A Baby Grand perches near the back, crowned by a large black-and-white photograph of an elderly gent engulfed by a sea of scantily clad showgirls. The textured wallpaper, deep maroon and emblazoned with a gold paisley pattern, stretches up to the heavens, forming a fitting backdrop to a handful of towering Botticelli-style nudes encased in thick gilded frames. That hallway eventually empties into the great room, where two-tops and four-tops dressed in crisp white tablecloths cluster beneath a truly gargantuan crystal chandelier.
Sneak past the sign and approach a dimly lit host stand, then follow the maître d’ down a hallway lined with intimate leather booths and built-in bookshelves. Steakhouses reign supreme, from the Loop’s tourist traps and cheffy Fulton Market newcomers to Old Town throwbacks and the glitzy eateries dotting the Gold Coast’s “Viagra Triangle,” the Rust Street hub where men of a certain age canoodle with much younger dining companions over dry-aged Tomahawks.īut if there’s a place a Chicagoan would never expect to find one of the country’s most storied and, at one point, most exclusive chop shops, it’s probably O’Hare International Airport.Įnter the Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport via the elevators off of Terminal 2, swing a right, head past the sprawling front desk and you’ll encounter an oversized mirror announcing “Gaslight Club: Elegant Dining & Entertainment” in illuminated, Gatsby-era lettering. All this available to our members and their guest.Īnd who knows? Maybe the future will hold openings of other clubs, promising good times - good friends and fond memories.Chicago is undoubtedly a meat-and-potatoes town. I have been affiliated with the O'Hare Gaslight Club since 1974 in various positions and I am proud to say we have retained the posh opulence, replete with distinctive wallpaper, carpeting, a European Crystal Chandelier and of course, The Gaslight Girls. Browne said years ago Beauty, charm and talent make a winning combination. Although the speakeasy has evolved to the "Top Hat" and Dixieland Jazz is now mixed with a variety of live entertainment, the tradition of beautifully costumed servers with a song and a smile, has remained. However, slowly all the Clubs were phased out and only the The O"Hare Club is still in existence. became the owner and brought the Clubs back to there plush ambiance. O'Hare opened in 1973, and still the openings continued.Īfter Burton Browne's death in 1976, Robert Fredricks, a then member of the Board, took the reins until 1984 when long-time member Jim Roberts Jr. Next came Washington's Club in 1959 and on to Paris in 1961. Elizabeth Taylor was New York's favorite Gaslight Girl while filming scenes there for Butterfield 8, for which she won and Academy Award.
The fun was contagious and in 1956 the New York Club opened it's doors in a plush old mansion. There were 300 invited guest at the first grand opening and what a success! Initial members set up extra tables and even the Liquor Commission for the state of Illinois helped behind the bar and this was only the beginning. Inspired by the nostalgia of the zany 20's, they stepped back in time to another fabulous period, complete with Dixieland Jazz, drinks served in coffee mugs, a slot in the door - "Speakeasy" come to mind? The ambiance of this era had again come alive - The Gaslight Club was born. Enhanced by the rare combination of relaxation and entertainment, one could enjoy the excellent Bill of Fare and toast the evening with vintage wine or a generous cocktail. 1953 was the year when in one small room on Chicago's Gold Coast, Burton Browne and a select few, re-created the "Good Old Days" of the early 1900's.
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