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Shangri-La, Chicago, IL (restaurant) |
uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1531
From: Kalamazoo
|  Posted: 2009-06-01 08:52 am Permalink
Name:Shangri-La
Type:restaurant
Street:222 N. State St.
City:Chicago
State:IL
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct
Description:
Interior shot of Shangri-La. Long gone. The head chef left and opened Chef Shangri-La in or about 1976.
[ This Message was edited by: uncle trav 2009-06-01 08:53 ]
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3923
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2009-06-01 12:30 pm Permalink
Trav,
I have this great drink menu from Shangri La.
The matchbook
DC
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uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1531
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2009-06-01 1:37 pm Permalink
Love the menu!! Thanks for posting DC.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3923
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2009-06-07 8:54 pm Permalink
This is another far out postcard from Shangri-La.
And an ad from an old Chicago guide book.
DC
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sneakyjack
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 25, 2004
Posts: 988
From: NYC Area
| Posted: 2009-06-14 6:17 pm Permalink
best I can do:
_________________
idolmakerfilms.com
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TabooDan
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Posts: 641
From: BC, Canada
| Posted: 2010-02-19 7:46 pm Permalink
Here's an old matchbook from this location:
 
It is quite old and I think dates this restaurant pretty far back. What was the year they changed the phone numbers out in Chicago? Anyone know?
Seems like a cool place.
TabooDan
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TabooDan
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Posts: 641
From: BC, Canada
| Posted: 2010-02-19 8:15 pm Permalink
Whenever I looked at this card, I always wondered what the hell was I looking at in the background:
After I posted the matchbook above, I looked at the pictures again and realized that the first picture posted above seems to be looking down at the area we see here in this card posted by DC:
It looks like those are the same bright palm trees in the back ground of the first picture. Thought it was kind of interesting. Not too much info. on this place out there. What a crazy Alice in Wonderland sort of decor that was.
TabooDan
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Trader Tom
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Jan 26, 2006
Posts: 744
From: Hillsboro, OR
| Posted: 2011-06-08 03:50 am Permalink
Here are some interesting pics from an e-bay auction that were labeled from 1955:
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2011-09-26 10:28 am Permalink
Just found out that a long time Maitre D' at the Mai-Kai, who came down with the original crew from Chicago was actually hired away from the Shangri-La. He continued at the Mai-Kai for 37 years...
More details in the future at my history seminars, etc.
_________________
Mai-Kai Memories Series Custom ceramic mugs!
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tigertail777
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 25, 2004
Posts: 505
From: Oregon
| Posted: 2011-09-26 2:28 pm Permalink
WOW! I REALLY dig the Nouvou/art deco sort of style to this place. Absolutely stunning! Someday when I have my own personal little tiki bar that is exactly the sort of style I want to make it. 
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TikiTomD
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Sep 20, 2009
Posts: 629
From: Flagler Beach, FL
| Posted: 2011-09-28 5:27 pm Permalink
Here’s some information on the history of the Shangri-La contributed by Bryan Krefft to the Cinema Treasures web site (http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/18139)...
Quote:
| The Rhumba Casino, which opened in 1941, was built on the site of the Three Deuces nightclub (which was in business since the mid-1920s until it was destroyed in a fire in 1940. It got its name from its address at 222 N. State Street). In 1944, the space became the Polynesian/Far Eastern-themed Shangri-La restaurant.
After the restaurant was closed in 1968, it was remodeled into the Shangri-La Theater in 1969-70. It was operated by Kohlberg Theaters, which was also the last chain to run the nearby Oriental Theatre as well as a number of other theaters and drive-ins around the Midwest. Opened in June 1970 with “The Strawberry Statement”, the Shangri-La began to show pornographic films within a year.
Operating into the mid-70s, the building which housed the Shangri-La was demolished in 1981 along with the entire block it sat on including an office building and retail stores, a fire station and a parking garage, and replaced by a hotel, now the Renaissance Chicago. |
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-Tom
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tigertail777
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 25, 2004
Posts: 505
From: Oregon
| Posted: 2012-02-22 04:56 am Permalink
Found a slightly different version of the matchbook in some newly acquired stuff:
Interior
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3923
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-02-26 11:53 am Permalink
Tigertail,
Nice matchbook! I have not seen that one before.
I just picked up a one of the great Shangri La hula girl swizzles in green.
DC
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tigertail777
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 25, 2004
Posts: 505
From: Oregon
| Posted: 2012-02-26 1:49 pm Permalink
Wow Dusty, very cool! I don't own any swizzles but that one is sure tops in my book.
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mudbone
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 12, 2008
Posts: 141
From: michigan
| Posted: 2012-06-09 12:06 pm Permalink
Sorry for waiting a year, but I want those bar stools, please!
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