Gone but not forgotten...
 

Some Chicago eateries I still lament...
#1. Bertram's Bakery - 1300 block of Loyola ave. Bert's was a little storefront bakery with coffee and without question the finest desserts I have ever tasted before or since. Their claim to fame was a 3 layer white chocolate mousse cake. They also had exquisite custard tarts (I especially miss the strawberry kiwi tart).
#2. Wigton's barn - 3300 block of N. Clark st. Used to go there for Sunday brunch. It was served family style, with everything from cook to order omlettes to terriyaki chicken wings.
Runners up...
Doctor Jazz ice cream - 1600 block of Montrose ave. (My first job was scooping at dr. jazz)
Villa Roma Pizzeria - 1600 block of Montrose Ave. New york pizza just like in manhattan. My first trip to new york, all the pizza reminded me of villa roma.
National Cafeteria - on Van Buren, and Hartleys Cafeteria - at the corner of Michigan and South Water. It's hard to rave about cafeteria food, but these two had it right. A continuous stream of good home style entrees, all the standard cafeteria food, and prices that made the spartan atmosphere seem appropriate. Both these places were IMHO much better than the much touted cafeteria at Marshal Fields on state st.

La Choza Mexican restaurant was on Paulina(? I think) just north of the Howard 'L' stop. This was my favorite Mexican restaurant until they closed in the early '80's. Great food, low prices, nice beer garden. All good things seem to come to an end.

Binyon's and Jimmy Wong's in the Loop. My grandfather used to work in one of those beautiful old buildings on Van Buren, the kind w/an elevator attendant. He then would take me to see Jimmy at Jimmy Wong's or to Binyon's for the turtle soup w/sherry.

Peacock Ice Cream Parlor in Skokie, an old time soda/ice cream store that my pop used to take me to now and then.

The Bakery
Antonio's -Wells St
Jasmine Thai - Skokie Blvd across from
Nordstrom Rack

The Bakery -- the Beef Wellington!
Chef Louis!

Gare St. Lazarre -- the pate! The ambiance!

Have wonderful memories of both!

Recently remembered a place called Diamond Jim's that my grandfather used to take me to. Great steaks. I seem to remember they had a huge 'challenge' meal. it was expensive, but the challenge was if you could finish it it was free.
Anyone remember this place?

If I recall correctly, Diamond Jim's was in downtown Chicago.

For some reason I correlate Diamond Jim's with The Flame.

I enjoyed going to downtown Chicago (befoe I was old enough to go by myself) and having lunch quite often in a Walgreen's cafeteria near State and Madison. (Remember when Walgreen's had restaurant's??) And also eating at Wimpy's.

And I remember and enjoyed Henry's at Skokie Blvd and Golf. This was a small local hamburger chain competing with and before McD became popular nationwide. A Henry's was also located near Riverview Park but didn't like it.

The lunch counter in the bargain basement at Fields on State Street - great Sloppy Joes!

The Bowl and Basket at Fields on 7 - Cheesy Chowder and a roast beef sandwich!

Lawrence of Oregano on Diversey - the best pollo parmagiana I've ever had.

Randalls Ribs!

Jonathan Livingston Seafood in Edgewater

Fritz! That's It! in Evanston

The Brewery on Broadway

Tango in the Belmont Hotel

The original Claim Company on Clark Street

Alferno's Pizza on Broadway - this was my first experience with deep dish pizza in Chicago in 1975 - wow!

I remember Wimpy's. Didn't they go out of business when king features withdrew the licensing agreement regarding the Wimpy character from the old Popeye cartoons? I beleive they refused to renew the agreement with the restaurant chain after the food quality went downhill.

Does anyone know if the Black Forest restaurant is still in existence? It was on Clark street, a few blocks south of Diversey. I ate my first prime rib there, :p ^ also my first Cobb salad, and my first anchovy! :eek:

Zum Deutschen Eck

Old college fave: Yesterday's in Evanston

Sorry to hear the Eck is gone. :( I used to live a few blocks from there.

Yeah, coupled with the loss of Han's Bavarian Lodge in Libertyville, we've lost (IMHO) our best German restaurant in ZDE and the best Oktoberfest in Han's. Very sad come the latter half of September :(

:(
Also gone is the Golden Ox on Clybourn Ave. - with the lady playing the zither. :(

Doh! A good friend of mine was a bartender there in the "80s... Until the big cocaine scandal! The Ox survived a RICOH investigation, I wonder what finally brought it down?

May she RIP....
 

Marge's Pub, Sedgewick Ave, Old Town.....until Marge's death in Feb 2002, this place had been a neighborhood instituion. In fact, Marge was the first female to hold a liquor license in the City of Chicago. Fantastic 1/2 pound cheeseburgers, cold beer and a completely local flavor made it worth the stop.....

Perhaps more than a few of you have been there waiting for the wedding "festivities" to begin at St Michael's around the corner......Marge's was the subject of a failed attempt to reopen, and now it appears that this corner pub is just history.

:(

Best wishes, Dave

The Pour House - On East Bellevue - Best Burger I've had...EVER...ANYWHERE!!!

O'Rourke's Pub - W. North Ave. (just a couple blocks west of Wells) - Best Irish pub in Chicago! Still remember the morning after headaches from swilling too many pitchers of Half and Half (Draft & Guinness). :o It was owned by a guy named Jerry who was also the bartender. Over the years I saw his hair go from black to grey. :p The place finally closed when he retired.

Cheese place on N. State Pkwy. (just north of Division) - Don't remember the name of the place, but it was operated by Stauffer's. They served a cheese board of 4 or 7 items, and a sliced apple was included. You got to pick from a great choice of cheeses and pate. Fondue was also on the menu. Great place for a leisurely, light dinner and a glass of wine. Remember spending some great Friday nights there!

And of course the original "gone, but not forgotten" (drum roll)....RIVERVIEW PARK!!! - This was a park with CHARACTER...unlike the sterile theme parks today!

And, since they earned their money by charging per ride, not a flat admission fee like the parks today, it was in their economic self-interest to get you on the ride ASAP. I don't think I ever waited more than 10 minutes to get on a ride! And you could always ride again without leaving the ride, for a reduced admission.

Another advantage, since it was in the city (Western & Belmont), you could get there quickly and cheaply on the CTA. You didn't need a car!

Docotr Jazz on Montrose
 

Greetings HighFlyer,

Who are you as I also had my first job scooping ice cream at Dr. Jazz working for George Mulford.

Thanks

I just walked past Marge's Sunday on my way to Twin A's. I wondered what the story was there...

Sadly, I've not been in Chicago long enough to know any of these except the Golden Ox, and I think I recall the Black Forrest, but never ate at either of them.

cawhite60156 bseller,

aw come on. its right in my part of town. a 5-7 min walk. u guys in the area?

one thing is for sure, MEM does have some good barebecue. i'm not liking TA's as much as before, but i'd still go if peeps in the area.

You just missed an opportunity to have dinner there with tinnub, thewomanbehindtheman (aka Mrs. tinnub) and me on Sunday :( It was on community as a "mini do". I'm definitely up for a repeat visit! (Work in the West Loop, live in the far NW 'burbs, aka the "hinterlands")

Memories of Chicago Greats - Gone But Not Forgotten
 

Jimmy Wong's on Wabash
What were the little sweet glassy noodles and sauce on the shrimp? I think it was the #3 special: 2 ribs/ 3 butterfly shrimp/ fried rice and cookie

Bergoffs on Adams
Bread with butter, chocolate cake and root beer, please. Everything else was a bonus

Miller's Pub on Wabash

Wabash Inn on Wabash

Vannie's on Wabash

Pixley and Ehler on Wabash

Woolworth Counters

Walgreen Counters

Davidson Bakeries

Beef & Brandy on State Street

South Side:

Tropical Hut on 57th Street
Tender Beef in a mushroom gravy that I have never found to be duplicated

Hank's Ribs on 47th

Lem's Ribs on State

The Original Harold's Chicken on 47th

Reports of their demise are greatly exaggerated.

Impossible...I ate there twice last week (food was good, btw).

glad to see someone else missed Jimmy Wong's.

welcome to flyertalk mystfaith1

How about Fluky's? Seems they only have a couple locations left (one in Buffalo Grove and one in Lincolnwood). What about the original on Peterson and Western?

Peterson/Western is Wolfy's and that's still there. Fluky's was on Western just north of Pratt. It's still a dog and beef place with some kinda clever name, but not Fluky's anymore. Here's the weird thing. There's a Fluky's in the Walmart on Touhy in Niles.

Wasn't there (or "isn't there") a Fluky's on the 3rd Floor of the Nordstrom Bldg. Mall at 520 N. Michigan?

Haven't been there for a while, but will the next time my son has some money burning a hole and asks to go to the LEGO store.

Marge's
 

Marge's has re-opened. Owned by her kids.

OMG! The Bowl and Basket was tops! (And Alferno's wasn't bad either.)

Since we're back at it, how about Gordon on Clark St.? The Bowl and Basket at Field's on State Street - mmm, cheesy chowder. Actually, all those restaurants on the seventh floor were great. King Arthur's Pub on South Wells had an amazing London Broil sandwich - rare with a slice of raw onion and great brown mustard.

I think Gordon was one of the first places that made you check your cell phone at the front.

In an earlier post you mentioned Tango. I had my rehearsal dinner there back in 1986. We originally were to have it at Bastille on Superior, but they were closing. My wife (fiancee at the time) and I had THE final meal served at Bastille. We were regulars so we stayed late and they locked the doors behind us. Georges on Kinzie was also part of that group.

Anyone remember Hamburger Hamlet just off of Rush Street?

Nice story. And, if I remember correctly, "Georges" was George Badonsky and his first place was The Brewery on Broadway and he later bought the very upscale Maxim (not the dumpy Greek restaurant in the Loop). :) The Brewery was probably the very first "cool" place I ever went to and Alferno's was about a block away and they became two of my favorites. I still miss Alferno's - it was deep dish pizza (might have been my first experience with it), but a little bit different than Malnati's, Uno, etc.

Boston Blackies on Grand :( 29 Sept 2010

Moti Mahal
1031 W Belmont

In another universe, before there were any Indian restaurants in the 'burbs and few good ones in the city, this unpretentious place served some of the best Indian food this side of London. Before dish TV, internet, and other Indian businesses/organizations that opened later, it also provided a welcome touch of home to a generation of Indians in Chicagoland. Carless students were drawn by the superb $5 lunch buffet one block from an El stop. :) The room adjoining to the restaurant functioned as a mini-bazaar selling gifts, clothes, music, a few magazines, grocery items, and snacks.

As Devon Avenue came into its own, Moti Mahal opened a branch there as well (at the location now occupied by "Punjabi Dhaba"). However, by general consensus the Belmont location remained special and better.

Eventually it suffered the fate common to many immigrant endeavors: the new generation, educated and spoiled by the profits of this business, was not interested in helping run it.

Even now, among the informed connoisseurs, an allusion that the chef at some Indian restaurant had once worked/trained at Moti Mahal in his youth would amount to a strong recommendation. (For a few years, newer restaurants used to mention such affiliations in their ads in the community newspapers.)

[BTW, the name Moti Mahal ("Pearl Palace") is generic and apparently not protected enough. There are many establishments with this name around the world, having no relation with one another, including a grand old one in Delhi that has declined but continues to survive.]

The Fluky's at Walmart in Niles are actually the same people that were once on Western Avenue. The new establishment on western avenue is full of rude people who don't know how to cook

I remember that place with great fondness. It was probably the first Indian restaurant introduced to me when we moved here in 1994.

What was the name of the British restaurant at Field's on State, I remember it from when I was very young but never got to go there.

Before my time methinks. I started going to Field's in the late '70s. The fancy restaurant was (and still is) the Walnut Room. There was an English Room that I recall but it wasn't really British as far as I remember, other than having some very good fish and chips. This blog that I found by Googling suggests that there was a Wedgwood Room and a Tea Room - neither of which I never heard of.

http://teawithfriends.blogspot.com/

Anyone remember eating or partying at "Old Chicago?"

Somewhere there is a picture of me, Spring Break 1977, sitting on one of the lions.