Comments on: So long, spinning salad bowl! Don Roth’s Blackhawk to close http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2009/11/05/so-long-spinning-salad-bowl-don-roths-blackhawk-to-close/ Restaurants, Nightlife and More Wed, 1 Feb 2012 04:41:52 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Leah A. Zeldes http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2009/11/05/so-long-spinning-salad-bowl-don-roths-blackhawk-to-close/comment-page-1/#comment-1439 Leah A. Zeldes Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:50:28 +0000 http://blog.diningchicago.com/?p=3072#comment-1439 You're most welcome, and thanks for the great news that Chicagoans can count on Lawry's great prime rib and classic service into the future. How about adding some Big Band music? You’re most welcome, and thanks for the great news that Chicagoans can count on Lawry’s great prime rib and classic service into the future. How about adding some Big Band music?

]]> By: Richard R. Frank http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2009/11/05/so-long-spinning-salad-bowl-don-roths-blackhawk-to-close/comment-page-1/#comment-1433 Richard R. Frank Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:35:01 +0000 http://blog.diningchicago.com/?p=3072#comment-1433 Dear Ms, Zeldes, Thanks for the reference to Lawry's the Prime Rib in your story about the closing of Don Roth's Blackhawk. My father, who at 86 is still active as our Chairman of the Board, was a freind of Don's for many years. Lawry's The Prime Rib, Chicago, which opened in 1974 and became an immediate hit signed a 20 year extension to our lease this past year. Our location on the Magnificent Mile put us in the sweet spot of Chicago dining so we expect to be spinning lots of salads and rolling our prime rib carts tableside for many years to come. And (a good thing for me) members of the fourth generation of the Frank and Van de Kamp families are currently active in the business, which tells me that Lawry's will continue to be a strong brand in the industry. Best regards, Richard R. Frank President and CEO Lawry's Restaurants, Inc. Dear Ms, Zeldes,

Thanks for the reference to Lawry’s the Prime Rib in your story about the closing of Don Roth’s Blackhawk. My father, who at 86 is still active as our Chairman of the Board, was a freind of Don’s for many years.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Chicago, which opened in 1974 and became an immediate hit signed a 20 year extension to our lease this past year. Our location on the Magnificent Mile put us in the sweet spot of Chicago dining so we expect to be spinning lots of salads and rolling our prime rib carts tableside for many years to come.

And (a good thing for me) members of the fourth generation of the Frank and Van de Kamp families are currently active in the business, which tells me that Lawry’s will continue to be a strong brand in the industry.

Best regards,

Richard R. Frank
President and CEO
Lawry’s Restaurants, Inc.

]]> By: Leah A. Zeldes http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2009/11/05/so-long-spinning-salad-bowl-don-roths-blackhawk-to-close/comment-page-1/#comment-1430 Leah A. Zeldes Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:27:42 +0000 http://blog.diningchicago.com/?p=3072#comment-1430 Sounds like a fun trip! I never had a chance to visit the original Blackhawk — I moved to Chicago the year after it closed — but I'll miss the Wheeling restaurant. There are so few places with that sort of class. Sounds like a fun trip! I never had a chance to visit the original Blackhawk — I moved to Chicago the year after it closed — but I’ll miss the Wheeling restaurant. There are so few places with that sort of class.

]]> By: Phil Krone http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2009/11/05/so-long-spinning-salad-bowl-don-roths-blackhawk-to-close/comment-page-1/#comment-1427 Phil Krone Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:11:05 +0000 http://blog.diningchicago.com/?p=3072#comment-1427 I had the privilege of being in the group that traveled to Russia in 1990 to accompany the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Don and Ann were among the more popular members of the entourage and one night they had a little party in Moscow in their hotel room after a concert and I noticed that Ann had her fabuoous jewels (real) sitting on top of the safe. I pointed it out to her, and she said, "it was a tough choice, but there wasn't room for everything. So I decided to put our cans of tuna and jars of peanut butter in the safe." This lady has always had her priorities in order! From the 1950's to the 1980's I used to go the restuarant on Wabash regularly. My wife and I have only been to Wheeling twice (its out of the way) but we'll have to get up there sometime between now and New Year's eve. Its too bad to lose this wonderful place; I hope there's a Blackhawk's in heaven, along with Fritzel's, Henrici's and Toffenetti's; and just in case I hope all of them have brances in hell and purgatory too. My best to Ann and her family. Don and she are (and were) class acts. I wish their employees well, but she's making a wise decision. The place wouldn't be the same without a Roth at the helm. I had the privilege of being in the group that traveled to Russia in 1990 to accompany the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Don and Ann were among the more popular members of the entourage and one night they had a little party in Moscow in their hotel room after a concert and I noticed that Ann had her fabuoous jewels (real) sitting on top of the safe. I pointed it out to her, and she said, “it was a tough choice, but there wasn’t room for everything. So I decided to put our cans of tuna and jars of peanut butter in the safe.” This lady has always had her priorities in order!

From the 1950′s to the 1980′s I used to go the restuarant on Wabash regularly. My wife and I have only been to Wheeling twice (its out of the way) but we’ll have to get up there sometime between now and New Year’s eve. Its too bad to lose this wonderful place; I hope there’s a Blackhawk’s in heaven, along with Fritzel’s, Henrici’s and Toffenetti’s; and just in case I hope all of them have brances in hell and purgatory too.

My best to Ann and her family. Don and she are (and were) class acts. I wish their employees well, but she’s making a wise decision. The place wouldn’t be the same without a Roth at the helm.

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