Chicagoan devotees of retro Italian-American cuisine, rejoice. In celebration of its 85th anniversary as a Windy City Institution, Gene & Georgetti — one of the absolute best steakhouses in the Chicago — is introducing a limited-time menu reviving a host of dishes that date back to 1941, the era when the restaurant was a favorite of Frank Sinatra, allowing modern visitors to dine just as the singer of “My Way” once did.
As announced on Instagram, this mouthwatering throwback menu will be available only through August, and features caramelized, thick-cut bacon with blue cheese, walnut cranberry salad with the restaurant’s signature apple vinaigrette, fried ravioli in marinara sauce, pepper steak with sweet peppers and mushrooms, and a spicy lobster Fra Diavolo. All of these dishes pay homage to recipes and traditions dating back to the restaurant’s opening, per Secret Chicago.
If you truly want to dine like Frank Sinatra, whose favorite food and drinks included numerous Italian classics and who would often turn up at Gene and Georgetti for late night dinners after performing, you may be lucky enough to secure the corner booth which the restaurant reports was his favorite. Be warned, however, that this spot is understandably much coveted.
Since its founding by Gene Michelotti and Alfredo “Georgetti” Federighi, Gene & Georgetti has attracted numerous celebrity patrons beyond Sinatra, from golden age figures like Bob Hope and Lucille Ball to contemporary stars like Keanu Reeves and Mariah Carey. For over eight decades, the restaurant has remained under the same family, in the same location in Chicago’s North River since the day it first opened. In 2001, Gene & Georgetti became the first Chicago steakhouse to receive the DiRōNA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) award, while this year it was named the first ever Iconic Restaurant of the Year at the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence.
Commenting in Secret Chicago, Gene & Georgetti owner and granddaughter of Michelotti Michelle Dupretti commented: “This anniversary is incredibly meaningful because it celebrates so much more than 85 years of serving great food — it honors the generations of people who built Gene & Georgetti into what it is today … My father, Tony Durpetti, devoted his life to preserving and strengthening that legacy while making every guest feel like family.”
For those truly devoted to following in Sinatra’s culinary footsteps, Gene & Georgetti isn’t the only great eatery he enjoyed — any of these 12 restaurants Frank Sinatra loved across the U.S. would be worth a visit. These include the fellow Chicago landmark Twin Anchors (where the ribs are as good today as when Sinatra fell in love with them), Brooklyn’s oldest Italian restaurant Bamonte’s, and Melvyn’s in Palm Springs, where you can still order steak Diane and Jack Daniels with a splash of water, just like the Chairman of the Board.
