A few weeks ago I was researching on the internet about a restaurant
in Winnetka, Illinois, where my parents and I used to enjoy dinner out.
It was a well loved restaurant called the Indian Trail. If you ever saw the
movie Ferris Bueller's Day off, you saw the principal standing in front
of this restaurant, looking for Ferris.
Here is the scene from that film:
Sadly, the restaurant is now gone, but the memories live on for
me and for others. I did manage to find a recipe for their delicious
salad dressing.
While hunting for this particular restaurant, I also started to look
for others. That is when I discovered The Ford Treasury of Famous
Eating Places. There are two volumes printed back in the early 1950's.
The Ford Motor Company produced these books and naturally also
showed off their vehicles in the process. The books are divided into
regions of the US, and are beautifully illustrated.
Of course, all the old inns of the northeast are prominently displayed.
So fun to see and to read the recipes too.
I was thrilled to see Pocono Manor listed. This is where my beloved
parents spent their honeymoon. I have the brochures they saved too.
The Pocono Manor is still in business today.
I always loved the Pump Room in Chicago. It has always been in the
Ambassador East Hotel, just a couple of blocks away from my Aunt's
house. So many famous people have dined here. David and I flew to
Chicago for a visit back in 1995 and celebrated our anniversary here.
This is another of my favorite Chicago area restaurants, Fanny's in
Evanston. I was born in Evanston hospital, so it's a town dear to my
heart, and is also the home of Northwestern University.
Fanny's was a beloved restaurant too. Like the Pump Room, it was
visited by many, many famous people. Unlike the Pump Room, it had
a more homey atmosphere. The spaghetti and meat sauce was very
memorable. Kraft foods tried to buy Fanny's recipe for her sauce, but she
would never sell it. Here is a link about Fanny's I hope you will enjoy.
It tells the story of Fanny's humble beginnings and her great success.
Some of the recipes in old cookbooks may seem boring by today's
standards, but we can make new discoveries of recipes long
forgotten. I have only been able to find two of these treasuries and
I am not certain if there are more, but these two have been fun to
read and to enjoy the colorful vintage graphics.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
My mother had so many old cookbooks. I gave them to the granddaughters and they treasure them.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness this post was so interesting. I collect cookbooks also. These are wonderful ones. I'm so glad you were able to find these that are so close to your heart and hold a treasure of memories for you.
ReplyDeleteI love old cookbooks! Thanks for sharing your with us :)
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Winnetka and remember the Indian Trail. My mother in law at one time was a hostess there. I know of Fanny's and of the Pump room too. Some of my family are still in Winnetka. I am not too far.
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