RESOLUTION HONORING THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF TWIN ANCHORS
WHEREAS, Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern, one of the City's oldest and most iconic restaurants, is celebrating its 90th Anniversary; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this milestone by the Honorable Brian Hopkins, Alderman of the 2nd Ward; and
WHEREAS, Since its founding in 1932, Twin Anchors has been known for great, tender, barbequed baby-back ribs that can be enjoyed in a quaint neighborhood tavern; and
WHEREAS, The historic Old Town building that Twin Anchors calls home dates back to 1881, and has housed a tavern since 1910, including the speakeasy Tante Lee Soft Drinks during Prohibition; during World War I, Schlitz Brewing Company donated the bar that remains in use to this day; and
WHEREAS, in 1932, the Walters family, along with Captain Herb Eldean, opened Twin Anchors, providing the barbecued ribs recipe and nautical name, respectively; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the years, Twin Anchors attracted numerous notable sports, entertainment, and public figures, not to mention generations of loyal Chicagoans and fans worldwide, but perhaps none more notable than Frank Sinatra himself; sometime in the early 1950's, Frank Sinatra made his first visit to Twin Anchors, and over the decades, Frank continued to make Twin Anchors one of his favorite stops; and
WHEREAS, One visit in the 1970's was described this way: "Sinatra entertained a large group of friends at the rib joint Twin Anchors last night. The guest list included Jilly Rizzo, football great Sid Luckman, Frank's girlfriend Barbara Marx, comedian Pat Henry, composer Don Costa, pal Joey Bishop and agent Mickey Houston. Frank's order was 'Ribs, and keep 'em coming!' As usual, one of Mr. Sinatra's bodyguards was posted at the pay phone preventing patrons from making calls that would cause a mob scene. Sinatra was very gracious about signing autographs, and was extremely generous with tipping everyone working his table $100 each."; and
WHEREAS, Twin Anchors has receivedmuch publicity over the decades, appearing in numerous publications including, GQ Magazine, The London Times, Fortune Magazine, Chicago Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, and even The Idaho Statesman; it has also been featured in many international travel guides, including several mentions in the Michelin Guide throughout the years as a "must visit" and earning the Bib Gourmand designation; and
WHEREAS, The iconic interior of Twin Anchors has caught the attention of Hollywood, featuring in two films: the 1999 film, Return to Me, directed by longtime friend and customer Bonnie Hunt, exposed many new patrons to the charm ofthis small corner restaurant; and the 2008 film, The Dark Knight, which featured a scene in the tavern in which-Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two Face, has a conversation that ends badly for a corrupt detective; the latter even left an imprint on the bar itself - literally - as the actor Aaron Eckhart left dents in the bar from repeatedly slamming a shot glass down as part of filming; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the silver screen, Twin Anchors has attracted interest from the small screen as well, hosting Conan O'Brien on several occasions, and being named to one of his 10 "Must Haves" lists in Entertainment Weekly; and
WHEREAS, As only the third family to own Twin Anchors, the Tuzi family has been involved with the restaurant for over 44 years, with the siblings Gina Manrique, Mary Kay Tuzi, and Paul Tuzi keeping the tradition alive; as Paul states, "We aren't just running a restaurant. Every night, we are throwing a party for 300 people in a living museum!"; and
WHEREAS, Twin Anchors has been an integral part of the Old Town community for generations; but remember, whether it is your first time, or you have been there too many times to count, Positively No Dancing! ®; now, therefore:
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this twenty-sixth day of October, 2022, do hereby congratulate Twin Anchors on its 90th anniversary and extend our best wishes for their continued success; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented
to the Tuzi family. \ / I
BRIAN HOPKINS Alderman, 2nd Ward