Seven Continents Restaurant O'Hare Airport

Greetings Does anyone have any photos of the "Seven Continents Restaurant" at Chicago's O'Hare Airport when it was in operation that they could share with me. I am currently writing a manuscript on the complete history of O'Hare Airport to be published in the spring 2011. If anyone has a photo they could share, I would like to use it in my book and credit the person who has given it to me with their permission.

Also if there is somebody out there who was a patron of the "Seven Continents" and has a special or unique story they would like to share, I would like to use that in my book as well, and of course I would credit you in my acknowledgments section along with using your name next to the personal story.

Any information would be helpful to me and very sincerely appreciated.

Most Sincerely,
Michael Branigan
rsmobile71@gmail.com

I don't have any pictures or any particularly memorable stories, but I used to eat there often. It was an oasis of normalcy in the otherwise culinary wasteland of O'Hare. Thanks for bringing back some memories of a time that is gone forever.

Steve, thank you for sharing. Hopefully when my manuscript gets published, you will get to view the memories.

Sincerely,
Mike

I did find a couple of leads for you, although you may already know about this. Here is a link to an interview with Gertrude Kerbis, who designed the restaurant. The linked page has a plan of the restaurant, which is credited to The Art Institute. You might want to follow up with them about this, or contact Ms. Kerbis directly.
http://www.artic.edu/aic/libraries/research/specialcollections/oralhistories/kerbis/index.html

Here's another link to a Phil Vettel review from 1990. He actually refers to the restaurant as "An Oasis Of Civility In Busy O`hare International", which is very similar to the way I always thought of Seven Continents (obviously, based on my first post).
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-07-27/entertainment/9003040056_1_seven-continents-american-airlines-busy-o-hare-international.

I think at one time, the restaurant was operated by Carson Pirie Scott. Good luck with the book.

Steve, Thank you very much for the info. I do have the Art Institute information, but I did not have the other one which indeed was helpful because it describes the restaurant a little.

I think my best bet would be to talk to the Art Institute as well as contacting her directly to. Thank you very very much. I really appreciate you taking the time out to get that information for me. I will let you know what I find out in the next week or so when I make my rounds downtown again.

Sincerely,
Mike

HI,

There is a poster who occasionally updates us on his collection of Chicago postcards featuring restaurants. I already visited his site and didn't find any Seven Continents on his list. You may still want to contact him, because he may be bypassing those postcards because they are too contemporary.

You can find his website here: http://www.chicagopc.info/restaurants.htm

Regards,

Cathy thank you for that information. I just checked out the web site but I couldn't find a place where I could contact him. Do you have that info.? I sincerely appreciate you helping me navigate to a picture and web site.

Most Sincerley,
Mike

Hi,

Here is the page with contact information: http://www.chicagopc.info/contact_us.htm

Good luck!

Regards,

If it helps - Google Images has a matchbook from the restaurant - http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi

airmansix wrote:Steve, Thank you very much for the info. I do have the Art Institute information, but I did not have the other one which indeed was helpful because it describes the restaurant a little.

If you're looking for a description of the restaurant, let me know. I remember it clearly.

Is this the restaurant that had sort of a blue dome with "twinkle stars"?

Thank you Cathy and Dave for helping me. I will email the address you sent me. Much appreciated. Razbry I personally am not sure if that description was the restaurant. I was never there but when I do find out, that is if you don't before me lol, I will let you know. Thanks again

Sincerely,
Mike

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

There is a poster who occasionally updates us on his collection of Chicago postcards featuring restaurants. I already visited his site and didn't find any Seven Continents on his list. You may still want to contact him, because he may be bypassing those postcards because they are too contemporary.

You can find his website here: http://www.chicagopc.info/restaurants.htm

Regards,

Did anyone get a load of "The Devil's Rendevous" from the 1930s?



It looks like the restaurant The Undertaker would have opened in 1993.

Sara, I will defiantly check that out. I like the pics. Very unique. Again thank you very much.

Sincerely,
Mike

I remember my family met with some friends who were passing through O'Hare at the 7 Continents in about 1967(?). I am pretty sure they had some photos, but they may not have shown much of the restaurant, just members of their friends' family sitting at a table. I will ask my mom if she still has them, but it is a long shot (she has moved several times since then). I also remember eating there on govt. vouchers on the way to Ft Leonard Wood Mo. for basic training when I joined the Army in '75. As I recall, we sweet-talked the server into accepting the vouchers for cocktails (although it was expressly forbidden).

D4V3, finding a picture of people sitting at the table in the late 60's would be nice to put in the book. Wow, that would be very much appreciated if you were able to find it and gave me permisssion to use it. I am sure it would spark alot of memories in the older readers.

If for some reason that were to work, I would credit the owner and you as well, or anyway you would like at both the site of the picture and in my acknowlagements section. Please let me know what you think. Also thank you for taking the time to share with me.

Sincerely,
Mike Branigan
rsmobile@gmail.com

The one time I was ever there, I was really glad it was there. Our flight was weather-delayed by like three hours, and Seven Continents made more than half that time "go away." I always figured that was the reason the place existed, even though I guess there were other reasons.