The Pump Room, Chicago
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The Pump Room, established in 1938 by Ernie Byfield, is a restaurant located in the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago's Gold Coast area.
The restaurant serves a number of celebrities who have been regular customers and has been written about in books and articles. Lucius Beebe, gourmand, author and journalist, included references to The Pump Room in some of his books and articles. Famous guests have included Frank Sinatra, John Barrymore, Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Beverly Sills, David Bowie, Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Liza Minnelli, Robert Redford, Phil Collins, Gertrude Lawrence, Michael J. Fox, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Mel Brooks, Olivia Newton-John, Mick Jagger, and many others.
[edit] In popular culture
The Pump Room is referenced in the the Fred Fisher song Chicago (That Toddlin' Town): "We'll meet at the Pump Room-Ambassador East/To say the least, on shish kebab and breast of squab we will feast/And get fleeced." These lyrics also appeared in the film which introduced it, the 1939 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle. The song My Kind of Town (Chicago is), popularised by Frank Sinatra has the lines "Chicago is the jumpin' Pump Room".
An incident at the restaurant inspired Phil Collins to name his multi-platinum 1985 album "No Jacket Required."
[edit] References
- "The Fabulous Pump Room: I, II, III, IV," Lucius Beebe, Gourmet, October, 1963.
- Kogan, Rick (1983). Sabers & Suites: The Story of Chicago's Ambassador East. Chicago: R. R. Donnelley & Sons.
- "10 Great Places to Drink in a Historic Bar's Ambiance," Tim Dillon, USA Today, December 26, 2003.
- "Pump Room Wins Back Coveted Fourth Diamond," Chicago Sun Times, April 27, 2004. Actress Ann Jillian met and married her husband at the Pump Room, Chicago police sergeant Andy Murcia, who was also Security Director at the Pump Room & the Ambassador East Hotel. You can verify by contacting Ann Jillian & Andy Murcia at www.AnnJillian.com email; mgrajam1@yahoo.com
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 41°54′21″N 87°37′43″W / 41.9059°N 87.6285°W
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