Bollard & Frazier's Chop House

Culled from: Drury, John. Dining in Chicago, New York: The John Day Company, 1931, pp. 110-111.

Note: The Newberry Library holds the personal papers of author John Drury.

BOLLARD & FRAZIER'S CHOP HOUSE 20 West Lake Street

In this age of the equality of sexes, Bollard & Frazier's historic chop house and sea food restaurant stands out like a Gibraltar of masculinity. Stubbornly and consistently, down the years, it has refused its fine cuisine to Milady, remaining one of the last of the stag restaurants in Chicago. Therefore, it has become the sportsmen's headquarters of the Loop. Contiguous to the Randolph Street theatrical district, it is also a popular gathering place for actors, race horse fans, newspapermen and politicians.

Here, you may dine on the same bar (as well as at tables) which did service over a generation ago in George Bollard's famous old Edelweiss Buffet in South Wabash Avenue. Located next door to Von Lengerke & Antoine's, the pioneer sporting goods house, the Edelweiss attracted huntsmen, fishermen and trap-shooters. Nowadays, they come to George Bollard's place on Lake Street. Jess Frazier, the other member of the firm, is himself a hunter of no small ability. Photographs of famed trap-shooters line the walls; stuffed samples of tarpon, brook trout and "muskies" are also displayed; and the atmosphere is thick with cigar smoke.

This is a favorite dining place for Sidney Smith, Sol Hess, and S. L. ("Mescal Ike") Huntley, the newspaper comic strip artist; Clark Rodenbach, the movie critic; Bob Becker, editor of "Field and Stream" in the Chicago Tribune; Lloyd Lewis, the drama critic and writer; Jimmy Murphy, dean of police reporters; William Hale Thompson, former mayor and yachtsman; Con Rourke, the political writer; Charley Ellison, the race horse owner; and Sam Lederer, the noted press agent.

For the names of any other celebrities who dine here you will have to see Jimmy Morris, who has been with Mr. Bollard for fourteen years and who knows everybody in the Loop worth knowing. Jimmy will also help you in making selections from the Bollard & Frazier menu. The steaks, chops, and sea foods, prepared under the expert eye of Chef Carrodi Arrigoni, are incomparable for their savoriness. Meals are a la carte and prices within reason.

Maitre d'hotel: Jimmy Morris