Memories of Rush Street Joints..

I'm very new to this forum, but I wonder how many remember the Corona Cafe on Rush? It had three levels, classy white tablecloth dining on the upper level, excellent sandwiches eaten at waist-high tables (no chairs) on the lower level, and a counter/stool area around the corner for late night eats by cabbies and other night workers. Did any of Harry Moroni's sons ever start another restaurant after the Corona closed?

And, on the subject of Rush Street and environs, there is always conversation about the Billy Goat. Aside from the John Belushi sketches and the Cubs curse, the only time we ever went to the Billy Goat was during Lent on Fridays, when a fried egg sandwich always had the flavor of hamburgers.

Hey Charlie,

Now, by Rush Street, I take you to mean the Rush Street area. I lived on Dearborn near Division for a year or so in the late 70s, and I used to regularly go to Five Faces for frozen yogurt (still kind of a novelty at the time).

Though I had not given it much thought, I figured this place would for sure be a memory by now, but weekend before last, I was shocked to discover that it still exists...and it's still got that funky sign of five faces over the door.

Right around the corner, the legendary Zebra Lounge is also apparently still in operation (a good thing).

Hammond

I worked for the Chicago Tribune for quite a few years, and the Rush Street joints I refer to are those just north of the river, Riccardo's and the Corona Cafe being two of them.

North of Chicago Avenue on Rush was mainly for fun, not food in the old days.

Charlie

Perhaps you can answer this question, then, which I once posed on this board but didn't get a response: I recall some memorable outings to Riccardo's in my youth with my father, a labor organizer who had once been a journalist, and recall fondly a few encounters with Ric Riccardo. I also have a distinct recollection that he kept big dogs in the restaurant, in cages that were sort of disguised just by the entrance. Do you remember this? This would have been in the late '60s, most likely. I'd really like to confirm that the dogs existed, but perhaps they were just mixed in with my fond, hazy memories of the warm, bustling, and colorful Riccardo's atmosphere.

Riccardo's. Well, I usually went there for lunch, once in a while for dinner. One of the singers from the current opera was there one night, impressing everyone even in the far corners of the place with the power of his voice. I never saw a dog in the place, and dogs are notorius for howling when someone is singing loudly.

Nope, no dogs I ever saw there.

Charlie

FYI: just asked my 82 year old mother about the dogs at Riccardo's, and she said that of course there were dogs. There was a kennel in the front of the restaurant, where he kept two or three dogs, big ones, she said, great danes or some such. These belonged to old man Riccardo, she pointed out, and she wasn't sure if his son Ric kept them for long after he took over the restaurant. A dog kennel at the front of the house -- can't ask for more atmosphere than that. But maybe you have to be 80+ to remember those halycon days of Chicago dining.