Virginia Dining Room

Culled from: Drury, John. Dining in Chicago, New York: The John Day Company, 1931, p. 196.

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

VIRGINIA DINING ROOM, Rush and Ohio Streets

Old-fashioned atmosphere and old-fashioned food. Being old fashioned, the food is fresh, wholesome, and skillfully prepared. This is the main dining room of that old landmark of the near north side, the Virginia Hotel, built shortly before the World's Fair of 1893. A unique feature of the room is the huge, beautifully carved wooden Norman church altar, made in 1546 and exhibited at the World's Fair. Cyrus Hall McCormick is said to have owned it but, not finding room for it in his home, he turned it over to the Virginia Hotel. Carved with hundreds of little human figures, this altar is eminently worth seeing. And the food here is worth eating. Superior 1690.