David Witter

In the old days, "Bridgeport and dining" usually meant meat. Steaks, ribs and chops from the nearby slaughterhouses served in restaurants like the Glass Dome Hickory Pit, where politicos like Richard J. Daley, Otto Kerner and William McFetridge cut into prime rib through thick clouds of cigar smoke.

But in a neighborhood traditionally populated by Germans, Irish, Lithuanians, Swedes, Italians, Mexicans and Chinese, Bridgeport also has a tradition of small ethnic enclaves. Today, this melting pot of working-class Chicago is a thriving mix of old ethnic and "Nuevo White Sox" cuisine.

The Polo Café

3322 S. Morgan, (773)927-7656

The Polo Café takes the old Bridgeport theme of "sweets and meats" and brings it to the next level. A former candy store, the restaurant features remnants of the soda fountain and booths with etched glass dividers. But the star of the Polo complex is the Old Eagle Banquet Room. Converted from a 1914 nickelodeon that catered to Lithuanian immigrants, the spacious hall has mahogany floors, copper hardware around the bar, and a seven-foot Wurlitzer concert piano.

The food also reflects blue collar wrapped in chiffon lace. Steaks and chops are still the centerpiece, but the one pound rib-eye is certified Angus. While in the old days pork chops were good enough broiled, the special of the day might be a hoisin-glazed butterfly chop, tender as a tenderloin, with portabella mushroom and scallion glaze de viande.

Regular dishes include pastas, salads and a fish selection of halibut, salmon and yellow fin tuna. Much of the crowd seems to be regulars from the neighborhood. White Sox signs fill the rafters, and just like the longtime "second-Second City team" the Polo Café looks like another old standby charging into a new era.

Bertucci's

300 W. 24th, (312)225-2848

Although it is technically on the "other side of the viaduct" in Chinatown, Bertucci's reflects the era when Italians started to move in and around Bridgeport to work on the railroads shortly after World War I. A small joint with checkered tablecloths, specials on the blackboard, and Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett and Tony Bennett on the jukebox, Bertucci's has been around since 1934.

Regular dishes include veal picante, veal parmesan, fettuccini alfredo, baked clam appetizers, and the rest of the standard American/Southern Italian fare. But like the Polo Club, the specials carry with them a new tradition. They include items like baccala, gnocchi peppercorn, eggplant rollatini and frog legs Vesuvius. The treat of the board seems to be chicken breast stuffed with spinach and gorgonzola cheese, served with a generous portion of wide linguini noodles in a light creamy red sauce. If you want to go to South Philly but don't have the money, Bertucci's is a great alternative.

Healthy Foods Lithuanian Restaurant

3236 S. Halsted, (312)326-2724

Jurgis Rudkus, the fictional Lithuanian immigrant from Upton Sinclair's Bridgeport-based "The Jungle," would feel at home at Healthy Foods. With the cuisine's mix between German and Polish, any Lithuanian grandmother is judged on her kugelis, made from grated potatoes, bacon and onions pressed into a patty and fried. Healthy Foods may be one of the last restaurants to feature true homemade kugelis. Other specialties include whole roast duck with potatoes and orange glaze, sausages, veal, mushroom soup and borscht. Desserts including apple, blueberry and rhubarb pie are all homemade. The décor serves as a primer on Lithuanian culture, with decorations made of straw, amber (the official jewel of Lithuania) and pictures and posters from the old country that would make Jurgis homesick.

Schaller's Pump

3714 S. Halsted, (773)376-6332

With the closing of the Berghoff, Schaller's Pump is now the oldest bar in Chicago. In operation since the late 1880s, Schaller's is noted as such for its close proximity to the old Ambrosia Brewery, which "pumped" in beer from next door. During the 1920s it served as a speakeasy, and the back door still has the sliding "peephole" to prove it.

"This was always an ethnic bar," Jack Schaller says. "I've seen the Germans, Irish, Lithuanians, Italians and Mexicans all come. Some have stayed while some have left."

The food is not your modern bar blend of hot wings, frozen pizza, salads and burgers. Instead, Schaller's features a stick-to-your-ribs array of veal cutlets, butt steaks, fish fries, and hearty soups in an atmosphere that truly is a living Chicago museum.

Freddy's Pizza

701 W. 31st , (312)808-0147

Some say that Bridgeport is changing, but there isn't much evidence of it at Freddy's. A yellow florescent light and picnic benches on the sidewalk make this one of Chicago's classic late-night neighborhood hangouts. The fare includes the usual--slices, wings, Italian lemonade, and gigantic Italian beef and double Italian sausages. But the key to Freddy's is not the food--it's the theater. Teenaged girls with puffed-up hair, guys in high-school football jerseys, Streets and San workers, cops, cab drivers, and "fugettaboutit" guys fill the streets. Only the cell phones and "2006 World Series Champion" t-shirts tell you that it's not the seventies.

Other Bridgeport restaurants:

Ace Bakeries

3241 S. Halsted

(312)225-4973

Bridgeport Coffee House

3101 S. Morgan

(773)247-9950

Bridgeport Restaurant

3500 S. Halsted

(773) 247-2826

Chinese Kitchen

420 W. 31st

(312)842-8996

Chinese Royal Kitchen

220 W. 31st

(312)949-1988

Connie's Pizza

2373 S. Archer

(312)326-3443

Ed's Potsticker House

3139 S. Halsted

(312)326-6898

Ferro's

200 W. 31st

(312)842-0702

Filbert's

3430 S. Ashland

(773)847-1520

Gio's

2724 S. Lowe

(312)225-6368

Lina's Pizza

3132 S. Morgan

(773)247-7778

Maxwell Street Depot

411 W. 31st

(312)326-3514

Monastery of the Holy Cross Bed & Breakfast

3111 S. Aberdeen

(773)927-7424

Pancho Pistolas

700 W. 31st

(312)225-8808

Phil's Pizza

3551 S. Halsted

(773)523-0947

Picante Grill

1626 S. Halsted

(312)455-8500

Punky's Pizza and Pasta

2600 S. Wallace

(312)842-2100

Ramova Grill

3510 S. Halsted

(773)847-9058

Ricobenes

252 W. 26th

(312)225-5555

Southside Shrimp House

335 W. 31st

(312)567-0000

Stage's Family Restaurant

657 W. 31st

(312)225-0396

Taco Erendira

3207 S. Halsted

(312)567-0202

Taqueria San Jose

3253 S. Halsted

(312)225-7386

Three Happiness

2130 S. Wentworth

(312)791-1228

Wing Yip

537 W. 26th

(312)326-2822

(2006-05-02)

Also by David Witter

A Fish Story
For many who grew up in and around Chicago, a fish dinner meant breaded perch, a fish sandwich, or every mom's favorite--fish sticks. Yet when you open the twenty-by-twenty-foot freezers at Rubino's Seafood, 735 West Lake, a different picture begins to emerge
(2006-03-28)

The Pork-Chop Wars
The smell of grilled onions is the first sign of the rivalry between The Express Grill, at 1260 South Union, and Jim's Original "Maxwell Street" next door
(2006-02-28)

The Chicago Archives of Alcohol
The best way to understand the history of Chicago is to go to a saloon. Much of Chicago's history, and especially its politics, revolved on a barstool
(2006-01-17)

Song Sung Blues
In recent months, many small venues that feature open mics and bar gigs have begun to resemble raves, advertising only by handwritten signs, word-of-mouth and even moving at a moment's notice
(2005-12-13)

Death in the Woods
(2005-10-25)

Puppy love
(2005-09-20)

Last, last call
(2005-08-16)

Old Town Blues
(2005-08-02)

Pie-eyed
(2005-07-21)

Carnies
(2005-06-28)

My parade, part 1
(2005-06-24)

How does your garden grow?
(2005-06-09)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment