A Boozy History
This building, trying to pose as a medieval castle of some sort was once the home of the
Ivanhoe Restaurant, inspired by Sir Walter Scott's book. Brothers Ralph and Harold Jansen opened the Robin Hood-themed establishment in 1920, just after the United States passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting the sale of liquor. Allegedly the word restaurant provided cover for a very popular speakeasy, illegally serving booze to patrons behind a facade of crenellated brick.
With the repeal of the anti-liquor amendment in 1933, the Ivanhoe became famous for its
themed dining rooms and Catacombs bar down in the basement. The restaurant and nightclub complex became a huge hit with conventioneers, and a popular venue for weddings, anniversaries, fashion shows and live entertainment. After Ralph died in 1956 he left his $250,000 estate to his brother and 2 sisters. With the money rolling in, Harold's son Richard joined his father in running the family business.
The connection to the illegal booze trade and mobsters revisited the Ivanhoe and the
Jansen's in the late 1950s. Harold was beaten up, supposedly by gangsters looking to shake down Jansen for a kickback of $2,000. Richard denied the mob connection, but in 1964 a bomb went off at the entrance to the building which blew out the windows of surrounding apartment buildings and caused extensive damage to the restaurant's vestibule and a dining room.
Times weren't great for the Ivanhoe, and with its convention business drying up Richard
decided to build an in-the-round theater on family property located adjacent to the restaurant. The Ivanhoe Theater presented world premieres of plays by the likes Tennessee Williams and saw actors Ellen Burstyn, Joan Fontaine, Jessica Tandy, Christopher Walken and Ethel Waters grace its stage. Unfortunately by 1975 Richard was in debt and couldn't pay his bills. The Ivanhoe was put up for auction and sold. A fire in 1977 completely destroyed the restaurant, and in 1979 Gold Standard Liquors owner Harold Binstein took over a portion of the space for a retail liquor store. That's the Ivanhoe I remember! The theater re-opened in the early 80s and lasted until 2001 when Michael Binstein turned the entire building into Binny's Ivanhoe Castle, with a wine tasting room in the old Catacombs space down in the basement.
Posted by designslinger at 3/30/2010 1:17 AM 
Categories: Architecture, History
Tags: Chicago Ivanhoe Theater Ralph Jansen speakeasies Ivanhoe Restaurant
Categories: Architecture, History
Tags: Chicago Ivanhoe Theater Ralph Jansen speakeasies Ivanhoe Restaurant
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