only months before opening The Bakery, Chef Louis (as he was popularly known) had been training the staff of a Michigan gas-station-restaurant complex aptly named The American Way how to heat and serve Armours bagged entrees. Spring Lamb with Peas What's taken its place:Bub City's women's bathroom is surprising, but not really in a good way.Pecking Order What it was: Kristine Subidos Filipino chicken haven in Uptown was admittedly hit or miss, and the bizarrely shaped, nearly windowless space wasnt doing it any favors. Dessert Trio was the brainchild of proprietor and sommelier Henry Adaniya, who recruited the redoubtable chef team of Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand, and the combination of skill, creativity and utter professionalism was marvelous to behold. (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. Across the country, legendary soul food restaurants are disappearing at an alarming pace, he writes, attributing it to health concerns and reduced business prospects due to the scattering of African-American communities and the popularity of fast food. Oprah Winfrey, left, was known to stop by tables at The Eccentric, the restaurant she opened with Rich Melman. 40. 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. Following on Garys research I learned that Ellas three children were stage actors in the early century. 1979-present // River North (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. 13. Then, at Topo, he made creative Mexican fare a white-tablecloth experience. In 1930 she lived with her mother and worked as a hand letterer for a card company. Wop salad? Nov. 18, 1969. He declared he was proud that he never served one kiwi fruit.. 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. (Progressive American) Still wet behind the ears, Alinea, the culinary juggernaut of the brilliant and visionary Grant Achatz, turned Chicago into an international foodie destination and a launching pad for the next generation of groundbreaking chefs.