Any restaurants with train cars?

Or train related. I have already thought of Chef's Station in Evanston. Not too interested in the joints where your food is delivered on a train. North city or suburbs is best but I am interested in any suggestions. This is for adults.

Thanks,
Pam

How about the Silver Palm?

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=138956

http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp ... &rpid=3406

Thanks very much! It's a book club meeting so I think our group might be too big to really "talk" there. But I will try it another time!

-Pam

If Barrington's not too far, you might like this place. Part of it is an actual train car. I had lunch there once and it was decent.

http://chicago.metromix.com/restaurants ... 43/content

tiapam,

Out of curiosity, what book are you reading for your book group? I have been doing a recent project on Golden Age celebratory dinners in connection with the Golden Spike ceremony at the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.

Are you willing to travel to Sebastopol, CA?
http://www.starlightwinebar.com/

I love Chef's Station, but have you thought about The Lantern? You could spend a day watching the trains run around, just below the ceiling.

The Lantern
768 N Western Ave
Lake Forest, IL
(847) 234-9844

head up to "the depot" in oconomowoc wi, where you can rent out the whole train car.

Tutto Italiano at 501 S. Wells, includes a train car as one of its dining rooms. Perfectly decent Italian food. Here's a photo from their website



Tutto Italiano
501 S Wells Street
Chicago IL 60607
(corner of Congress and Wells)
312.939.4824

How many people are in your book club? I wouldn't rule out the Silver Palm if it is 16 or less. It wouldn't be any more difficult than most any other venue.

Thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions. I should have elaborated, we are mothers of small children and we meet on Wednesday nights, so have a somewhat limited radius just because it is so hard to get out of the house. But I did want to know about all options, even pie in the sky ones, because occasionally we can make an extra effort to get somewhere. We live mostly in Evanston and the NW side, so we mostly stick to the N suburbs and the N side of the city. I can't wait for the day when we don't have to limit ourselves so much!

The book we read is Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott. It's non-fiction about madams, harlots and pimps in Chicago! We sometimes try to find a place to meet that "goes" with the book. Apparently, many a young female immigrant met her downfall within minutes of stepping off the train, thus my idea for a train restaurant.

We may just end up at Tommy Nevins, as any place serving alcohol "goes" with the book.

Thanks again!

-Pam

P.S. Would love to go to CA, but very pie in the sky right now.

Well, the station they stepped out of was probably Dearborn Station -- the neighborhood at one time was the main vice district.

Bar Louie is in the station now, but unfortunately the food there is MISERABLE.

You could meet across the street at Hackney's, though, or at Mediterra (I haven't been, but they have kebabs and "wraps" on the menu).

Hackney's
733 S Dearborn

Mediterra
728 S Dearborn

tiapam wrote:The book we read is Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott. It's non-fiction about madams, harlots and pimps in Chicago! We sometimes try to find a place to meet that "goes" with the book.

How about Ho Ho's in Skokie? Or maybe you could have drinks at the Tally Ho on Howard.

Actually Howard street was also an early center for iniquity. Being situated on the border of puritanical Evanston, it was a big marketplace for booze, drugs and sex in the early 20th century (kinda still is).

Hinky Dink's is a name that dates from that era, but alas, it's only the name that is evocative. The place itself might as well be an Applebee's.

The Levee District and the Everleigh sisters' "house" are mentioned in this old thread. It's too bad about the old places disappearing, but I guess I'm just as glad that the "Bucket of Blood" is a thing of the past.

Maybe your best bet would be Chinatown. Here is a thread by ReneGthat might be of interest. He points out that Chinese restaurants took off after the Columbian Exposition.