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(Thread) Found one of my old Sun-Times architecture columns. Sometimes the column was purely about a building, but the @Suntimes also let me use architecture as a backdrop to tell a larger story abt the city. Like this 1999 one on the demo of Jimmy Wong’s restaurant...
The world of Jimmy Wong's restaurant was one of mai tais and Hong Kong steak; where Sammy Davis Jr., could pop in for a bite, or actress Myrna Loy might be passing the time between performances at the Blackstone Theater.
It was a medium-cool world, 1960s style -- over easy with a light, hip swing. Cantonese dining was the happening thing. Jimmy Wong's -- with its neon sign set atop a stainless steel canopy -- during its heyday was the spot.
"It was the most famous Chinese restaurant in Chicago," said Herman Wong, president of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. "But we've lost it now."
Jimmy Wong's, 426 S. Wabash, closed last year. The building is being readied for demolition.
Jimmy Wong's, 426 S. Wabash, closed last year. The building is being readied for demolition.
But the restaurant leaves an interesting architectural legacy. The facade and items being salvaged from Jimmy Wong's before the bulldozer hits reveal an eye-popping mix of Chinese-inspired architecture.
Some of the salvaged portions of the terra-cotta facade include several 4-foot-high columns with ornate capitals cast in the form of Fu dogs. The statuelike figures once adorned the second-floor exterior. There are three large glazed ceramic tile mosaics..
featuring detailed Chinese outdoor scenes. "This stuff is so different," said Ken Byrdy, owner of Ziggurat Architectural Ornaments, the Wicker Park company that is salvaging the facade. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime find."
It was a facade created in the 1920s -- more than 30 years before Jimmy Wong's opened -- for the Mandarin Inn restaurant that moved into the first and second floor of the 1918 brick-fronted office building.
Buildings in Chinatown underwent similar renovations in the 1920s.
Buildings in Chinatown underwent similar renovations in the 1920s.
Many along 22nd Street were remodeled to mimic Chinese architecture. Some were built that way from the ground up, most notably the On Leong Chinese Merchants' Association Building at 2216 S. Wentworth.
Jimmy Wong, a U.S. World War II veteran, opened up his restaurant in 1959. By 1967, he had locations at 423 S. Clark and 3058 W. Peterson.
"Cantonese was the most popular then," said Herman Wong, who is not related to Jimmy Wong. "Really popular. Then in 1972,(President Richard)
"Cantonese was the most popular then," said Herman Wong, who is not related to Jimmy Wong. "Really popular. Then in 1972,(President Richard)
Nixon went to China, and it started (a trend toward) northern (Chinese) food. But before that, it was mostly Cantonese." Wong benefitted from the then-abundant South Loop night life. The Palmer House's Empire Room was open then. So was the Blackstone Theater...
and the Boulevard Room at the Hilton. The restaurant marquee was as brassy as an alto sax blast. The entrance was made of Lannonstone, and mildly mimicked the offset rectangular geometry of modern art.
Jimmy Wong's was a hangout for the stars. Jerry Lewis. Tony Bennett. Loy was doing "Barefoot in the Park" at the Blackstone in 1966 when she stopped by. Trumpeter Al Hirt liked the Hong Kong steak. Actress Nancy Kwan liked the Pearl of the Seven Seas.
Then there was Sammy. He dug the mai tais and spareribs with garlic sauce.
The South Loop hot spots closed in the 1970s and 1980s. Jimmy Wong's hit a decline. Wong sold the business in the early 1980s and moved to the West Coast. The trail turns cold there.
The South Loop hot spots closed in the 1970s and 1980s. Jimmy Wong's hit a decline. Wong sold the business in the early 1980s and moved to the West Coast. The trail turns cold there.
Jimmy Wong's will be torn down within weeks to make a parking lot.
Its remnants are still available, although at a price. That Fu dog is on sale for $ 3,800 at Byrdy's shop, 1702 N. Milwaukee. A blue-and-gold glazed ceramic rending of two dragons is $ 4,800.
Its remnants are still available, although at a price. That Fu dog is on sale for $ 3,800 at Byrdy's shop, 1702 N. Milwaukee. A blue-and-gold glazed ceramic rending of two dragons is $ 4,800.
Ceramic decorative squares from the inside of the restaurant are $35. Memories run deep. Business is good. "People come in here who remember Jimmy Wong's, and they want a piece of it," Byrdy said. "They want to remember."
