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It turns out that the Chicago History Museum has archived several hundred such menus, from as far back as the middle of the 19th century, when you could go out to eat and tuck into dishes like loin of bear, quail pie, and snipe. But, needless to say, the menus aren’t aging well. To raise money to digitize this slowly deteriorating bit of culinary history, the museum’s hosting an event entitled “Endangered Treasures” in the restored dining room at Roosevelt University, in what was once Louis Sullivan’s Auditorium Hotel, this Friday. Presenters include Bruce Kraig, emeritus professor in history and humanities at Roosevelt, and Rick Bayless, who’ll talk about developments in Chicago’s culinary history.
Many European wines were also on offer, including French bottles from the great vineyards like Chateau Margaux and St. Emilion. Kraig explains that this Euro-style of eating was popularized in the States at New York places like Delmonico’s, and the French cooking tradition–and French-trained chefs–spread from the Big Apple to Chicago, along with .
· Oyster Patties (Foster House)
· Boneless Turkey Wings (The Auditorium Hotel)
