midas wrote:

Artie wrote:Gone but not forgotten....
Sally's BBQ Western near Devon
Miller's Steak House 7000 N, Western
Black Angus Steak House 7150 N Western
Puff Fluff Donuts 6801 N. Western

I remember all these except the last one, What timeframe would that have been?

Late 50's is when I first remember Puff Fluff. I have no idea how long they had been there. They probably closed early in the 60's.

Sally's is an interesting remembrance. I loved it as a kid and a teenager. But I wonder now, with all the great real BBQ options available, if I'd still find it appealing. Still, I'd love to find a place with the same ribs and sauce to try it now.

I'd probably still be a customer.

jerryg wrote:Anybody remember a great dog and frie place called Golda's in Maywood at 9th and Roosevelt? The best homemade fries I ever ate!!

Golda's was a staple in our house for burgers and fries.
For the old time Oak Parkers, Zuppa's on Marion just N of the mall used to be THE spot for ice cream (even when Peterson's was just down the block.) One scoop at Zuppa's equaled about a pint of ice cream on a cone. Also, sadly, I hear Peterson's Ice Cream has also closed?

Gordon was my first fancy schmancy meal. It was there that I started forming my opinions on fancy degustation menus really needing to be something special before I gave a rat's butt. It really might just be me, but I thought my one meal at Gordon was overpriced, and plain. There was only one dish that I could not reproduce at home, and that was only because I didn't really have access to very fresh sushi grade tuna at the time.
Few more off the top o' me noggin:
Hatsuhana: My first sushi experience

Honda: First sushi experience were I got completely bombed on sake. Also, I remember this place because the slabs of fish they would use for the nigiri were massive. For the life of me, I cannot remember where this place was.

Ohba: First sushi experience where me and a friend each had an iced tea, and the bill came to 150.00, and the sushi was just plain out average

Nohana on Broadway just south of Belmont, I believe. My first AYCE sushi joint. I think for like a year straight, we would go here every Sunday.

When Robinson's Ribs FIRST opened in Oak Park, it was GOOD. I don't even consider it an option for q anymore.

Possibly my most saldy lamented loss:
Taqueria Las Americanas on Belmont a few blocks W of Southport on the N side of the street. If it was still around with the original owners, it would easily stand head and shoulders above any steak taco joint in the city. Char grilled steak, and real Pico De Gallo along with the standard green and red salsas. The Pico De Gallo was fierce, just fierce - loads of cilantro, onion, jalapeno and lime.

The Come Back Inn - 1/2 lb burgers, and peanut shells all over the floor.

The root beer bar at Great America where you could get a glass of root beer in a frosty mug for a quarter.

Kings and Queen's gyros

seebee wrote:

jerryg wrote:Anybody remember a great dog and frie place called Golda's in Maywood at 9th and Roosevelt? The best homemade fries I ever ate!!

Golda's was a staple in our house for burgers and fries.
For the old time Oak Parkers, Zuppa's on Marion just N of the mall used to be THE spot for ice cream (even when Peterson's was just down the block.) One scoop at Zuppa's equaled about a pint of ice cream on a cone. Also, sadly, I hear Peterson's Ice Cream has also closed?

Petersen's closed the restaurant side of things a while ago, but the ice cream counter remained open. It still is so far as I know. My dad worked there when he was in high school, and it remains my favorite ice cream in the area. Especially their peach ice cream in season.

I remember enjoying Robinson's back in the 80's, but it has been a while. In a somewhat similar vein, I used to greatly enjoy Buona Beef when they were still just a single location at Oak Park and Roosevelt. I think they were still acceptably good after the first expansion into Oak Park, but once they really started growing the prices went up and the quality went down.

And yes, Come Back Inn is definitely missed.

I have to agree that come back inn was one of my favorites and across the street slicker sam's food was great, cock robin in river grove best greasy cheesebugers, and my wife's all time favorite place Wag's when it use to be on harlem and irving.

Carl's Hot Dogs at the intersection of 83rd. St., Jeffery Ave. and South Chicago Ave. The classic hot dog joint - yellow shack, small counters for eating inside. I remember lines around the block and people coming out with boxes filled with hot dogs, polish and bags of fries. The original is long gone and a newer one, across the street where Siegel's used to be is a pale imitation.

Rib Hill further south on Jeffery and, especially, Tropical Hut in Hyde Park were the big places for ribs.

There was a great date place in a hotel on Lincon Park West, a Japanese restaurant called Nakanoya. You could sit at a table or on the floor. Great Sukiyaki.

Bob and Jack's Pizza on 87th. St. was outstanding. They are still around on the southeast side although I haven't been there. Thin crust pizza with corn meal on the bottom of the crust which really made a difference.

There was a place in the south burbs called Surma's. Can't remember excatly where. They had great fried chicken and, if I remember correctly a pretty nice salad bar.

TRIPOWER wrote:my wife's all time favorite place Wag's when it use to be on harlem and irving.

Is this Wags who had the commercial that still plays in my mind:

Boy with his tongue sticking out remarks every dish pictured was his favorite. It closes with the kid declaring, "Grandma, you're my favorite Grandma!" She is pretty sure she is not the only favorite Grandma.

I never ate there. It was a Walgreens enterprise until they sold most of it to Marriott, then slowly sold everything else off.

If we are thinking of the same place, what did your wife like there?

Regards,

saluki68 wrote:Bob and Jack's Pizza on 87th. St. was outstanding. They are still around on the southeast side although I haven't been there. Thin crust pizza with corn meal on the bottom of the crust which really made a difference.

Thanks for the tip
They also have a location at

1933 Hart St
Dyer, Indiana 46311
219-864-9551
http://www.bobandjackspizza.com/

Cathy2 wrote:

TRIPOWER wrote:my wife's all time favorite place Wag's when it use to be on harlem and irving.

Is this Wags who had the commercial that still plays in my mind:

Boy with his tongue sticking out remarks every dish pictured was his favorite. It closes with the kid declaring, "Grandma, you're my favorite Grandma!" She is pretty sure she is not the only favorite Grandma.

I never ate there. It was a Walgreens enterprise until they sold most of it to Marriott, then slowly sold everything else off.

If we are thinking of the same place, what did your wife like there?

Regards,

she liked the grilled cheese and the tomato soup, but who didnt when you were 8!

My bro in law misses Our Dogs Make Friends on Harlem north of Addison. There was also a Mexican Place across the street that I loved. been gone for at least fifteen years I would imagine.

Artie,
The Bar B Q Pit in Highland Park makes a rib in the Sallys style. It is pretty close to what I remember Sallys to be.
Paulette

paulette wrote:Artie,
The Bar B Q Pit in Highland Park makes a rib in the Sallys style. It is pretty close to what I remember Sallys to be.
Paulette

Interesting. I went to their website and saw the picture on the front page of their ribs. My first thought was, well, Paulette was never at Sally's. But then I looked at their menu page and saw that the picture is of their standard rib offering. But further down was this item:

Sally’s Remembered - Dry rub Baby Backs seasoned and prepared without sauce. Western Ave alive again. Full Only - $21.99

I'm going to have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up.

Midas,
I ate Sally's ribs from the time I was very little and they were on Ogden Ave, then continued when they came North. Marilyn (the fat lady who worked carryout) was my uncles girlfriend for many years. We all thought it was his wife but eventually the truth came out. Anyway I was also very fond of there beef sandwiches. I have had the Sallys remembered ribs at the Bar B Q pit and yes they very much tasted as I remembered if all these years my memory is still good.
Paulette

Henny's broasted chicken in Morton Grove on Dempster

Ah. Do I ever miss my old morning ritual of the Pepper and Egg sandwich at La Rocs, that little shack in the huge parking lot at Ogden and Grand. Coppers, 18-wheel truckers and city workers all conjoined in our (stand at counter only) communal morning feast.

It's (natch) a bank now.

fearlessfitz wrote:This may elicit groans, but as a youngster in the seventies, there wasn't a more exciting birthday meal than the one held at Farrell's. It was a sensory overload with the sirens, the drums, the birthday dessert being run through the restaurant and into the mall and back. I know my parents detested the experience, but among my sibs and I, a birthday wasn't complete without a trip to Farrell's.

I know they were a mall staple/franchise back then, but my fond memories are from the Woodfield location.

I loved that place when I was little! Oh the joy of a birthday at Farrells!

I was also remembering The Rustic Manor that used to be out by Gurnee. Many times as a child, I was scared by the "rustic" animals and decor!

paulette wrote:Midas,
I ate Sally's ribs from the time I was very little and they were on Ogden Ave, then continued when they came North. Marilyn (the fat lady who worked carryout) was my uncles girlfriend for many years. We all thought it was his wife but eventually the truth came out. Anyway I was also very fond of there beef sandwiches. I have had the Sallys remembered ribs at the Bar B Q pit and yes they very much tasted as I remembered if all these years my memory is still good.
Paulette

Well, went for lunch today, actually got it take out. I honestly don't know if they are the same as Sally's or not, it was a long time ago. For some reason, I thought I remembered them being spares rather than baby back. But I know, for certain, the sauce was very different. They actually gave me 2 sauces. They said one was their regular sauce and the other was supposedly a better compliment to this style of ribs. I don't know which was which. One of them, very dark, I thought was awful. I personally don't like extremely smokey sauce and this one was overpowering. The other sauce was redder and thicker. Not bad but pretty typical.

Now, for the ribs themselves. I'm torn on how to review them. They are not BBQ ribs. They are obviously baked and not slow cooked over wood. But they are not boiled and baked meat jello. For non-BBQ ribs they are really some of the best I've had in a long time. I'd like to try the Memphis rub to try to get a more aggressive taste. Still, for the style, these were very good.

As I said Sally's style. By the way your right, Sallys used spare ribs not back ribs. But I guess the Northshore wants backribs. I don't want to comment on the sauces because I really don't remember them, but both my husband and I agreed that they were very much our memory of Sallys.
Paulette

paulette wrote:As I said Sally's style. By the way your right, Sallys used spare ribs not back ribs. But I guess the Northshore wants backribs. I don't want to comment on the sauces because I really don't remember them, but both my husband and I agreed that they were very much our memory of Sallys.
Paulette

Doing more research, it's amazing. Sally's Stage (the abomination) opened in 1969. I remember the building was empty for a few years before that. So the original Sally's closed around '66 or '67. I would have only been 12 or 13 years old at the time. Any real memories would be pretty fuzzy at this point.

But I did find a reference somewhere that talked about the sauce being referred to as Alabama something and mentioning a close approximation could be found at www.dreamlandbbq.com

No clue how valid that really is.

HI,

I need a memory reinforcement. I just read where the Buffalo at Irving Park and Pulaski was referred to as the Buffalo Nickle ice cream parlor. I remember it strictly as the Buffalo. Am I wrong or are they?

Regards,

Feeb's Beef: I'm not sure where the original restaurant was but they had an outlet in the center field area of old Comiskey Park. I never had their signature beef sandwich because their charcoal-grilled Italian Sausage sandwich was the best in the city.

Chicken Unlimited: Loved thier fried chicken and they also had what I remembered to be a great burger. All these year's past my be clouding my judgement of the burger.

Italian-U-Boat: A sandwich chain that offered mighty tasty subs.

Parisi's Drive-In: Still around since the 50's and the standard, for me, of Chicago fast food. The Italian "Steak" sandwich, on fresh Gonnella bread, with their signature red sauce is delicious.

Parisi's Drive-In
6216 West 63rd Street
Chicago, IL 60638

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I need a memory reinforcement. I just read where the Buffalo at Irving Park and Pulaski was referred to as the Buffalo Nickle ice cream parlor. I remember it strictly as the Buffalo. Am I wrong or are they?

Regards,

I'm on your side.

Cathy2 wrote:I need a memory reinforcement. I just read where the Buffalo at Irving Park and Pulaski was referred to as the Buffalo Nickle ice cream parlor. I remember it strictly as the Buffalo. Am I wrong or are they?

From what I understand, The Buffalo was known by only that name from the time it opened at Division & Sedgwick in 1902, to when it moved to Irving Park & Pulaski in 1918, until 1978 when it closed. The original owner came to Chicago from Buffalo NY, hence the name. For a while the ice cream parlor was known for handing out wooden "Buffalo nickels" with customers' change, so maybe that explains the confusion.

Rene G,

I saw this on an old Chowhound thread, old enough I was a participant, from 'Artie: "I think the original Buffalo was owned by the Mitchell family,the ones that operate restaurants at Clark/North and on Clybourn. Part of that same family although a separate entity was Lou Mitchell's."

Do you recall in your research a connection between the Buffalo and those who own Mitchell's?

The Buffalo in Buffalo Grove, IL has a tenuous connection to the Buffalo. They said they were once employees of the Buffalo in Chicago. The desserts do have the same names and some are visually the same or very similar. The choice of ingredients is not. Long ago I went there with Steve Z who felt the fudge wasn't as bittersweet as he recalled. I was disappointed the whipped cream wasn't the real deal.

Thanks!

Regards,

Mike's drive-in, near Howard & Western and directly across the street from Bill's hot dog stand. Cheeseburgers, fries, and quarter games of Robotron.

There was also a great sub shop right underneath the old Howard Street station platform, back when the red line was called the Englewood A train and the green line was the Jackson Park B train. Can't remember the name of that place, but if Jimmy John's had an ounce of self-respect, they'd either mirror that sub shop's recipe or lock the doors.

Cathy2 wrote:
I saw this on an old Chowhound thread, old enough I was a participant, from 'Artie: "I think the original Buffalo was owned by the Mitchell family,the ones that operate restaurants at Clark/North and on Clybourn. Part of that same family although a separate entity was Lou Mitchell's."

Do you recall in your research a connection between the Buffalo and those who own Mitchell's?

Cathy,That was my post. I believe that I became aware of that fact from the menu at the Mitchell's Restaurant Clark/North Ave location where I was a regular customer for years. They had a small blurb about their history either in their menu or maybe on a place mat.

Got a few fuzzy memories of restaurants from the '60s and '70s I hope you can help clear up and come up with names:

- An Italian spaghetti restaurant I think was on the 9000 block of Waukegan in Morton Grove; the thing I remember was a large bulletin board full of customer photos with the words "Our Messiest Eaters" on top.

- Really good gyros from a place on the NE corner of Washington and Golf Road in Niles (next to what used to be the Topps discount store)

- Pizza place on the west side of Waukegan near Techny in Northbrook that had real good pan pizza except for the time the waitress dropped the darn thing just before she got to our table.

Thanks!

chrisbcritter wrote:Got a few fuzzy memories of restaurants from the '60s and '70s I hope you can help clear up and come up with names:
- Pizza place on the west side of Waukegan near Techny in Northbrook that had real good pan pizza except for the time the waitress dropped the darn thing just before she got to our table.

Thanks!

The pizza place was Salvi's Caravel Inn, which was renown for its thick crust.

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I need a memory reinforcement. I just read where the Buffalo at Irving Park and Pulaski was referred to as the Buffalo Nickle ice cream parlor. I remember it strictly as the Buffalo. Am I wrong or are they?

Regards,

Cathy,

You are correct. A couple years after The Buffalo closed, another establishment opened on Irving Park just east of Pulaski (the real Buffalo was West of Pulaski) called the Buffalo Nicklel. I think it was a bar. It certainly wasn't an ice cream parlor.

Artie wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:
I saw this on an old Chowhound thread, old enough I was a participant, from 'Artie: "I think the original Buffalo was owned by the Mitchell family,the ones that operate restaurants at Clark/North and on Clybourn. Part of that same family although a separate entity was Lou Mitchell's."

Do you recall in your research a connection between the Buffalo and those who own Mitchell's?

Cathy,That was my post. I believe that I became aware of that fact from the menu at the Mitchell's Restaurant Clark/North Ave location where I was a regular customer for years. They had a small blurb about their history either in their menu or maybe on a place mat.

The Mitchell's on Clark & North had nothing to do with Lou Mitchell's. It's related to the Michhell's that is now on Clyborn near Armitage. There is some sort of family connection to Lou Mitchell's, but it is not a friendly one.

stevez wrote:

Artie wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:
I saw this on an old Chowhound thread, old enough I was a participant, from 'Artie: "I think the original Buffalo was owned by the Mitchell family,the ones that operate restaurants at Clark/North and on Clybourn. Part of that same family although a separate entity was Lou Mitchell's."

Do you recall in your research a connection between the Buffalo and those who own Mitchell's?

Cathy,That was my post. I believe that I became aware of that fact from the menu at the Mitchell's Restaurant Clark/North Ave location where I was a regular customer for years. They had a small blurb about their history either in their menu or maybe on a place mat.

The Mitchell's on Clark & North had nothing to do with Lou Mitchell's. It's related to the Mitchhell's that is now on Clyborn near Armitage. There is some sort of family connection to Lou Mitchell's, but it is not a friendly one.

In my post on Chowhound I pointed out that Lou Mitchell's was a separate entity. You are correct about the tensions in the family.