ISO historic chicago restaurant.. not deep dish pizza

First time in Chicago and in town for one more night. Looking for a great historic chicago restaurant to go to (preferably in or close to the loop). Not picky on what to eat. Did the deep dish thing last night and was pleased. Basically, do not want to head back to NY and hear someone say, "why didn't you check out xyz?"

From my limited research found this combined list below, but not wedded to anything here. Would love your thoughts!

Thank you.


1. Basta-Pasta Italian Restaurant
2. Gibson's Steakhouse
3. The Berghoff
4. Harry Caray's Steakhouse
5. Ditka's Steakhouse
6. Hard Rock Chicago
7. Goose Island Brewery.
8. Spring
2039 W North Ave, Chicago, IL
Once a Russian-style bathhouse for businessmen in the 1920s, it now lures vegetarians for its artful, Asian-tinged New American cuisine.
9. Gene & Georgetti's Restaurant
500 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL
Opening in 1941, this is one of Chicago's oldest steakhouses, visited by old-time celebrities Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball.
10. Green Door Tavern
678 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL
If you knocked on the door of this River North tavern in 1872, you would have been looking for booze--it used to be a speakeasy.
11. Il Mulino
1150 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL
This 19th century building and historic Biggs Mansion brings old-world charm to this classy Italian restaurant.
12. The Chicago Firehouse
1401 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL
This 1905 yellow brick and limstone building was once the home to Prairie Avenue firefighters.
13. Room21
2110 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL
Fashionable South Loop scenester serves updated steakhouse fare in a one-time Al Capone brewery.

I suggest you check out the Great Neighborhood Restaurants. In particular, Chicago is good for Mexican and Thai food, both cuisines far better than anything you can find in NY, but any restaurant on that list is ricommended by the menbers of LTH Forum.

Basta Pasta in Edison Park has been closed for a couple of years now. It was very good at one time. Then, management sold it to a former employee who didn't keep it up. It's a beautiful building. There is a new place scheduled to open there soon. i believe it is called Carmichael's- the menu didn't really blow me away- steaks, chops and bar food.

If it is location that you're looking for, Il Mulino would be fun. In addition to being in a stately former mansion, the building served as the location of "Chez Quis" in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The food is excellent. But, it is New York Italian which certainly won't be new or different to you.

In my opinion, I'd go with Gene and Georgetti. Its historic and good food. Possibly better places for steak but you said historic. This combines food and historic.

It's not entirely clear if you're looking for a historic restaurant or a restaurant in a historic building. A couple places on your list, such as Il Mulino (an outpost of the NY restaurant by the same name) and Room 21 are relatively new restaurants on the Chicago dining scene.

3. The Berghoff
>>Technically, Berghoff no longer exists. The same space houses a restaurant, called 17 West, run by the owner's daughter. From my understanding, it serves essentially the same dishes. Popular belief is that the owners shut down the original restaurant in an effort to rid the place of its unionized waitstaff (who lent a lot of charm to the place).

6. Hard Rock Chicago
>>I wouldn't call this a Chicago classic. I doubt that anyone in NY will chastise you for missing this one.

10. Green Door Tavern
>>>Worth stopping for a drink, but I've never been impressed by the food.

Consider North Pond in Lincoln Park. It's in an old, Prairie-style building overlooking the Lincoln Park lagoon, with incredible views of downtown. Exceptional food, too, as you'll read in this thread.

Edited for damn typos.

^Great suggestion.

Thank you all for your suggestions. The concierge at my hotel recommended Gene and Georgetti and I was pleasantly surprised to get back and see that toria had also suggested it. The food was great, there was a tinge of history, and the service was just right (not slow or overbearing).

Chgoeditor - you're right about the list. I was doing keyword searches on google and stumbled on historic buildings as well as historic restaurants. Was hoping that a combination of the two would work for the perfect Chicago experience.

Good feedback all around. Will be going back again in Jan/Feb and will take full advantage of all your ideas.

Thanks!

YourPalWill wrote:Basta Pasta in Edison Park has been closed for a couple of years now. It was very good at one time. Then, management sold it to a former employee who didn't keep it up. It's a beautiful building. There is a new place scheduled to open there soon. i believe it is called Carmichael's- the menu didn't really blow me away- steaks, chops and bar food.

If this is a second location of Carmichael's in the West Loop, it's a good steakhouse of the high-end choice type.