Fish and Chips, Inc. Chicago 1940s
This counts as one of the most inventive vintage menu art images we have found. From 1940s Chicago, it’s an entire menu laid out in pictures. From the oyster with his top hat, cane and cigar, the baby shark steak in its high chair and the rather sinister-looking catfish – every illustration shows the creative mastery of the unknown artist. We researched what a Trebor Dinner is and found no clues. Then we realized Trebor is Robert spelled backwards, therefore it could be the name of the chef.
fish & chips, inc. (note the modern use of lower case) was situated at 72 E. Randolph Street in downtown Chicago and billed itself as "Chicago's Most Unique Fish & Sea Food Restaurant". Its motto was FOR HEALTH'S SAKE - EAT FISH.
This menu is certainly for adventurous eaters. It consists mostly of seafood but also includes alligator and rattlesnake. Both are reptiles.
For religious reasons, some people abstained from eating the flesh of mammals and birds on Fridays but eating alligator and rattlesnake would have been acceptable. This might have been a Friday night menu.
To start the meal, yellow rattler cocktails were served which consisted of vermouth, orange juice and a cocktail onion.
Courtesy Private Collection.
Each print is accompanied by a copy of the interior menu where available.
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