It's funny, I was just reading some misc. stuff online and found out that two places I went to often as a kid were actually gang hangouts. The thing I read mentioned The Big Pit and Mickey's Hot Dogs, both on Clark St. in Rogers Park. They also mentioned the Howard Bowl where I also spent a lot of time as a kid. I guess I was too young to be aware at the time.

Perhaps it's the old fashioned(s) talking, but I'm sitting here, contemplating dinner, and wishing one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago was still open. Anybody else have that issue very often? If so, I think it'd be fun (and depressing) to rehash some of your favorite restaurants that you can no longer frequent.

First up - my choice - Urban Union. I loved this place, and was surprised, pissed, and sad when it closed. It was a perfect combination of things for me, and after being to Nightwood, I felt they were very similar. I'm not sure why they closed, I just know that I'm sad they did.

Anybody else feel the same way about [the spot of your choice]?

I'll chime in. I still miss Star Top Cafe (closed in 1996, so showing my age). I just loved everything about it - atmosphere, menu/food, music, the clientele they attracted. It was a go-to spot for us and I have so many memories of great meals and fun times there. So, yeah, I get it. When a place really resonates with you, it's hard to replace when it's gone.

Something newer but I miss the Chicago location of Beard Papa which had the best cream puffs I ever tasted... To bad they were on the pricey side and as a result could not sustain a business audience at that price point and they decided to close there 1 and only Chicago location.

LynnB wrote:I'll chime in. I still miss Star Top Cafe (closed in 1996, so showing my age). I just loved everything about it - atmosphere, menu/food, music, the clientele they attracted. It was a go-to spot for us and I have so many memories of great meals and fun times there. So, yeah, I get it. When a place really resonates with you, it's hard to replace when it's gone.

Had many great meals there, some that I can remember vividly. Michael Short's untimely death not that long after he left was a real shock.

jordanhojo wrote:Perhaps it's the old fashioned(s) talking, but I'm sitting here, contemplating dinner, and wishing one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago was still open. Anybody else have that issue very often? If so, I think it'd be fun (and depressing) to rehash some of your favorite restaurants that you can no longer frequent.

A lot of people do.

You may wish to reference this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=150

Athens Market on Halsted.

polster wrote:Something newer but I miss the Chicago location of Beard Papa which had the best cream puffs I ever tasted... To bad they were on the pricey side and as a result could not sustain a business audience at that price point and they decided to close there 1 and only Chicago location.

I loved Beard Poppa!
I knew they weren't going to last long in that location though. Damn shame. a better location probably would have saved them.

Still missing HUE, Hillary's Urban Eatery in Wicker Park. Loved the food, the eclectic decor and really enjoyed summer dining on their back patio.

Hot Doug's.

Oh,...wait....

but yeah!

Melange, at Plaza del Lago in Wilmette, on Sheridan Road, at the Wilmette/Kenilworth border. It opened just after I moved here, in 1986, and was quite successful and well-reviewed.

Unfortunately, it burned down in 1991, a victim of a botched roof repair - I remember it well, as I was at PdL grocery shopping the day it happened, while it was happening. It eventually reopened in Northfield, in a space that has since been several other high-end restaurants (is is currently the site of Carlos Nieto's Happ Inn). Sadly, Melange never really found its stride again, and closed permanently in 1995. Damn shame. The food and the spectacular view at the Plaza del Lago location made for an exceptional dining experience.

I always really liked La Mora on Roscoe, where the awful John's Place now resides. It was a great neighborhood restaurant, and the chef was incredibly nice.

Two places that seem like they've been long gone, but are still going:

Ramova Grill
Hamburger King



huh?? ramova''s grill IS gone. whatever do you mean? i have a 2 horribly painful memories of ramovas: i couldn't have my final final final bowl of chili there as i was laid up with a broken femur at their closing, and almost worse: i had stored 4 quarts of their chili in my basement freezer a few weeks before they closed, and months later when i could walk again, i went downstairs to retrieve them and discovered the freezer had evidently gone off for some time and then come back on again. i could tell by all the leaking cranberry juice from a large bag of cranberries. since i didn't know if the meltdown had been a few hours or a few days i very reluctantly walked those beautiful containers of my favorite chili over to the dumpsters and almost in tears, tossed them in.

justjoan wrote:Two places that seem like they've been long gone, but are still going:

Ramova Grill
Hamburger King


huh?? ramova''s grill IS gone. whatever do you mean? ...

Rob's (Vital Information) quote about Ramova is on the first page of the thread and from 2004, well before Spring 2012 when Ramova closed.

Several of the recent posts above, starting with jordanhojo's, were in a separate thread and merged into the larger thread originating in 2004.

this morning VI's post showed up when i clicked on new posts. i didn't notice the date-i guess i wasn't expecting it to be 10 years ago….

justjoan wrote:this morning VI's post showed up when i clicked on new posts. i didn't notice the date-i guess i wasn't expecting it to be 10 years ago….

Yes, we merged the threads becauase 2 separate threads both lamenting places that are no more seemed redundant. We should have posted a notice but now everyone knows.

Thanks,

=R=
for the Moderators

Sorry guys! Thanks for merging...

Here's the scoop - Cock Robin had square ice cream scoops and if you ordered two+ scoops, the cone was a side-by-side style. Peacock's Dairy Bar began in 1936 in Wilmette, on the lake, where the hi-rise condos are (Across from "Plaza Del Lago", which opened in 1928 at 1515 Sheridan Road in Wilmette.

About Peacock Ice Cream Company, Evanston, IL
George Bugelas was an ice cream aficionado for more than thirty years, overseeing every aspect of the Peacock Ice Cream Company, which included the ice cream parlors "Peacock's Dairy Bar" in Evanston, Glencoe and Wilmette and an ice cream factory in Evanston. He produced several thousand gallons of premium ice cream a week. The ice cream was made in a factory on Sherman Avenue, then later on Sheridan Road, both in Evanston.

As an ice cream maker, Bugelas was ahead of his time, creating his own recipes with 16 percent butterfat, fresh fruit, all natural ingredients and no preservatives at a time before premium ice cream was widely available. In addition to his specialty flavors, such as the summer favorite fresh peach, Bugelas created custom flavors for Ravinia, the Drake Hotel, numerous Japanese restaurants other high-end establishments. Beginning in 1976, his chocolate, strawberry and vanella ice creams swept all blue-ribbon competitions in the premium ice cream categories at the Illinois State Fair for 13 consecutive years. Bugelas closed all the retail shops in 1981 to concentrate on the wholesale business.

When his wife became ill in 1992, he closed the business, rather than risk selling it to someone who might dilute the quality of his ice cream. George Christopher Bugelas died on October 5, 2004.



====

Cynthia wrote:

nr706 wrote:Nope. Definitely Peacock's. When I was growing up, the great debate was whether Peacock's or Homer's had the best ice cream.

I second that "definitely" -- I've never heard of Cock Robins. Peacock's was on Skokie Blvd., not far from the old Fannie May house, where you could watch them make hand-dipped chocolates. It was the first time I saw people working on marble tabletops.

And I don't know if anyone ever really decided between Peacock's and Homer's -- the taste testing for the debate was too much fun. But Homer's is still there and Peacock's isn't, so we may never get a decision.

I was born in 1962 and remember going to the Peacock's in "No Mans Land" (between Wilmette & Kenilworth) so I'm not sure the closed in 1963 is accurate.

mhill95149 wrote:I was born in 1962 and remember going to the Peacock's in "No Mans Land" (between Wilmette & Kenilworth) so I'm not sure the closed in 1963 is accurate.

Yes,Our family would go there too in the late 50's into the 60's. We also called it "No Man's Land" but I never knew exactly why. I figure because it was pretty much undeveloped,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Man's_Land,_Illinois

Prompted by the I’d Mourn If This Restaurant Ever Closes thread, I'd like to once again publicly mourn Wikstrom's in Andersonville. They do maintain a robust on-line presence, and the site remains hopeful:

"In March 2007 due to illness, Mr. Wikstrom retired and the store was closed. However, his daughter Marie Wikstrom plans to open another new Swedish Food Store some day. But for now we are carrying on the Wikstrom Swedish Traditions serving Swedish foods online and Swedish catering. Ingvar plans to hopefully soon finish a cookbook of all the Wikstrom famous recipes, Catering ideas, Party planning and Smorgasbord tips."

But like the Swede I am, I get very melancholy driving up north Clark St., particularly at Christmastime. Err, Jul. "Someday" can't come soon enough. *sigh*

sundevilpeg wrote:But like the Swede I am, I get very melancholy driving up north Clark St., particularly at Christmastime. Err, Jul. "Someday" can't come soon enough. *sigh*

Much the way I felt when Kaufman's burned down.

sundevilpeg wrote:Melange, at Plaza del Lago in Wilmette, on Sheridan Road, at the Wilmette/Kenilworth border. It opened just after I moved here, in 1986, and was quite successful and well-reviewed.

Unfortunately, it burned down in 1991, a victim of a botched roof repair - I remember it well, as I was at PdL grocery shopping the day it happened, while it was happening. It eventually reopened in Northfield, in a space that has since been several other high-end restaurants (is is currently the site of Carlos Nieto's Happ Inn). Sadly, Melange never really found its stride again, and closed permanently in 1995. Damn shame. The food and the spectacular view at the Plaza del Lago location made for an exceptional dining experience.

I was pastry chef there at the time of the fire. Actually, I was doing a stage at Campanile that week and saw Rich Melman there. I introduced myself and he said "Sorry about Melange." That was how I heard about the fire.

stevez wrote:

sundevilpeg wrote:But like the Swede I am, I get very melancholy driving up north Clark St., particularly at Christmastime. Err, Jul. "Someday" can't come soon enough. *sigh*

Much the way I felt when Kaufman's burned down.

But Kaufman's "some day" actually arrived.

spinynorman99 wrote:

stevez wrote:

sundevilpeg wrote:But like the Swede I am, I get very melancholy driving up north Clark St., particularly at Christmastime. Err, Jul. "Someday" can't come soon enough. *sigh*

Much the way I felt when Kaufman's burned down.

But Kaufman's "some day" actually arrived.

See? There's hope.

El Panzone wrote:...metro club, 3032 north lincoln=best goulash and wiener schnitzel
when trib asked the secret of his goulash (it had been named best in chicago) pepo replied, "Ist made mit luv"...

mrefjl wrote:...Metro club - best austrian ever- lincoln near greenview. Boy do I miss those.

Agree with the previous mentions of Metro Club. I also fondly remember the side dishes made by Anne (Pepo's wife): small round new potatoes that were fried until golden brown and crunchy, and although I normally don't like sauerkraut, they had the best sauerkraut ever. Wish I knew how they prepared it.

Huddle Restaurants of California, are these of the same pedigree of Huddle House restaurants in the Midwest?

Regards,

Zum Deutschen Eck for really good German food.

Zofia's for Polish food just over the NW Side border into Niles, it turned into Irene's but don't even know what's there now:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993 ... ner-omelet