Ding ding ding....winner


Sent from my iPh

rubbbqco wrote:Ding ding ding....winner


Sent from my iPh

Do I get a free slab of ribs or something?

My Place For.

The complete name was the inexplicably punctuated "My Place for ?". Can you imagine trying to do a search here for that moniker? Even Google is utterly baffled by it now, with or without the question mark, and the place was in existence until at least 1997 (I lived in the immediate SE Evanston 'hood from mid-1995 until early 1997, when it became very, very shoot-y). It became Gateway Bar & Grill after that, coinciding with the redevelopment of the area around it into a Dominick's-anchored strip mall; the space was split into Amphora/African Harambee after that. Ethiopian Diamond II (still there, at least for now) succeeded African Harambee, so Leona's will be the 7th resto in the space in a relatively short period of time. Whew!

I always called it "My Place For Question Mark."

For a while, My Place for ? had a retail fish store across the street. They sold both fresh fish and deep-fried seafood. In the bar of My place for? they featured live Jazz a couple of days a week, and the walls had a great mural of local celebrities done by Ed Pashke. I always wondered if that mural was preserved when the place was remodeled. It is probably worth a fortune.

My Place For? used to seem more sure of itself. The original restaurant on Lincoln in Lincoln Square, where Atlantic Bar & Grill is now, didn't use the question mark in its old ads. It appeared in 1976, around the time the second restaurant opened on Clark in Rogers Park.

Maybe a little Leona's history would be interesting? Did you know that Leona originally worked with her brother Pat at Pat's Pizzeria on Sheffield? That she opened her own place on Belmont, where Clarke's is now, in 1950? And that Leona's (by this time without Leona) moved to Sheffield, a block north of Pat's in 1975?

Not fair! I'm always gonna lose the history game cause this all happened b4 I was born. I'll add what I learn from networking, or can creatively google....
keep it coming, I love culinary history..


Sent from my iPh

rubbbqco wrote:Not fair! I'm always gonna lose the history game cause this all happened b4 I was born.

Well being old and having CRS doesn't help either.

midas wrote:
CRS

My favorite uncle, whose name escapes me, used to use that expression.

cito wrote:

midas wrote:
CRS

My favorite uncle, whose name escapes me, used to use that expression.

Sounds like you might have a touch of it yourself

For those of you who don't know what the acronym CRS refers to , it is in the list below. If, in addition, you suffer from CRS, looking through the list for the correct definition will help your cognitive functions.


Acronym Definition
CRS Course
CRS Central Reservation System
CRS Cost Reduction Strategy
CRS Consumer Relations Specialist
CRS Certified Residential Specialist (real estate certification)
CRS Council of Residential Specialists
CRS Carrier Routing System (Cisco)
CRS Congressional Research Service
CRS Catholic Relief Services
CRS Coordinate Reference Systems
CRS Controlled Release Society
CRS Creditor-Reporting-System (OECD)
CRS Country Radio Seminar (annual trade show)
CRS Crystal Red Shrimp
CRS Congenital Rubella Syndrome
CRS Creation Research Society
CRS Campus Recreation Services
CRS Computer Reservation System
CRS Court Records Search
CRS Cost Responsibility Surcharge
CRS Constant Returns to Scale
CRS California Relay Service (Sprint)
CRS Chief Review Services
CRS Cell Relay Service (ATM)
CRS Christian Record Services (serving the blind)
CRS Compagnie Républicaine de Sécurité (French riot police)
CRS Cambridge Reference Sequence
CRS Consumer Recreation Services (fictional company movie The Game)
CRS Colorectal Surgery (medical procedure)
CRS Corrosion-Resistant Steel
CRS Craniosynostosis
CRS California Rally Series
CRS Croatian Register of Shipping
CRS Common Reflection Surface
CRS Care Record Summary
CRS Constant Rate of Strain (soil testing)
CRS Chemical Registry System
CRS Console Replacement System
CRS Central Receiver System (renewable energy)
CRS Calorie Restriction Society
CRS Certificate of Release to Service
CRS Content Replication System (Microsoft)
CRS Center for Rural Strategies
CRS Canadian Rose Society
CRS Customer Reservation System
CRS California Radiological Society
CRS Component Repair Squadron
CRS Canadian Relocation Systems (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
CRS Communication and Rhetorical Studies (academics)
CRS Contractor Referral Service
CRS Configuration Report Server (token ring)
CRS Cosmic Ray Subsystem
CRS Cosmic Ray Source
CRS Certified Resource Specialist
CRS Corporate Reporting System
CRS Czech Radiological Society
CRS Career Retention Specialist
CRS Centre for Rhizobium Studies (Murdoch University, Australia)
CRS Customer Requirements Specification (Project Management)
CRS Computer Resources Support
CRS Christian Rauch Schule (Bad Arolsen, Germany)
CRS Chairman’s readiness system (US DoD)
CRS Content Replication Service
CRS Center for Religion and Spirituality (Los Angeles, CA)
CRS Computer/Radio Subsystem
CRS Control and Reporting System
CRS Consumer Research Solutions, Inc.
CRS Co-Operative Retail Services, Ltd.
CRS Common Registration Service
CRS Collection Resource System
CRS Contract Reconciliation System
CRS Chemical Reference Substance
CRS Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stability (State Department group - post-conflict operations)
CRS Cathode Ray Syndrome (band)
CRS Chromium-Reducible Sulphur (soil analysis test)
CRS Catering and Residential Services (University of Nottingham)
CRS Central Refrigerated Service (West Valley City, UT trucking company)
CRS Can't Remember Something
CRS Carpatho-Rusyn Society (various locations; also seen as C-RS)
CRS Consumer Response System
CRS Cranial-Rectal Syndrome
CRS Cornered Rat Studios (Playnet Incorporated; game developer)
CRS Call Reporting System
CRS Content Rendition Services (includes Autorender, Autorender Pro; Documentum)
CRS Change Request Sheet
CRS Churchill Road School
CRS Camion Rempli de Singes
CRS Complex Reconfiguration Study
CRS Correctional Reporting System
CRS Conditional Reserve Status
CRS Communication Replacement System
CRS Current Readiness System
CRS container recovery system (US DoD)
CRS Cataloging Reengineering System
CRS Circuit Reset Sending (CCS #7 ITU-T)
CRS Coupe avec Réserve de Semenciers (French: Seed Cup with Reserve; timber management)
CRS Custom Routing Service
CRS Camp Reception Station
CRS Creative Restaurant Solutions (Exton, PA)
CRS Centralized Referral System
CRS Cash Receiving System (ATM, banking)
CRS Combined Resource Systems, Inc.
CRS Commercial Requirement Specification
CRS Consumer Radio Service (FCC)
CRS Contingency Routing Scheme (air traffic)
CRS Contingency Retention Stock
CRS Container Release System
CRS Central Radar System
CRS Catalog Reengineering System
CRS Chamber Reducing Station
CRS Clinical Record Service
CRS CO2 Reduction Subsystem
CRS Canyon Ridge School (Surprise, AZ)
CRS Contingency Response Squadron
CRS Center Road School (Vernon, CT)
CRS Crisis Response Survey
CRS Calibration Recall System
CRS Correction & Rehabilitation Squadron
CRS Conductivity Recording Switch
CRS Component Requirement Schedule
CRS Command Relay Section
CRS Carolina Southern Railway Company
CRS Crew Reserve Status
CRS Cable Running Sheet
CRS Community Reimbursement System
CRS Centre for Requirements and Foundations (Oxford Universty)
CRS Contractor Repair Support (USAF)
CRS Capital Replacement Schedule
CRS Commitment Records System (Colorado)
CRS Current Research Summaries
CRS Certification Review Series
CRS Customer Reserved Stock
CRS Communications Relay Set
CRS Can't Repair Stuff (polite form)
CRS CIS Receiver Suite
CRS Certified Reinspector Seminar (insurance)
CRS Can't Remember Stuff (polite form)
CRS Customer Representative Supervisor
CRS Cellules de Reflexion et de Suivi (French)
CRS Codepoint Routing System (Sprint)
CRS Compact Radio Station (Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union; small computer-based radio)
CRS Customer Record System
CRS Cross Range Stick
CRS Communications Realism Submodel
CRS Child Restaint System
CRS Chloroplast RNA Splicing
CRS Cyber Research Systems Corporation (Terminator series)
CRS Combined Resource Solutions (Exton, PA)
CRS County Road System (various locations)
CRS Child Rebel Soldier (band)
CRS Children's Rehabilitative Services
CRS coastal radio station (US DoD)
CRS Communications Recording Systems (Dictaphone Corp.)
CRS Colorado Revised Statutes (State laws)
CRS Chilton Research Services
CRS Comparison Rate Schedule (finance)
CRS Civil Registration System (various locations)
CRS Chauffage Ramonage Service (French: Heating Sweeping Service)
CRS Can't Remember Stuff (polite form)
CRS Children's Rehabilitation Services
CRS College Readiness Standards (education)
CRS Corneal Refractive Surgery (eyes)
CRS Certified Repair Station (US FAA)
CRS Community Rating System (insurance)
CRS Community Relations Service
CRS Church of Religious Science
CRS Coarse
CRS Cold Rolled Steel
CRS Commercial Reservation System
CRS Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service
CRS Certified Road Supervisor (Canada)
CRS Christian Religious Studies
CRS Computer Related Studies (course and degree)
CRS Criminal Record Search (various locations)
CRS Co-Operative Retail Society
CRS Community Relations Staff
CRS Clinical Reference Systems
CRS Credit Risk Systems (various locations)
CRS Commercially Reasonable Security
CRS Centralized Results System
CRS Commonwealth Record Series (Australia)
CRS Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response (WHO)
CRS Centre de Réadaptation Spécialisé (French: Specialized Rehabilitation Center)
CRS Crisis Resolution Service (various locations)
CRS Centralized Reservation System
CRS Compass Rose Society
CRS Centre for Rhetoric Studies (South Africa)
CRS Colorado Resort Services (hotel company)
CRS Chinese Restaurant Syndrome (medical condition)
CRS Complete Resource Sharing
CRS Computer Repair Services (various locations)
CRS Chronic Rhinosinusitis

midas wrote:

cito wrote:

midas wrote:
CRS

My favorite uncle, whose name escapes me, used to use that expression.

Sounds like you might have a touch of it yourself

Touch, Hell--I'm the poster child for that disorder.

scottsol wrote:For those of you who don't know what the acronym CRS refers to , it is in the list below. If, in addition, you suffer from CRS, looking through the list for the correct definition will help your cognitive functions.

Well, it's kind of there, listed as polite form. Ironically, duplicated.

Leona's Chain Sold to New Owner, But Family Keeps 63-Year-Old Original Spot

CHICAGO — The Leona's Restaurant chain has been sold for an undisclosed amount to attorney Tania Mavrakis, of Evanston, said Leona's now-former owner and CEO Leon Toia.

Toia — the grandson of the Chicago-area chain's namesake — said he sold nine of the 11 remaining Leona's Restaurants to Mavrakis, whose uncle, Ted Mavrakis, owns Evanston's World of Beer.

Toia said he still owns the real estate associated with the Leona's Restaurants and kept two of the restaurant locations, including the original Leona's that

-snip-
Count me as one of those who never understood the love for Leona's.

Artie wrote:Leona's Chain Sold to New Owner, But Family Keeps 63-Year-Old Original Spot

CHICAGO — The Leona's Restaurant chain has been sold for an undisclosed amount to attorney Tania Mavrakis, of Evanston, said Leona's now-former owner and CEO Leon Toia.

Toia — the grandson of the Chicago-area chain's namesake — said he sold nine of the 11 remaining Leona's Restaurants to Mavrakis, whose uncle, Ted Mavrakis, owns Evanston's World of Beer.

Toia said he still owns the real estate associated with the Leona's Restaurants and kept two of the restaurant locations, including the original Leona's that

-snip-
Count me as one of those who never understood the love for Leona's.

30 years ago it was a pretty good option for take-out. But the world has changed since then. I can't recall the last time I visited Leona's and am surprised to hear that they still have a lot of locations.

Artie wrote:Leona's Chain Sold to New Owner, But Family Keeps 63-Year-Old Original Spot

CHICAGO — The Leona's Restaurant chain has been sold for an undisclosed amount to attorney Tania Mavrakis, of Evanston, said Leona's now-former owner and CEO Leon Toia.

Toia — the grandson of the Chicago-area chain's namesake — said he sold nine of the 11 remaining Leona's Restaurants to Mavrakis, whose uncle, Ted Mavrakis, owns Evanston's World of Beer.

Toia said he still owns the real estate associated with the Leona's Restaurants and kept two of the restaurant locations, including the original Leona's that

I needed to know the rest of that last sentence because I wanted to confirm my guess as to which is the original Leona's. So I went to the link. My guess was confirmed. I had a feeling that the original Leona's was the one not far from me (at Sheffield north of Belmont) and this turns out to be the case. Haven't been there in years, but I like knowing it's the original.

riddlemay wrote:I needed to know the rest of that last sentence because I wanted to confirm my guess as to which is the original Leona's. So I went to the link. My guess was confirmed. I had a feeling that the original Leona's was the one not far from me (at Sheffield north of Belmont) and this turns out to be the case. Haven't been there in years, but I like knowing it's the original.

Unfortunately some of the information in that DNAinfo report is incorrect.

In DNAinfo, Benjamin Woodard wrote:Toia said he still owns the real estate associated with the Leona's Restaurants and kept two of the restaurant locations, including the original Leona's that opened in 1950 at 3215 N. Sheffield Ave., which he'll rename "Lina's."

The Leona's on Sheffield is the oldest but it's not the original location. I stand by what I wrote in post #36 above. Leona's opened at 928 W Belmont in 1950 and moved to 3215 N Sheffield in 1975. Here's their ad from the 1966 phone book.

I defer to you, Rene G. And I never knew that Leona was the sister of Pat (of Pat's)!

Rene G wrote:Leona's opened at 928 W Belmont in 1950 and moved to 3215 N Sheffield in 1975. Here's their ad from the 1966 phone book.

Yep, used to stop at Leona's on Belmont before going to the Quiet Knight and recall not liking it then, either. Later that spot was the Melrose, I think. And I dig the phone ad, replete with an "EAstgate" exchange and fast delivery.

Great ad. Let's go to Leona's at 928 West Belmont and then hit the Quiet Knight to see Steve Goodman.

bw77 wrote:and then hit the Quiet Knight to see Steve Goodman.

Or maybe Robert Klein. My face is still hurting from the rictus of a grin he plastered on my face for two hours.

bw77 wrote:Let's go to Leona's at 928 West Belmont and then hit the Quiet Knight to see Steve Goodman.

With appropriate respect to Robert Klein, I'd use my wayback machine coupons to bring Steve Goodman back from The Beyond. I have many happy memories of going to see Steve, several of them before I had any legal business being in a bar/club. [Sorry, Mom.]

Giovanna

Giovanna wrote:With appropriate respect to Robert Klein, I'd use my wayback machine coupons to bring Steve Goodman back from The Beyond.

Of course. I wasn't thinking about Steve Goodman having left us too early, I was only remembering my own happy associations with the club. Let's make it Goodman.

Ironically, mediocre as Leona's is, if I were going tonight to see either Robert Klein or Steve Goodman at The Quiet Knight, I don't think I could come up with a place for dinner that's as convenient or feels as right.

Perhaps Le Creperie? That would have been within hiking distance.

Choey wrote:

Rene G wrote:Leona's opened at 928 W Belmont in 1950 and moved to 3215 N Sheffield in 1975. Here's their ad from the 1966 phone book.

Yep, used to stop at Leona's on Belmont before going to the Quiet Knight and recall not liking it then, either. Later that spot was the Melrose, I think. And I dig the phone ad, replete with an "EAstgate" exchange and fast delivery.

I've been meaning to revert to the exchange name when people ask for my phone number. Instead of saying 383...it would be more interesting to say EVerleigh 3... maybe even more memorable (who can forget Hudson-3-2700?)

Maybe a little Leona's history would be interesting? Did you know that Leona originally worked with her brother Pat at Pat's Pizzeria on Sheffield? That she opened her own place on Belmont, where Clarke's is now, in 1950? And that Leona's (by this time without Leona) moved to Sheffield, a block north of Pat's in 1975?

If I remember correctly, Leona and her grandson Leon opened L&L pizza on Addison to compete with Leona's for a time. Then the whole operation merged back together in the Sheffield restaurant.

It really is depressing that an organization that stared off quite well somehow lost it's way and failed to live up to it's potential.

It's this kind of thing that makes me admire Rich Melman. You may love or hate LEY but IMHO they may never blow your socks off but they put out a consistently good product at reasonable prices in a variety of styles. It's not top tier but it's far better than attempting to see just how low you can sink and still get away with it. I'd rather see a LYE place open in my neighborhood than a re-opened Leona's.

SWag wrote:

Rene G wrote:Maybe a little Leona's history would be interesting? Did you know that Leona originally worked with her brother Pat at Pat's Pizzeria on Sheffield? That she opened her own place on Belmont, where Clarke's is now, in 1950? And that Leona's (by this time without Leona) moved to Sheffield, a block north of Pat's in 1975?

If I remember correctly, Leona and her grandson Leon opened L&L pizza on Addison to compete with Leona's for a time. Then the whole operation merged back together in the Sheffield restaurant.

L&L Pizza (2055 W Addison) was opened and run for 15 years by Leona and her second husband, Leo, before they sold it in the mid-1970s to Leona's grandson, Leon. That's Leon Toia, who recently sold the Leona's business. Those interested in the complicated history of Leona's can find lots of information in the excellent 1988 Tribune article, All in the Family.

Leona's on Taylor Street has closed after more than three decades in Little Italy.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017020 ... ant-closes

Thirty years in that spot doesn't mean it was good, though. To my way of thinking, Leona's led the way towards morphing Taylor Street into a bunch of faux-Italian, touristed-up yecch-i-zoid restaurants that no self-respecting local Dago would frequent.

Once upon a time, Bart Vittori's sandwich shop just west of Taylor and May made a masterful combo that rivaled Al's and a pepper-and-egg that almost made me look forward to Lent. Mategrano's, at 1321 W. Taylor, across from the projects, was a glimpse into the area in the 1940's/1950's. Even Florence Scala's place, which was near where the original Tuscany (actually not bad) now sits, was interesting from the standpoint of her history fighting the sprawl of the University of Illinois Chicago Circle campus almost 50 years ago. And she made a mean marinara sauce.

And now they're all gone, replaced by Pottersville. Progress, it's a bi-yatch...