Their First Ward Ball developed an infamous reputation in the papers for being riotous and obscene, so much that the 7th Regiment Armony banned the pair from hosting the party there again. Right at the tail end of the 19th century, Chicago elected two aldermen to serve each ward: John 'Bathhouse' Coughlin and Michael 'Hinky Dink' Kenna (his small stature earned him that nickname).

Undeniably, the city's nightlife has played a pivotal role in shaping Chicago into the storied and bustling hub that is today, turning it into the sophisticated metropolis that it's become. To celebrate some of the very best nights out in history, Giggster has spotlighted five iconic party venues-and the shindigs that made them famous-in the Windy City. No matter the change, the stories from those heady nights have been recirculating for decades, and there's no doubt those legendary tales will keep being passed down for years to come. Remnants of that time still remain, even if the venues have since gone through several transformations. Most of Chicago's epochal parties hail back to the Gilded Age, when socialites frequented private, swanky clubs that played host to all kinds of decadent and debonair scenes. Yet even in its relatively short history, the White City has played host to iconic supper clubs, jazz nights, balls, and overall budget-busting shenanigans. Another good meal, at the Chicago Hilton O’Hare, and we will likely return in the Autumn, if my wife’s schedule holds.Nearly two centuries ago, on March 4, 1837, Chicago was incorporated. Oh, and I think that I called this restaurant “The GasLAMP Club,” in my Hilton O’Hare review. Now, if they would only add a bit of “task lighting” over the tables. The dinner meeting was successful, and being seated in a quieter area was a real plus. Service was good, as usual, and the “costumes” of the waitstaff did not bother any of us. I was glad to see the wine list expanded a bit, though it is still short, and narrow – but it works. I ordered the Hartford Lands Edge Sonoma Pinot Noir, trying to split the difference with the Mains. Some day, we need to try the “From Our Grill,” as Gaslight is more of a “steakhouse,” and we should put them to the test. Both were good, and we have had both, over the years. Our Main Courses were: Grilled Tuna w/ grilled tomatoes, asparagus and a lemon-caper sauce - quite good Wiener Schnitzel, sautéed in butter and lemon w/ green beans almandine. Quite good, but awfully large! The Onion Soup needed more heft, but was good. I added the Onion Soup, while wife ordered a Caesar Salad w/ Gaslight’s signature Caesar dressing, tossed with Romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese and croutons. Obviously, as squid are not indigenous to Lake Michigan, these are frozen, but Gaslight manages to elevate this dish. We did the Fried Calamari - “lightly breaded and deep fried, w/ Gaslight’s signature marinara sauce,” which has always been good for us. It was good, but could have benefitted from much better stemware. Not so much because I feel that Picard is a better producer/négociant, than Louis Jadot, who has a Puligny-Montrachet on the list, or that I like Chassagne-Montrachet better than a Puligny-Montrachet, but because we had done the Latour too often recently, as the only white Burgundy on too many wine lists. I started our small group with the Michel Picard Chassagne-Montrachet. While not a fan of “theme restaurants,” in general, the Gaslight Club does not bother me in any way, so long as the wines and food are up to par. OK, the Gaslight Club is a themed restaurant, and works to retain that – harkening back to an earlier era, which is fine. A quibble that I see I had in an earlier review. It was perfect, though we could have used a bit more light, directly over the table. We were in a smallish dining room, to the right, as one enters from the host/hostess stand.

We know the layout, and the drill, and requested a table off to the side, from the bar area, as the performers can get a bit loud. In this case, my wife had a meeting AT the Gaslight Club, before we left the next morning (later, than usual) for meetings in Buffalo, NY. We stay at that inn, when we have meetings that run late in town, and have early flights the next morning. To date, we have probably dined at the Gaslight Club, in the Hilton O’Hare Airport a dozen times.

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