Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: How the Tribune reviewed 50 years of the restaurant group’s concept debuts
Here’s a look back at some of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant concepts that worked — and some that didn’t — during the company’s past 50 years.
JUNE 10, 1971
R.J. Grunts
2056 Lincoln Park West, Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Celebrity diners include “Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, John Candy, Gilda Radner, Joel Grey, Bonnie Hunt, The Pointer Sisters, Peter Max, the Maharishi and Steve Stone and Bobby Douglass,” according to the owners.
Status: Still open!
1973
Fritz, That’s It
1615 Chicago Ave., Evanston
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Closed.
1974
The Great Gritzbe’s Flying Food Show
21 E. Chestnut St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Closed.
1975
Jonathan Livingston Seafood
5419 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago (Edgewater Plaza)
Original Chicago Tribune review:
The space later became corporate offices for the restaurant purveyor.
Status: Closed.
1976
Lawrence of Oregano opens
662 W. Diversey Parkway, Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Many of the performers at the hip Italian restaurant are staffers.
Status: Closed.
1976
The Pump Room
1301 N. State Parkway, Chicago (inside the Ambassador Chicago)
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Celebrities who visited the restaurant included “Frank Sinatra, Burt Reynolds, Phyllis Diller, Michael J. Fox, Liza Minelli and Cary Grant,” according to the owners.
Status: Closed.
1979
Bones
7110 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: The location later became L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge, which remains open today.
1980
Ambria
2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago (The Belden-Stratford)
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Slated to reopen in the same location after closing in 2007.
1980
Taste of Chicago (ChicagoFest)
North Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Ohio Street, Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Inspired by Summerfest in Milwaukee.
Status: Taste of Chicago To-Go returns this summer.
1984
Ed Debevic’s Short Order Deluxe
640 N. Wells St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Slated to reopen soon.
1985
Shaw’s Crab House
21 E. Hubbard St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
1986
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
2044 N. Halsted St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
1987
Scoozi
410 W. Huron St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Closed in 2014.
1987
Everest Room
440 S. LaSalle St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Closed in 2020.
1988
Hat Dance
325 W. Huron St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Closed.
1989
The Eccentric, Oprah’s restaurant
159 W. Erie St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Closed. A Wildfire Restaurant is now in that location.
1989
Bub City
901 W. Weed St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Now open in River North and Rosemont.
1991
Maggiano’s Little Italy
516 N. Clark St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Concept later sold to Brinker International.
1992
Big Bowl
159 1/2 W. Erie St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Concept sold to Brinker International in 1995, then repurchased by Lettuce Entertain You. Now located at 60 E. Ohio St., Chicago.
1993
Foodlife
Water Tower Place, Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Closed in 2020.
1995
Wildfire
159 W. Erie St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: The concept has locations in three states in addition to its original location.
1999
Tru
676 N. St. Clair St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: The Michelin two-star restaurant closed in 2017.
1999
Vong
6 W. Hubbard St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Closed.
1999
Antico Posto
118 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
2000
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
60 E. Grand Ave., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open. Locations also in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.
2005
Di Pescara
2124 Northbrook Court, Northbrook
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
2008
Hub 51
51 W. Hubbard St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
2008
L20
2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: The fine-dining concept, which earned three Michelin stars, closed in 2014.
2011
Paris Club and Studio Paris
59 W. Hubbard St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Hosted performers “Kaskade, Tiësto, Justin Bieber, Calvin Harris, Snoop Dogg, Diplo, Chance the Rapper and more,” according to the company.
Status: Closed in 2016 and reopened as Il Porcellino.
2012
RPM Italian
52 W. Illinois St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
RPM Italian, which includes Bill and Giuliana Rancic as partners, opens and is soon followed by RPM Steak, RPM Seafood and RPM Events.
Status: Open and also includes RPM Steak, RPM Seafood and RPM Events.
2013
Beatrix
519 N. Clark St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open with additional locations in the city, Oak Brook and Florida.
2013
Three Dots and a Dash
435 N. Clark St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
2017
Seaside’s
1962 N. Hasted St., No. 2, Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
2018
Aba
302 N. Green St., Floor 3, Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
2019
RPM on the Water and Pizzeria Portofino
317 N. Clark St., Chicago
Original Chicago Tribune review:
Status: Open.
Check out the Tribune’s archives at your fingertips at Newspapers.com.
Sources: Lettuce Entertain You; Tribune photos and archives
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