I recently had dinner at Phil Smidt's for the first time in nearly 15 years. This was a pre-casino meal on the occasion of my little brother's bachelor party.

The restaurant's atmosphere at peak Saturday night dinner time can be described, at best, as that of a restaurant in Boca Raton two hours after the early bird has ended. At worst, it can be described as a mausoleum.

Our waitress seemed genuinely pleased to have a table where the average age was under 85, people were ordering drinks, and no one was sharing an entree. I asked her if the nearly empty, cavernous room was a typical dinner crowd. She said that it was more crowded earlier in the evening and on Sundays (we were there at 7pm on a Sat.).

The food was as I remembered, and I was much less disappointed in the perch and frog legs than those upthread. Both were meaty and tasty. Sure, the frog legs could've been bigger, but I wasn't complaining:



Smelt were terrific:



Oysters casino, while they looked cool, were a huge miss. They just missed the label "inedible" by a hair:



It was kinda sad eating at Phil Smidt's. The room made me feel like I was eating in a dying restaurant, and while I enjoyed my entree, signs are pointing to the end of days for this institution. I get the feeling that it might not be long before the frogs are going to happily wave goodbye to Phil Smidt's:



Best,
Michael

A close friend, who lives in Whiting and is friends with some of the waitstaff at Phil Schmidt's, tells me that she heard the power was cut off at Phil Schmidt's last week, but has now been restored. Also, there is a sign stating they no longer serve alcohol on the premises.

I suggest if anyone wants to visit, they do so SOON.

Suzy

I can't imagine Smidt's without cocktails. Sounds like the end of the line.

Yes, I hope the time has not yet come. Maybe like Mitchell's, there will be a reprieve.

sdritz wrote:A close friend, who lives in Whiting and is friends with some of the waitstaff at Phil Schmidt's, tells me that she heard the power was cut off at Phil Schmidt's last week, but has now been restored. Also, there is a sign stating they no longer serve alcohol on the premises.

I suggest if anyone wants to visit, they do so SOON.

Suzy

There were storm-caused power outages to a good deal of the area 10 days ago, I would hope that if that was the cause that Phil Smidt's name isn't being sullied for something that was out of their control... Now, the lack of cocktails is a different and horrible piece of news.

It's official

Phil Smidt's, the restaurant famous for its crossed frog legs since 1910, will close its doors for the last time at 9 p.m. Saturday.

I attemped to take my Father there last Sunday as we knew it's days were few. Only to be stopped by the long time patron , my father , who said " I refuse to have another bad meal there "

RIP, your time has come.
[/url]

The restaurant is closing Saturday.

http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/1 ... 7225df.txt

Suzy

Very sad. To get sentimental for a moment- my grandma used to take us here and she had been a lifelong customer having grown up in the South Shore. I can only imagine Phil's in the full glory of its swinging heyday. My memories are of first tastes of perch, smelts, and frog legs- which funnily, I used to enjoy much more in my adolescence than these days. It was one of those places that transported me back to my grandma's era and its sad watching these old school places- the Berghoff, et al close their doors.

The current owner was on WLS radio's Roe Conn show yesterday.

He said that the building at 75 years old is too big and too old. He also said the heating costs can run $12K a month in the winter.

He wouldn't comment on the rumors about how they lost their liquor license.

He also said that a lot of their customers came from the north shore and he would like to re-open the restaurant with Northbrook being his ideal location.

Interesting North Shore comment. I understand from friends that there had always been a strong contingent of mostly Jewish North Shore patrons who made Phil Smidt's a "must stop" on the way to or from the shore in NWIN or SWMI. Obviously, that's not been so true recently, since the place has been a crypt for some time in my experience. The same contacts point out that many of the old North Shore extended families who had clusters of places in MI and IN for generations sold them in the 80's and 90's for practically nothing when those beach places lost their lustre. The sad irony for many of those families and for the restaurant is that the past 5-10 years has seen a huge revival in the Michiana beach areas, with lake front lots priced like Malibu or Naples beachfront, almost. Knowing that several long-time North Shore folks are here, can anyone comment on why so many North Shore families travelled the extra distance to IN and MI rather than heading up north to WI? (Was WI just more white-shoe, or maybe they did both?)

JeffB wrote:Interesting North Shore comment. I understand from friends that there had always been a strong contingent of mostly Jewish North Shore patrons who made Phil Smidt's a "must stop" on the way to or from the shore in NWIN or SWMI. Obviously, that's not been so true recently, since the place has been a crypt for some time in my experience. The same contacts point out that many of the old North Shore extended families who had clusters of places in MI and IN for generations sold them in the 80's and 90's for practically nothing when those beach places lost their lustre. The sad irony for many of those families and for the restaurant is that the past 5-10 years has seen a huge revival in the Michiana beach areas, with lake front lots priced like Malibu or Naples beachfront, almost. Knowing that several long-time North Shore folks are here, can anyone comment on why so many North Shore families travelled the extra distance to IN and MI rather than heading up north to WI? (Was WI just more white-shoe, or maybe they did both?)

At least part of the reason is that the primarily Teutonic culture of Wisconson was (and maybe still is) less comfortable or welcoming to people from the Chicagoland area in general, and to certain demographics in particular.

saluki9 wrote: He also said that a lot of their customers came from the north shore and he would like to re-open the restaurant with Northbrook being his ideal location.

Good grief! It's no wonder that guy ran Phil Schmidt's into the ground, it sounds to me like he never really understood what made it such a great place to begin with. If you take Phil Schmidt's out of the Region and plop it into the middle of some place like Northbrook it just becomes another generic suburban fish joint.

JeffB wrote:Interesting North Shore comment. I understand from friends that there had always been a strong contingent of mostly Jewish North Shore patrons who made Phil Smidt's a "must stop" on the way to or from the shore in NWIN or SWMI. Obviously, that's not been so true recently, since the place has been a crypt for some time in my experience. The same contacts point out that many of the old North Shore extended families who had clusters of places in MI and IN for generations sold them in the 80's and 90's for practically nothing when those beach places lost their lustre. The sad irony for many of those families and for the restaurant is that the past 5-10 years has seen a huge revival in the Michiana beach areas, with lake front lots priced like Malibu or Naples beachfront, almost. Knowing that several long-time North Shore folks are here, can anyone comment on why so many North Shore families travelled the extra distance to IN and MI rather than heading up north to WI? (Was WI just more white-shoe, or maybe they did both?)

kuhdo wrote:At least part of the reason is that the primarily Teutonic culture of Wisconson was (and maybe still is) less comfortable or welcoming to people from the Chicagoland area in general, and to certain demographics in particular.

I disagree with kuhdo about Wisconsinites. There isn't some vast difference between Wisconsin and Michigan. Part of the reason is that Jewish people typically choose to self-segregate when choosing their communities, schools, summer camps, etc. That's still very true today in places like Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, etc.

It's a shame that Phil Smidt's is closing, the relish trays there were something you don't find often, and Teibel's didn't have them. Phil Smidt's was a treasure, and it's too bad the building cannot be saved and or moved, since it evokes the WW2 era like no other place that I have ever been in Chicagoland. One can only sit there and imagine the humming/activity of the NWI industrial/steel area (and all those railroads) during the War and the post war boom.

It's really a special place. Where else will one find a "Rose Room"? Anyone remember Vogel's?

Anyone been to the Whiting Elks fish fry? Is that yellow perch?

SMT wrote:

saluki9 wrote: He also said that a lot of their customers came from the north shore and he would like to re-open the restaurant with Northbrook being his ideal location.

Good grief! It's no wonder that guy ran Phil Schmidt's into the ground, it sounds to me like he never really understood what made it such a great place to begin with. If you take Phil Schmidt's out of the Region and plop it into the middle of some place like Northbrook it just becomes another generic suburban fish joint.

I completely agree with you...the owner (who bought the place in 2000) doesn't have a clue -- it was as if he expected Phil Smidt's to succeed solely on its reputation. What put the place out of business were customers who grew tired of below-average food being offered at above-average prices. Without solving this underlying problem, the restaurant would quickly go under in Northbrook as well.

HI,

I was never at Vogel's, though their building was still there about a year ago. It has since been torn down.

Phil Schmidt's was the launching pad for Rene G's and my exploration into NW Indiana. If we took the advice of the bartender, then we would have returned to our respective homes, gotten under blanket and never ventured further into NWI. Fortunately we ignored the bartender, took pictures of the yellow page's restaurant section to begin building information and never looked back. I'm sure loosing their liquor license, a vital source of income for most restaurants, was the last straw.

I been to both Phil Schmidt's and Teibel's once. They have quite a similar character, though I cannot recall whether Teibel;s offered a relish tray. Teibel's seemed to have aged graciously, while Phil Schmidt's seemed left in the dust. I'm glad to have gone to Phil Schmidt's but nothing compells me to be there for their last round. It didn't feel vibrant last year, so I already feel like I was at the wake.

Regards,

Totally concur, Cathy. I have had many great meals at PS, but they were all in the 20th century. The last 2 times I went there I regretted it both times. The first time I figured it might have been an "off" day, but after getting burned again, I knew the place had changed, and not for the better. I would rather remember it as it was than go back for another beating.

Unfortunately, I can't help but wonder if the owner's status as an outsider to the Region did have a lot to do with his failure to grasp what had originally made PS famous. I grew up a few miles away, and my family dined at PS on a regular basis for many years. During our visits the food, especially the perch and the froglegs, was consistently fresh and well prepared. The staff was always friendly and professional, and they all really seemed proud to be part of the PS tradition.

I also noticed a precipitous decline in the quality of the food around the same time the current owner took over, and it seemed pretty obvious that the quality of the food and the management of the restaurant itself just wasn't where it had once been. I got the feeling that latest owner was mostly concerned with squeezing as much profit out of the place while putting in the minimum investment into the food and infrastructure. I'll never forget one visit in 2002 for a party (in one of their "private rooms" no less) when it was raining outside and there were buckets placed throughout the room (and the nearby lunch room) to catch water leaking through the roof. The perch and froglegs also tasted slightly freezerburned.

RIP Phil Schmidt's. I will definitely miss it.

JeffB wrote:Knowing that several long-time North Shore folks are here, can anyone comment on why so many North Shore families travelled the extra distance to IN and MI rather than heading up north to WI? (Was WI just more white-shoe, or maybe they did both?)

Proximity to South Shore/Hyde Park and environs made it a logical place for Jewish families to summer before everyone migrated north of Madison street in the late 50s early 60s. Only certain spots in Michiana are or were enclaves of Jewish families. The Grand Beach area, for instance, has always been more gentile then certain other beaches. Also, it is my understanding that Lake Geneva was almost "restricted" when it was the domaine of the Wrigleys, etc. I dont know how true this is but it would make sense why Lake Geneva and the rest of Southern WI were slower to catch on with Jewish families on the NS.

it is my understanding that Lake Geneva was almost "restricted" when it was the domaine of the Wrigleys, etc. I dont know how true this is

"In 1948 a Jewish motorist passing through Lake Geneva, WI, was confronted with a highway sign announcing 'This Is a Gentile Community.' . . . These and similar signs continue to befoul the roadsides of America."-- Arnold Foster (Dir., Civil Rights Div., ADL), "America's Disadvantaged Minorities," JNE, 1950, vol. 20, no. 3, p. 317.

Lest we forget.

In a Half Day Inn sort of way, I am not surprised that Phil Schmidt's is finally closing, and maybe it's for the best. I don't know what to think about the idea of them setting up in Northbrook. It's just my vague impression, but the Jewish crowd around NB, HP, etc., seems to be a much younger, and frankly, less traditional, Jewish crowd, that would rather go downtown than stay close to home for smelt and frog legs. Not the typical Phil Schmidt's patrons.

I don't know about the vacation preferences of the older Jewish crowd (in my day, the younger ones went skiing during the winter break, and came back with sunburned noses and lift tags on their jackets, while the rest of us stayed home, shovelled tons of snow, and spent evenings throwing silver tinsel on the Christmas tree). I can see, though, why the west coast of Michigan dropped off in vacation popularity once air travel became more affordable. If you can, fly. Otherwise, why not just drive up to Wisconsin?

The down side of SW Michigan is that to get there you have to drive across northern Indiana, which, for one thing, (and as a civil engineer this irritates the heck out of me), is an uncomfortable driving experience involving nearly constant turning to the left, and for another thing, looks, especially at night, like something straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel. And he hasn't been on the bestseller list for, oh, a long, long time.

Katie wrote:Not the typical Phil Schmidt's patrons.

Phil Smidt doesn't have any "typical" patrons anymore. That's the problem.

Thanks for the informed and logical responses on the PS connection to the Jewish community. Interesting stuff.

No comment on the other one.

Katie wrote:The down side of SW Michigan is that to get there you have to drive across northern Indiana, which, for one thing, (and as a civil engineer this irritates the heck out of me), is an uncomfortable driving experience involving nearly constant turning to the left, and for another thing, looks, especially at night, like something straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel. And he hasn't been on the bestseller list for, oh, a long, long time.

I'm no engineer, but the bridges, smokestacks and steeples are pure art. And you emerge from it into dunes and vineyards. What's not to like?

Heartbreaking. There's nothing else like it.

You can get frogs' legs at Hugo's, but it's hardly going to be the same.

The last time I was there was about two years ago with one of my co-workers who lives in Whiting. My friend told me he has been talking about moving the restaurant to another location since he purchased it. He also made some bad judgment calls by trying to cut corners to save money, driving a lot of the regular customers away. She hadn't even eaten there in nearly a year, and she was a regular customer for many, many years. I know she went for her last plate of frog legs on Thursday. I couldn't bring myself to go.

Such a shame.

Suzy

HI,

As someone said upthread, if they move to Northbrook, then they really need to sharpen their act. If they are not willing to do this, then they may as well consider another business.

It reminds me a bit of the people who purchased Paprikash. They wanted the name and reputation, then closed up shop on Diversy moving it to Arlington Heights. I have not heard much about Paprikash in Arlington Heights since then.

Regards,

How about a mini-review from someone who went there this past week? How was the food, and the general atmosphere? Funeral-like? Much of a crowd?

someone else that knows how to can do it but www.thetimesonline.com has an article on phil smidts and a slide show of the last night.reminded me of john's in calumet city closing

trudie,

Do you know if the new John's Restaurant, a franchise of John's on Ridge, has opened?

John's Restaurant
2356 Shrage
Whiting, IN
219/659-1046

I called a few weeks ago to learn from their recording they would be open late this summer.

Regards,

I heard John's is supposed to open around Thanksgiving. They've pushed back the date twice already.