“If you think that Chicago, from a gourmet’s point of view, is nothing more than a maze of red-hot stands, chili parlors, cafeterias, barbecue stalls, one-arm joints, chop suey restaurants, counter lunch rooms and all other such human filling stations, artistically embellished with bullet holes, you’re as mistaken as Columbus was when he started out on his trip to India the wrong way.”
That’s our philosophy, but we’re quoting critic John Drury, who enlightened us on the Chicago restaurant scene as it existed in 1931, with his guidebook “Dining in Chicago.” Entertainingly written, this guidebook, now available free online, forms a picture of a city where one has always been able to dine well.
Only one restaurant Drury detailed — Chinatown’s oldest, Won Kow — still exists more or less as he describes it, though several hotels and other locations mentioned are now home to other eateries. In an interesting approach to restaurant criticism, Drury often writes more about an establishment’s customers than its food.
Besides its now-historic dining info, Drury’s guide also talks about Chicago nightlife of the period and includes a number of Prohibition-era cocktail recipes and a guide to wine pairing.
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