Anyone Remember Mike Fish Italian Restaurant?

Sitting around with and old friend tonight I learned that her family owned an Italian restaurant on Superior just off Michigan Avenue called "Mike Fish." (this was an anglicized version of the owners' name.) Of course, my friend and I got to Googling, but turned up only one reference, to the 1965 new wave-esque film noir, Mickey One with Warren Beatty in which Mike Fish played, what else? an Italian restauranteur. Ya gotta love film buffs, they put food nerds to shame in the trivia department, don't they?

Anyway, my friend would be grateful for any recollections about the place.

I remember it because it was a favorite of my parents and grandparents, and I was taken there often in my grade school years. I also had a great aunt and uncle who lived full-time--kind of like gangsters--at the Ambassador East Hotel, and I know they ate at Mike Fish two or three times a week. It was the first place I had what was at the time the most exotic, wonderful concoction I'd ever heard of, called veal limone, and along these lines I recall the cuisine more in this Northern Italian mode. The only other memory I have is of the waiters, who were largely older, very proper African Americans gents, and I remember my father telling me that Mike Fish always thought the best restaurant staff in the U.S. were the Pullman waiters from the Broadway Limited and the 20th Century, the two fancy trains that ran between Chicago and New York, so he always hired these men after they retired from their service on the rails. The restaurant was dark and very nightclub-y, and everyone was always dressed up to go there. It was wonderful.

However I remember it being called Pete & Mike Fish, it was on Superior and you have to walk downstairs to enter. Very clubby and wonderful food.

I, too, have fond memories of Mike Fish's restaurant. My dad loved Italian food and this and Como Inn were his favs. I remember as does Olde School, being taken there when I was much younger and feeling very sophisticated and grown up being there because of the atmosphere. (also, because we "dressed up" for dining out here) I haven't thought of this place in many moons, but the memories are still there.

Mickey One was shot on location in Chicago, it's not a very good movie considering the talent involved (director Arthur Penn and Beatty's next movie would be Bonnie and Clyde) but the arty black and white cinematography of early 60s Chicago is cool and if Mike Fish is in it, then it is just about guaranteed that the restaurant is in it as well.

One assumes that the name "Fish" was short for Fischetti, a name much connected with the nightclub and entertainment business in Chicago and elsewhere in those days?

Mike G wrote:One assumes that the name "Fish" was short for Fischetti, a name much connected with the nightclub and entertainment business in Chicago and elsewhere in those days?

I actually thought it was "Pesce," when Josephine described it as the anglicized version.

It's not in Vittles & Vice, which is the most comprehensive book of that era (but published 1952, so odds are Mike Fish's didn't exist yet). So I can't answer that.

Thanks, all. My friend will be thrilled to learn that the place is remembered.

Barnew wrote:However I remember it being called Pete & Mike Fish, it was on Superior and you have to walk downstairs to enter. Very clubby and wonderful food.

Actually, I understand that Mike's brother was named Pete, and it was a family business.

Mike G wrote:One assumes that the name "Fish" was short for Fischetti, a name much connected with the nightclub and entertainment business in Chicago and elsewhere in those days?

aschie30 wrote:I actually thought it was "Pesce," when Josephine described it as the
anglicized version.

The family's last name was LoPescelo, I believe, though I am not entirely sure of the spelling.

Does anyone specifically remember the meatballs or the pastries and desserts?

Would anyone have any clues as to how to obtain a recipe for a dish
that was served at this restaurant when it was open?

missy wrote:Would anyone have any clues as to how to obtain a recipe for a dish that was served at this restaurant when it was open?

I'm wondering whether this might be the kind of thing that could be found in the local press of the era. Of course, this would depend on whether the restaurant was willing to give out its recipes, as is sometimes done in Gourmet magazine. On the other hand, there's always the trial and error method of trying recipes of the type you remember until you get it right.

I can empathize with your wish for this recipe. I was haunted for years by a torta della nonna I had in Italy until I found a book of Tuscan desserts. Surprisingly, the the recipe produced the dessert I remembered. Just a guess, but if the recipe is enough of a classic, it may be easy to find and re-create.

I appreciate your suggestions, Josephine.........he described the dish as "rigatoni" - that's what he remembered it was called in the restaurant. He described it as pasta (not a regular rigatoni noodle - similar, but very long) filled with riccota cheese (maybe some chives) and topped off with a light tomato sauce. Sounds like a simple dish he could re-create. Thanks for the help!

Josephine wrote:Does anyone specifically remember the meatballs or the pastries and desserts?

Esquire did a short piece on Mike Fish's in December 1948. They wrote, "his freshly chopped Gourmet meatballs (in which the garlic is unspared) are the sort of treats you expect only from a man who recognizes and reverences superb food." As for desserts, they mention "a special cream cheesecake which he has flown in from Hollywood once a week."

missy wrote:Would anyone have any clues as to how to obtain a recipe for a dish that was served at this restaurant when it was open?

Josephine wrote:I'm wondering whether this might be the kind of thing that could be found in the local press of the era.

missy wrote:I appreciate your suggestions, Josephine.........he described the dish as "rigatoni" - that's what he remembered it was called in the restaurant. He described it as pasta (not a regular rigatoni noodle - similar, but very long) filled with riccota cheese (maybe some chives) and topped off with a light tomato sauce.

Josephine's suggestion is an excellent one; Mike Fish's rigatoni is described in the Chicago Daily Tribune of August 21, 1948. Morrison Wood, a noted Chicago epicure and cookbook author of the time, describes the inaugural meeting of the Streeterville and Sanitary Canal Gourmet and Study Society, held at Mike Fish's restaurant, then located at Erie & St Clair. The meal, prepared by Mr Fish, consisted of Peppers a la Mike Fish, Chicken Vesuvio and Baked Stuffed Rigatoni. A green salad and a Barbera were also served.

Here's the recipe as reported by Mr Wood, slightly abbreviated (no exact quantities were given). Cook rigatoni in boiling salted water, about 12 minutes. Blanch in cold water and drain. To a bowl of ricotta cheese mix in finely chopped parsley, salt, freshly ground pepper, some chopped prosciutto and a raw egg. Stuff the rigatoni, place in a casserole and cover with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven about 10 minutes.

Great sleuthing, ReneG! That rigatoni sounds good. We won't tell Eli that the cheescake was from out of town. As for the meatballs, it sounds like garlic is the secret ingredient--that is, if garlic is ever a secret.

I'm floored that you actually found that, Rene G. You make that stuff look so easy.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a response for the rigatoni recipe!
Thank you SO MUCH, Rene G..............it was my boss (in his 70's
now) who was curious about the recipe and asked if I could find it.
My hats off to you, Rene..............you made someone VERY happy!!
And also, thanks to Josephine who came up with the idea of where to
look! You've both made my day and his!!!

Josephine wrote:Of course, my friend and I got to Googling, but turned up only one reference, to the 1965 new wave-esque film noir, Mickey One with Warren Beatty in which Mike Fish played, what else? an Italian restauranteur.

I don't make a habit of pointing out spelling errors but can't resist making an exception here.

In the October 17, 1954 Tribune, Will Leonard wrote:For several generations, it has occurred to Mike [Fish], thousands of good, sincere citizens and typesetters have been experiencing difficulty with the word "restaurateur," making it "restauranteur." This week Mike decided to take action about the situation. In the first constructive move of its kind within this column's experience with the oft-misspelled word, Mike announced: "As a courtesy to these good sincere people, I am consenting to be known officially as a 'restauranteur'—the first, I believe, in Chicago."

So, you see, it's really not an error after all.

Mike G wrote:It's not in Vittles & Vice, which is the most comprehensive book of that era (but published 1952, so odds are Mike Fish's didn't exist yet).

Mike Fish's opened in 1948 but I have a theory why it's not in Chicago newspaper reporter Patricia Bronte's Vittles & Vice. As I mention below, Fish and his buddies were Tribune guys and Bronte was not. Wrong newspaper, wrong gender. From what I've read, Mike Fish's was an aggressively male place, especially the bar. I suspect Ms Bronte purposely ignored Mike Fish's.

Josephine wrote:As for the meatballs, it sounds like garlic is the secret ingredient--that is, if garlic is ever a secret.

I wouldn't overlook the freshly chopped part. Have you ever taken a newly-sharpened knife and chopped your own meat? It's a fair bit of trouble but the results can be worthwhile. The texture is quite different than machine ground.

Mike G wrote:I'm floored that you actually found that, Rene G. You make that stuff look so easy.

Piece o' cake, kid, piece o' cake! Honestly, I'm more than a little surprised that I stumbled on the exact recipe. The really weird thing is I had it saved on my computer for a couple years. I came across Morrison Wood's Tribune article when looking for old Chicken Vesuvio information but had forgotten about the stuffed rigatoni ("known to the regulars who visit his place to see the fights on TV as 'Italian cheese blintzes' ").

There are lots of Mike Fish references in the Tribune archives, not too surprising since Fish was a Tribune photographer before he opened his first restaurant. His former colleagues at the paper wrote about Mike Fish's incessantly.

missy wrote:My hats off to you, Rene..............you made someone VERY happy!!

You're very welcome. It was a fun topic to look into.

Howdy again.

I'm looking for any information out there on Mike Fish and his famed restaurant from the 40s and 50s. I'm doing some research on a men's dining club that he was a founding member of in 1948 (with hopes of resurrecting it), and, frankly, the internet is slim pickins on the topic.

Cheers again,
Tom

You've come to the right place, tahall62. Rene G is your source for lots of information on Mike Fish. See this thread:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=15242&hilit=Mike+Fish.

I also learned from my friend that Mike Fish's son is still around. Do you think he might want to be part of your club?

Barnew wrote:However I remember it being called Pete & Mike Fish, it was on Superior and you have to walk downstairs to enter. Very clubby and wonderful food.

You're right about the name but I think that came later. The original Mike Fish's opened in 1948 on St Clair at Erie but moved a block south to Ontario within a few years. I believe it wasn't until the late 1950s that Mike's brother Pete put his name on the restaurant (it closed in the mid-1970s). As the matchbook below shows, the address was 160 E Ontario (where Hatsuhana was until recently). I haven't found any record of it being on Superior.



Mike and Pete Fish's (closed)
160 E Ontario St
Chicago
MIchigan 2-8228

Thank you, I stand corrected it was on Ontario They had a great Butt Steak - I haven't seen butt steak on a menu in a very long time.

Mike Fish and the Streeterville and Sanitary Canal Gourmet and Study Society are mentioned in Brigadier General Frank Dorn's "A General's Diary of Treasured Recipes", an obscure but excellent 1953 cookbook written by a retired army general who was one of General Joseph Stilwell's deputies. I don't have a copy in front of me, but I think Morrison Wood wrote the preface.

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I just saw a posting by my niece Julietta. Her father Mickey is my older brother and Mike Fish was my father as well. It was great to see that people still remember the restaurant. I worked there as a kid until I went away to college. I actually have copies of his old menu when coffee was $.25 and Veal Piquante (I believe someone referred to it as Veal Limone) was $2.25! Regarding Mickey One, the film with Warren Beatty although the movie never made it big, Mike steals 2 scenes as only he could.

Stephen Fish wrote:I just saw a posting by my niece Julietta. Her father Mickey is my older brother and Mike Fish was my father as well. It was great to see that people still remember the restaurant. I worked there as a kid until I went away to college. I actually have copies of his old menu when coffee was $.25 and Veal Piquante (I believe someone referred to it as Veal Limone) was $2.25! Regarding Mickey One, the film with Warren Beatty although the movie never made it big, Mike steals 2 scenes as only he could.

Thanks for posting, Stephen Fish! Would you consider posting a picture of the old menu you have? That would be a real treat. Also, apparently some other Mike Fish's memorabilia comes up on eBay from time to time, in case you are collecting. Your family's memories of the restaurant could make for a valuable piece of Chicago oral history for posterity as well. I am not sure who is collecting such stories these days, however.

I was a frequent visitor to Chicago's Drake Hotel in the early to mid seventies and closeby Fish's Italian Cuisine at 160 East Ontario, was my favorite restaurant in Chicago, where I would beeline to on every visit for their fabulous Frutti de Mare, a delicious concoction of shellfish in a Vognole sauce. Everything in there was good. My friends Baxter Brinkmann, beautiful Bunte Bell, and I made friends with Pete, and his son Mike, whom might remember us since he would host us in the private VIP section of "Faces" disco, the "in" joint of the time on Rush St, where he was well known and highly regarded. I would love to be in touch with him if he's still around. George O. Jackson, Jr.

I have just spotted an error in my post, Mike was the Dad and Pete was our friend that would host us at Faces.

Stephen Fish wrote:I just saw a posting by my niece Julietta. Her father Mickey is my older brother and Mike Fish was my father as well. It was great to see that people still remember the restaurant. I worked there as a kid until I went away to college. I actually have copies of his old menu when coffee was $.25 and Veal Piquante (I believe someone referred to it as Veal Limone) was $2.25! Regarding Mickey One, the film with Warren Beatty although the movie never made it big, Mike steals 2 scenes as only he could.

My great grandfather was Phillip LoPisciolo. He went to Chicago from Muro Lucano Italy in 1900. I know he had at least one brother named Bernardo or Bernardino, not sure though. He changed his name to Fish for a time then changed it to Pesch. He had a tavern on California Ave and a very successful news stand somewhere around the Loop. I think he was related to your father Mike Fish.

Stephen Fish wrote:I just saw a posting by my niece Julietta. Her father Mickey is my older brother and Mike Fish was my father as well. It was great to see that people still remember the restaurant. I worked there as a kid until I went away to college. I actually have copies of his old menu when coffee was $.25 and Veal Piquante (I believe someone referred to it as Veal Limone) was $2.25! Regarding Mickey One, the film with Warren Beatty although the movie never made it big, Mike steals 2 scenes as only he could.

Phill LoPisciolo had another brother named Vincent. Phillip married a Genevieve Marra and they had a place on DeKoven Street.