tikibars wrote:New investors have been working on the reopening since before the original shut its doors (December 31, 2005).

I'm pretty sure it's the people behind Harry Carray's that are opeining the new Trader Vic's.

Kudos to Babaluch for nominating Tufano's prior to the James Beard Society also doing so.

OK, here's the suburban boy's impressions:

Lou Malnati's in Lincolnwood -- I no longer respect Uno's after the franchise appeared, and this is where I first experienced this sort of thing
Carson's Ribs -- sadly, most of the "classic" outlets I'd been to are gone (Rogers Park, Skokie), I dreadfully miss the one in Skokie. The Deerfield branch is awfully modern, just doesn't feel right to be called an institution.

The Parthenon in Greektown is certainly an institution, and I have to second Manny's, both of which I've been going to since moving to Chicago in 1977.

sundevilpeg wrote:

Here are some of the city's oldest restaurants:

Schaller's Pump, opened 1881.
Daley's, opened 1892.
Margie's, opened 1921.
The Green Door, opened 1921.
Lindy's, opened 1924.

The Green Door serves food? What sort?

Perhaps you are thinking of The Green Mill which is definitly a Chicago Institution/Landmark and is a Jazz Club no food.

I'm guessing the reference is to:

Green Door Tavern
678 N. Orleans St.
Chicago

which serves basic bar food.

nr706 wrote:I'm guessing the reference is to:

Green Door Tavern
678 N. Orleans St.
Chicago

which serves basic bar food.

Yes. The food's nothing special, but the building is quite historic, dating to 1871, and the interior is fairly atmospheric. The tavern opened in in 1921 and was a notorious speakeasy back in the day.

tikibars wrote:The story is that the Palmer House was no longer interested in hosting Trader Vic's, but that Vic's corporate offices (they have a few dozen restaurants world wide) wanted to stay in Chicago. New investors have been working on the reopening since before the original shut its doors (December 31, 2005).

Yes, we know.

I'm surprised noone's mentioned the Italian Village. It's been in the same location since the 1920's, I believe, and is surely a Chicago institution.

sundevilpeg wrote:
Quote:
Here are some of the city's oldest restaurants:

Schaller's Pump, opened 1881.
Daley's, opened 1892.
Margie's, opened 1921.
The Green Door, opened 1921.
Lindy's, opened 1924.



The Green Door serves food? What sort?


Perhaps you are thinking of The Green Mill which is definitly a Chicago Institution/Landmark and is a Jazz Club no food.

No, I've been to both, and know which is which and where they are - I just didn't know that Green Door served food. Never seen anyone eating there, though admittedly it's a River North night-cappy place for us.

Any more suburban "Institutions" still operating besides Myron&Phil, Hackney's and Lou Malnati's? Possibly Charcoal Oven?

MortonG wrote:Any more suburban "Institutions" still operating besides Myron&Phil, Hackney's and Lou Malnati's? Possibly Charcoal Oven?

Charcoal Oven is still open. I think I remember reading a thread on it here in the last couple years that their daughter has made some changes to the place, nods to modernity, if you will.

If listing suburban places, I would add Bill's in Evanston. And despite it being a chain, I would also nominate the original Walker Brothers on Green Bay in Wilmette.

How about Meier's Tavern on Lake Street in Glenview. Opened in 1927. I have never been there, but they serve a variety of basic bar foods (burgers, sandwiches, etc)

I don't know when the Bagel's Skokie location opened, but it's certainly at least a couple of decades ago, and the original Bagel opened in 1950.

Also in Skokie, Poochie's dates to 1969. Irving's for Red Hot Lovers in Wilmette dates to 1975. Dengeo's was established in 1972, but I don't know if that was in its current Skokie location.

Board favorite Barnaby's of Northbrook has been serving pizza since the 1960s.

Port Edward, the seafood place in Algonquin, is about 50 years old.

Edelweiss in Norridge is more than 30 years old.

Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park is a board favorite as well as a local institution.

I don't suppose you meant the south suburbs, but there are quite a few institutions down there, including Glenwood Oaks Rib & Chop House, est. 1974 in a building that dates to 1925, and Jack Gibbons Garden in Oak Forest, which is more than 80 years old.

I was going to mention Jack Gibbons when others started posting non-Chicago restaurants...

The place is actually 90 years old this year.

I think Chicago's Best has featured some west/south/southwest suburbs that looked kind of like "Institutions". So yes, it would be great to hear about those as well.

MortonG wrote:I think Chicago's Best has featured some west/south/southwest suburbs that looked kind of like "Institutions". So yes, it would be great to hear about those as well.

Is this research for a media outlet?

Maybe it's time for a bump/update, 5 years later?

I was prompted to seek out this thread because of a post about Captain Nemo's sub shop in another thread. The place on Clark St. in Rogers Park was there (I'm certain) when I moved into the area in 1972. And it still is.

Reading through this thread, I see that a number of places listed as "still here" are...sadly, not still here.

Somehow never noticed this thread before. The Red Apple Buffet is missing. Oh, and Sarkis Cafe and Sayat Nova. Oops, almost forgot Bari. Also: Chicago Chop House; Morton’s; The Cubby Bear (an institution of sorts); Heartland Café (an institution of a different sort). Not sure, given its incarnations, how long Pasteur has been around, but it's been a while. Unless I missed it, I'm surprised SteveZ hasn't mentioned Marie's. Svea, up in Andersonville. And Ba Le has been around since 1982. Resi's Bierstube.

Gypsy Boy wrote:Somehow never noticed this thread before. The Red Apple Buffet is missing. Oh, and Sarkis Cafe and Sayat Nova...

Your mentioning Sayat Nova makes me think of Su Casa, the Mexican place on E. Ontario, also still there after all these years. Why did it trigger that memory? Both places were copywriter-art director hangouts back in the seventies.

Ooops. Forgot Laschet's. Schuba's. Kasia's Deli. (How long has Podhalanka been around?) Sabatino's and most definitely Club Lago. Graziano's Grocery.

riddlemay wrote:Maybe it's time for a bump/update, 5 years later?

I was prompted to seek out this thread because of a post about Captain Nemo's sub shop in another thread.

That's very funny. I never saw this thread originally. But I was involved in the Capt'n Nemo's talk and when I saw this thread title, it got me thinking. I haven't read anything in this thread yet, but I will.

But now that I'm old and have battled some major health issues I was thinking of a restaurant bucket list. Places I haven't been to for many years. And someplace I'd want to hit again before it's too late. The R.I.P. thread and the constant closing postings make the urgency even stronger.

And Nemo's would be on my list. It's about a 3 hour round trip for me now. But if I ever get even relatively close I'm going.

Haha, I did reply earlier, just didn't remember. Left my usual smart aleck comment with zero relevant content.

Schaller's Pump, legendary Bridgeport tavern, to close after 136 years.
http://trib.in/2pLYdno

My most recent revisit to Troha's brought this thread to mind. I've also had recent successes at forever-spots Russell's (Elmwood Park old style barbecue), Miller's Pub, Twin Anchors, Pizzeria Due, Supderdawg, and even Orange Garden, though frankly Wing Hoe has almost made it to 50 (in a manse from 1913) and catches my fancy more often. I also had the chance to drink and listen at The Green Mill and Skylark in 2019.

Last year we lost George Mitchell's Artist's Snack Shop on Michigan Avenue, which nearly made it 60 years.

Which places 50 years or older in your neighborhood (or others) are you visiting in this futuristic year of 2020?

What are your bets on modern openings that are going to stand the test of time for decades to come? (I'll go with Publican.)

Jake's Pup in the Ruf
4401 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60640

According to what I've read, this hot dog stand opened in 1959. When I first moved to Uptown thirteen years ago, I had a bad experience here and stayed away for years, but I've come to love my neighborhood hot dog stand.