Strulevitz Tea House

Culled from: Drury, John. Dining in Chicago, New York: The John Day Company, 1931, pp. 174-175.

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

STRULEVITZ TEA HOUSE, 929 West Roosevelt Road

Meet Papa Elias Strulevitz, proprietor of one of the most interesting Jewish restaurants in town. Papa Elias comes from Roumania and his establishment is a mixture of Jewish cafe, Russian tea house, and American restaurant, all rolled into one — which gives it a unique atmosphere. His wife and his sister-in-law do the cooking — and how they can cook. The food is plain, fresh, wholesome, kosher, and served in a most palatable style, and you can get all forms of Continental dishes here, from Russian kasha and Roumanian steaks, to Jewish gefiilte fish and chicken blintzes. Before Papa Elias moved to this roomy street-corner restaurant a few months ago, he served his meals in his little west side home a short distance away on Sangamon Street. There came the bons vivants and diners-out of the town — Francis Coughlin, then on the staff of The Chicagoan; John Landesco, the Roumanian criminologist; Morris Topchevsky, the painter; the Roumanian consul; students from the various universities; and lots of other interesting people who like good foods. Today, they have followed Papa Elias to his new place. He serves luncheon and dinner — and we advise you not to miss him. By the by, Papa Elias is quite a personality himself.

Maitre d'hotel: Elias Strulevitz