History in University Village

Fans of the Blues Brothers will recall Aretha Franklin, owner of the Soul Food Cafe at 807 West Maxwell Street in Chicago, bustin' out in song after Jake and Elwood drop by to steal away her husband, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, and her busboy, "Blue" Lou Marini, because the band was getting back together.  The Soul Food Cafe, a name invented for the movie, was originally known as Lyon's Deli and was operated for many years as a cozy Jewish delicatessen a few steps below grade at 807 West Maxwell Street in University Village Chicago, with a small lunch counter and seating for six patrons at three tables.  Nate Duncan, a tall, imposing, but tender-hearted giant, had worked for the Lyon family since his teenage years in the early 1940s and had learned to cook traditional Jewish fare, a rare feat for an African-American.  Nate acquired the restaurant from the Lyon family in 1973 and promptly renamed it "Nate's Deli."  Nate lived upstairs in the building with his mother and sister and continued to serve Jewish soul food until 1994 when the state exercised its eminent domain powers to accommodate the expansion plans of the University of Illinois-Chicago.  Nate was apparently never the same, as the delicatessen was the center of his universe.  He passed away on Tuesday, July 18, 2006, at the age of 76.

By the way, Nate's mother and daughter made a cameo in the Blues Brothers movie, peeking down at the soul food cafe from their upstairs window.

From 1939 to 2001, Jim's Original was a mainstay at the once bustling corner of Maxwell and Halsted Streets, but the expansion of the University of Illinois-Chicago ultimately pushed it out of the rapidly-changing neighborhood.  A purveyor of juicy and delicious Polish sausage sandwiches (served by default with grilled onions and mustard only), it was opened by the eponymous "Jimmy," who originally acquired the location from his aunt.  The business flourished even after the Maxwell Street neighborhood descended into a patch of urban blight.  Jimmy, who apparently escaped both the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of Nazism, died in 1976, but passed the business off to Gus Christopoulos, who in turn passed it down to his son, conveniently named Jim.  Although Jim's Original can now be found along the west side of the Dan Ryan Expressway at 1250 South Union Avenue, the original can still be nostalgically admired in the background of the "Blues Brothers" movie.  (And, no, Jim's Original is not related to Jimmy's Red Hots.  That's why Jim likes to reminds everyone that he's "Jim's Original.")  Customers known for being "regulars" include Ernie Banks and Lovie Smith.

Mario's Italian Lemonade has been serving a unique form of drinkable Italian Ice from its Italian tricolor shack since 1954, when it was opened by Mario and Dorothy DiPaolo at 1068 West Taylor Street in the University Village neighborhood of Chicago.  It remains essentially unchanged in the same location today, still owned by the DiPaolo family.  On warm summer nights, it lights up the entire street and draws heavy crowds.

Pompei Bakery was established by Luigi Davino back in 1909 at 1531 West Taylor Street.  He named his restaurant "Pompei" because of its close proximity to the Our Lady of Pompeii Church (which, like the bakery, remains active today).  Luigi, his wife, his four sons, and his daughter lived above the bakery, and the entire family participated in the pizza-making operations.  (In the early years, they exclusively served cheese pizza.)  After the Davino boys returned from the Second World War in 1944, they helped Luigi run the business.  Today, members of the fourth generation of the Davino family are involved in running the  operation, which has since expanded to include several additional locations in the Chicagoland area.

Joseph and Theresa (Tufano) DiBuono opened Tufano's Vernon Park Tap in 1931 at 1073 West Vernon Park Place in the heart of Little Italy's golden age, long before the University of Illinois crashed the neighborhood.  Theresa, the family matriarch, used to live right next door.  She would cook the meals from her kitchen and then pass the plates through an interior window that connected to the restaurant.  That tiny opening still exists today.  Throughout the years, Tufano's has been a favorite dining spot for celebrities of Italian origin, such as Frank Sinatra (would you have guessed anyone else?), although Chicagoans of all ethnicities have enjoyed this classic red-sauce experience, including, most notably, novelist and northsider Nelson Algren, who made the joint a habit before White Sox games.

Tufano's was designated one of "America's classic restaurants" by the James Beard Foundation in 2008.  Today, it's owned and operated by Joey DiBuono, grandson of the founders, although many other members of the family continue to work there.  Joey says he recognizes most of his customers, an added touch that undoubtedly contributes a great deal to its ambiance and success.

Jane Addams was the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.  She co-founded Hull House, the first settlement house in the United States, with her sister, Ellen Gates Starr, in 1889.  She was head resident of Hull House at 800 South Halsted Street until her death in 1935.  Hull House provided social services and cultural events for immigrants.  Hull House was designated as a national landmark on June 23, 1965, and it the city of Chicago designated it as a landmark on June 12, 1974.