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“There are a lot of classic dishes, but it’s also a German restaurant shaped by American culture,” he said. Nagrant was also asked if he thought the German food was close to being authentic at The Berghoff. Today, The Berghoff is known for its authentic German cuisine and stays popular due to tradition. In 2006, the restaurant closed for a year but was reopened with three different sections: The Berghoff Bar, Restaurant, and Café.
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When the Prohibition took place, Berghoff used this time to expand the food service and brew “near beer.” The Prohibition was in effect for 14 years and helped the restaurant become known for authentic German cuisine.
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He sold beer for a nickel and they came with a free sandwich on the side.
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He failed to get a liquor license in the city, so instead opened The Berghoff as a café. Berghoff came to New York at 17 and took over a brewery, where he made a signature lager that became very popular. Herman Berghoff opened the 100 percent family-owned German restaurant in 1898. So here's a list of the city's 10 oldest restaurants. Stark concluded in a 2014 study that only 17 percent of independently-owned restaurant startups closed in their first year of business, compared with 19 percent for every other service-providing startups. Society has an assumption that restaurants have a difficult time thriving in an industry where a new restaurant is always just around the corner. Timeline: Chicago’s 10 Oldest Restaurants The family behind Italian Village is extraordinary and the second generation built an incredible wine cellar.” "I love that The Beatles once visited Margie’s. “I love that The Berghoff has a Chicago liquor license No. Therefore, this list dates back to The Berghoff, which opened in 1898.Ĭhicago independent food critic Michael Nagrant, who wrote for the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye, was asked which of the restaurants had the greatest historical presence. The oldest, Daley’s Restaurant, dates back to 1892, but it was not allowed by city officials to incorporate into the list due to Hyde Park’s high crime rate at the time. This is a time not only just for gift giving, but it is also a time when many people get together to go out to dinner.Īnd not far from Chicago's shopping are some of the city's oldest restaurants. With the holiday season here, people are frantically running around to finish on only their Christmas shopping, but finding time to gather for dinner out on the town. By Christina Welky and Jennifer Monday, Dec.
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