Tony_Spilotro wrote:Great thread, let's keep it going. Others that come to mind:
Italian Kitchen (Deerfield)

Used to go here often when I worked at Baxter Labs in Deerfield. Do they still have the garbage pizza? (Everything, including Italian beef on it.) Haven't been there since I left Baxter maybe 40 years ago.

In Wheeling is Kilcoyne's Redwood Inn. It's more of a tavern, but there's a small dining room with maybe 6-8 tables. And of course, you can eat at the white formica bar.

They do a Wisconsin-style fish fry on Fridays. Thursday is steak night. It's something like $17 and is so big, my husband and I split one and often still take some home. Dinners come with a side of steamed vegetables because that's what you need to make a balanced meal, like mom taught you.

If Kilcoyne's food and atmosphere haven't dragged you back to another time, take a look at their landline phone: it has a rotary dial.

https://kilcoynesredwoodbarandgrill.com/#
342 Milwaukee Ave.
Wheeling, IL

jasubar wrote:Kilcoyne's Redwood Inn

How's the fish? I see they have AYCE lake perch @ $18 and AYCE cod @ $15, a darn good deal for being in town. And a half slab of ribs with accompaniments for $13.

Cynthia wrote:

Tony_Spilotro wrote:Great thread, let's keep it going. Others that come to mind:
Italian Kitchen (Deerfield)

Used to go here often when I worked at Baxter Labs in Deerfield. Do they still have the garbage pizza? (Everything, including Italian beef on it.) Haven't been there since I left Baxter maybe 40 years ago.

How about The Silo in Lake Bluff?

Merichka's - how can you ever forget "Garlic Buterine"

Lou Mitchells - can't beat double yolk eggs.

Vito & Nick's. My parents lived at 91st & Pulaski when I was first around - don't think this place has changed one bit. Those formative years spoiled me for any other pizza.

Also, someone else here mentioned Bruna's. First bday dinner post-pandemic last week. I've lost (temporarily?) my desire to go to any higher end, fancier places and requested Bruna's. It was fantastic.

TSmitty, I mentioned Bruna's. When we lived in Hyde Park in the 80s, we went there all the time. We don't go as often since moving to Oak Park but every time we do go, it's wonderful and we love that the decor hasn't changed at all. I believe that our last visit was pre-pandemic, in the summer of 2019. We are certainly due to return.

PeteF wrote:Just had a celebratory Sundae today at Margie's Candies on Western/ Armitage (oh that homemade hot fudge!) and while it's not as restaurant-y as many spots on this list it's most definitely from another time. (But what time... 1921? Early 1960s? Late '70s? All of the above?)

My husband is addicted to their sea salt terrapins. Pecans and caramel coated in silky chocolate and dusted with sea salt. We go every couple of weeks to satisfy his cravings!

Bruna's website claims it's Chicago's 3rd oldest Italian restaurant, founded 1933. Makes me wonder what the 1st and 2nd are, and if they are already on this list?

masha wrote:TSmitty, I mentioned Bruna's. When we lived in Hyde Park in the 80s, we went there all the time. We don't go as often since moving to Oak Park but every time we do go, it's wonderful and we love that the decor hasn't changed at all. I believe that our last visit was pre-pandemic, in the summer of 2019. We are certainly due to return.

Ha - we live in OP as well. Took us maybe 15-20 minutes to get to Bruna's on a weeknight. I hope you get back there soon!

tjr wrote:Bruna's website claims it's Chicago's 3rd oldest Italian restaurant, founded 1933. Makes me wonder what the 1st and 2nd are, and if they are already on this list?

Italian Village & Tufano's - but those are just my guesses!

TSmitty wrote:

tjr wrote:Bruna's website claims it's Chicago's 3rd oldest Italian restaurant, founded 1933. Makes me wonder what the 1st and 2nd are, and if they are already on this list?

Italian Village & Tufano's - but those are just my guesses!

Italian Village claims 1927.

Thanks, TSmitty! and thetrob for mentioning Tufano's earlier. Tufano's Vernon Park Tap claims 1930, so I guess that makes it second with Italian Village first: September 20, 1927.

I would nominate the Nite 'N Gale in Highwood. It hasn't changed since my childhood in the 60's. Still has good food, though.

Nite 'N Gale
346 Sheridan Rd.
Highwood, IL 60040

(847) 432-9744

Nite 'N Gale and The Silo, both great additions to this list.

tjr wrote:

jasubar wrote:Kilcoyne's Redwood Inn

How's the fish? I see they have AYCE lake perch @ $18 and AYCE cod @ $15, a darn good deal for being in town. And a half slab of ribs with accompaniments for $13.

I think the cod is quite good; my husband prefers the perch.

I just noticed on their website the steak dinner has gone up to $22.75. A sign of the times I suppose, but still a good deal. And when splitting the steak, for $1 more, you get a second set of sides.

9 Oldest Restaurants in Chicago You Can Still Eat At

Of course, that's only ones in the city itself. The Village Tavern in Long Grove claims 1849, as noted here. And downstate, Muldaner's in Springfield opened in 1884.

I'll add these:
Pequod (Morton Grove)
Burt's Place (Morton Grove)
Fox's Pizza (Beverly)
Top Notch Beefburgers (Beverly)
Joe's Pizzeria (Wheeling)
Hamburger Heaven (Elmhurst)
Mr. D's Shish-Kabobs (old school mom and pop operation in Montclare)
The Lantern (Lake Forest)
Sano's Pizza (Mayfair)

And don't forget dessert at a real throwback from 1921:
Margie's Candies (Bucktown)

Did a quick stop in to Nottoli and sons and Josephs finest meats last weekend. Obviously Josephs isn't a restaurant but fits that throwback vibe

Village Tavern of Long Grove is the oldest restaurant in Illinois -- 1847 -- that is still in business. I think it's charming, but I believe much of its success rests on it being in Long Grove, which was the first place in Illinois to receive a Historic Village designation.

Fifty and more years ago, my parents went to the Village Tavern in Long Grove for fried fish on Friday nights during Lent after Stations of the Cross---a rare opportunity to get away for an evening once the older kids were old enough to watch the younger ones.

I still enjoy its big, beautiful, long, warm, dark bar ("massive 35' mahogany 'Presidents Bar' out of McCormick Place," the website says) at the Village Tavern and think it is central to its charm. There's also the AYCE Friday fish fry, Dorfler's meat market beef, and AYCE broasted chicken Mondays and Wednesdays.

lougord99 wrote:I would nominate the Nite 'N Gale in Highwood.

We went to Nite 'n Gale last Saturday night. Definitely a throwback. Excellent food and a great value too. Some highlights: Tenderloin trio - 3 nice little fillets, all excellent, topped with the optional cheese. Some of the most tender steak I've tried recently. Tempura scallops - delicious big sweet scallops. And we had 3 loaves of bread (the third time the bread server came by and asked if we wanted more bread, when we said yes, she replied, "Really?" but cheerfully handed over the little loaf.) along with innumerable little old school wineglasses of soda. My sole regret: Being too full for the homemade ice cream, which looked superb.

Went to Redwood Inn in Wheeling for the first time Friday. Surprised that it's so small, barely double digit number of tables. And so uncrowded - people are missing a gem. I had the cod fish fry. Excellent fish and fries along with really good steamed vegetables, a nice foil for the high-calorie fish.

Did somebody mention Gene& Jude’s? Or Three happiness??

TSmitty wrote:

masha wrote:TSmitty, I mentioned Bruna's. When we lived in Hyde Park in the 80s, we went there all the time. We don't go as often since moving to Oak Park but every time we do go, it's wonderful and we love that the decor hasn't changed at all. I believe that our last visit was pre-pandemic, in the summer of 2019. We are certainly due to return.

Ha - we live in OP as well. Took us maybe 15-20 minutes to get to Bruna's on a weeknight. I hope you get back there soon!

Just want to report that we got back to Bruna's, finally, about 2 weeks ago. It was as wonderful as I remembered; actually better. The Ravioli alla Bolognese was outstanding.