Roma’s was classic Chicago. Having attended high school at Depaul Academy, I was a regular customer. Great spot for burgers and/or ice cream. Just around the corner from Roma’s (south on Sheffield) was an Italian bakery. Memory serves, it outlasted Roma’s. Anyone recall the name?
It was called Toscana’s Bakery. Mara Toscana, the daughter of the owners, was in my graduate English classes at DePaul. They closed when she married and went on to other endeavors.
oops sorry…her maiden name was Mara Tognieri!
And how could I forget…“Z” Frank! At least the sign is still there…
Zephyrs - some of my earliest childhood memories were going there with my big bro and pops and after eating a burger and a shake and/or sundae, having swordfights with the little tiny plastic swords they’d give you.
Main baseball diamond at River Park - Growing up, just as my dad did in the 50s, I played little league ball at River Park. From the age of 3 (t-ball!) till 14, every year, it was religion. I ended up playing varsity at Von after that. But it’s a shame that the main diamond, is no longer there. The proper diamond, with the wooden backstop, facing NE, is no more. So much for my kids playing at that same diamond. 
Demon Dogs - I saw this mentioned and just have to second that. When I was a teenager, I had major surgery and had an extended stay at Children’s Memorial, and my friends and family bringing me those delicious dogs kept me sane and positive.
Sally’s Stage! - I don’t even know where to begin with the amount of fun times as kids we had there. Some of the most memorable birthday parties were there. If anybody doesn’t remember, it was a grand old place where the waitresses were on rollerskates, there was a stage, and a pipe organ player, and pinball and video games, pizza, and even a mechanical bull!
Hobby Shop - Devon & Western - Much as Cecil described, it’s a shame that these no longer exist. That particular one was where we’d go. So many models of cars, and trains, and baseball card packs were purchased there.
The old TB hospitals behind Peterson Park - Now you may be saying “well it’s good they are gone! They were abandoned and boarded up!” I’m not totally disagreeing. They are now condos btw. But the thing is, is that as kids, they were cool. Sure it was dangerous (my friend once stepped on a rusty nail and had to get a tetnus shot) and unsafe. But as kids, nothing gave us such a rush as to sneak in behind loose boards and roam around inside. It was a sight, it was as if they left over night. Old equipment laid around next to stacks and stacks of files and chest x-rays (there were so many of those chest x-ray cards scattered everywhere, I still remember holding them in my hand.) Roaming those dark, dingy, haunted halls, was probably the closest thing I’ll ever experience to being in a real life horror movie.
The Baskin Robins on Peterson & Bernard - This closed in the early 90s sometime, but if anybody remembers, it was run by a cute old French couple, and they had the whole place decked out in a Paris motif, right down to Perrier bottles with a flower in it on every table!
The Lincoln Village Theater - Which is on the site of the current Borders I believe, in later years was known as the “7-8-9.” But to me, this was my childhood theater. The middle theater, the big one, held 900 patrons! It was huge. I still remember seeing movies such as Star Wars and E.T. there with my family when I was a kid.
Plaza Theater - Sure it was a dump, but we’d sneak into so many movies there as rowdy punk kids, it was so easy!
Irving’s - On Kimball & Lincoln - still to this day, I will insist that they had the best cheddar burger I’ve ever tasted. No place can even closely compare to the cheddar burgers they served up.
Tastee Freeze - Foster & Kimball - The owner at it’s end was cousins with Howie Mandell, and also had a record store next store (Rockin Reds), well once I actually had the pleasure of meeting Howie there when he stopped in.
Diversions - Ahhhh Diversions, the arcade of my childhood (Bunny Hutch couldn’t even compare)
bub city - this place was great. it was a lettuce entertain crabshack by north and kingsbury, and we’d go and order crab there and smash them to bits with our wooden mallets.
Sorry for the long winded reply! There’s tons more I’m sure we all can think of too!
Rigby and lurk – you mentioned that chocolate aroma…
Well…in addition to my full-time job, I have a part-time job (with the same company) in which I occasionally do some teaching, and I’m often placed at UIC. It’s literally right down the street from where my day job is (a mile down the street, but still, down the street nonetheless), and I often walk to UIC afterwards. And darned if almost every time I go there I smell a chocolate aroma as I cross the bridge and approach UIC. It’s especially strong at around 9:30, 10:00 at night when I head to the Blue Line…always makes me want to stop and get a damn sundae…thank God I don’t know where to get one in that area. 
I missed this when it was posted (I was in Chicago for Christmas) but I was at a Star Trek Convention in Chicago late August 1975, but it was at the Hilton on south Michigan.
Chances R - Peanuts on the floor. “Hyde Park”
5th Army Hqtrs. - Now Twin Towers (where Hydy Park Blvd becomes 51st.
Lettuce Entertain You & the rest of the chain. Like “R J Grunts” gone - I think.
Riverview- Amusement park.
Kiddieland- Another amusement park near Stony and 95th.
The Pickle Barrel- Restaurant with peanut shells on the floor, sandwiches and burgers and the balloon twisting guy.
Tai Sam Yon- For years the top rated restaurant in Chicago.
Skeet Shooting on the Lakefront. Never did it, but it was fun to watch.
So, how about it? Who has fond memories of things no longer around Chicago?
[/QUOTE]
That’ll be a surprise to the many people who patronize LEYE establishments, including:
http://www.rjgruntschicago.com/
Warning - frigging thing has sound.
Yes, RJ Grunts is still there, but many fine Lettuce establishments *are *gone. Off the top of my head, there’s Lawrence of Oregano, Tucci Benucch, Jonathan Livingston Seafood, and Great Gritsby’s.
All I care is that Big Bowl is still around.
Riverview was of course the ultimate teen destination in the 60s. It had the Bobs, the Parachutes, what more can I say. Two Ton Baker said it all in the ads.
I remember the kiddieland on Stony from a few visits out south, but in my neighborhood the place to be at night was Hollywood Kiddieland at Lincoln and Mc Cormick/ Kimball. It had batting cages and trampolines as well.
I loved both Pickle Barrel locations. I just saw a photo on fb of the Old town location’s interior. In fact, Old Town of the 60s was a unique place. It was the Greenwich Village /Haight Asbury of the Midwest. Wells Street was from Goethe St to Lincoln Ave was the show of shows on the weekends.
I could go on forever.
Thanks for remembering baseball at the main diamond at River Pk. I played there in your Dad’s era. It was the largest park up north.
Every male in the neighborhood went to Hobbymodels at Devon and Western for their amazing selection. Nobody had cooler slot cars in stock.
I’d like to mention the grand movie houses we had the opportunity to visit – the Nortown and the Granada. As kids we waited in line for an hour to catch the double feature Westerns and toss popcorn boxes at the screen . We won’t see those palaces again.
I’m waiting for a Bob Elson statue to be erected at 35 th and Shields.
Loved Lytton’s as well. Buffalo ice cream parlor on Irving & Pulaski.
Back to 1938-39. South of Humbolt park, I think between Division and Chiago ave’.
There was a great wooden ovel for bicycle race’s. In the 1920’s and early 30"s they had
SIX day bike rides there. SIX day’s, never saw one, but remember my Dad talking about them.
I kmow I’m too old. Sorry.
Not to be overly picky, (but that’s Cecil’s M.O., isn’t it?)the hobby store at the corner of Devon and Western, was called Hobby Models. This was in the days when you could actually buy airplane glue for purposes other than “huffing.”
Anybody remember The Nortown Theatre? Or Friedman’s Deli right next door?
Is the Pekin House still there? Best Egg Rolls outside of China Town
Swiss Pastries, a little further north on Western?
Puff Fluff Donuts-Western and Pratt
Miller’s Steak House-Great Ribs.
Sunset Bowl-More North on Western
The Welcome Inn-Super thin crust pie
All great joints-long gone I’m afraid.
The Nortown had the amazing atmospheric ceiling.
Freidman’s - fabulous corned beef sandwhiches at any hour
Sunset -Largest bowling alley in the neighborhood. Located at Touhy - Western. A few others were Theater Bowl at Pratt - Western and Bud Shabley’s above Crawford’s on Devon.
For pizza it was Il Forno or Oddo’s
Kow Kow on Devon- Rockwell had incredible egg rolls. Now located in Lincolnwood.
For steaks it was the Black Angus at Touhy - Western.
Hot dogs - Fluky’s had the original Chicago style dog at Pratt - Western.
Great places of the past.
Sadly, I have to revive this thread to mention one more cool thing that’s gone:
Hoagie Hut at the intersection of Sheffield, Lincoln and Wrightwood. I used to work near there and loved enjoying the 2-dog special while listening to the eclectic music playing over the PA. In particular, I remember hearing Tom Waits and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd…
Went past it on the Brown Line a few days ago and noticed that the windows all had white paper, and a Google search revealed that they closed on September 30.
Holy Crap! That’s two blocks from my house! How could I not have noticed? Must have been eating too healthy these days…TRM (who still mourns for Demon Dogs)