Rut's Coffee Shop

Culled from: Drury, John. Dining in Chicago, New York: The John Day Company, 1931, pp. 212-213.

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

RUTZ'S COFFEE SHOP, 28 South Wells Street

Another newspaper hangout. Located at the end of a corridor in an old building. Good German cooking and the roast beef is hard to beat. You may sit at a table and be served by Mary Michalska, the best waitress on Wells Street, or you may stand at the long coffee bar and converse with Emil Rutz, the proprietor. Emil used to be manager of Vogelsang's restaurant in the old days and he also conducted the Mission Bar in West Madison Street. Quite a crowd from the newspaper offices meets here for luncheon daily — Oscar "Yank" Taylor, the radio announcer and ex-newspaperman; Dorothy Fay, the writer; Justin Forrest, of the American; Meyer Levin, author of several novels; Logan "Steve" Trumbull, the playwright and soldier of fortune; Hal Totten, the popular baseball announcer over Station WMAQ; Frank Malloy, of the Times; Irma Selz, the caricature artist; Joe Duggan, of the Post; George Kercher, the radio editor; Paul Gilbert, part author of "Chicago and its Makers*'; Larry Selz, the publicity agent; Elizabeth Hobart, of the Post; Fred Seaburg and Ray O'Neil, two globe-trotters and Victor Knox, the columnist.