The Story
Eli Schulman opened Eli's The Place For Steak in 1966 after running Eli's Ogden Huddle and Eli's Stage Delicatessen. His new venture on Chicago Avenue quickly became a celebrity hangout - Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Gale Sayers, and Henny Youngman were regulars.
But Eli's greatest legacy came from the kitchen in the late 1970s. Dissatisfied with available desserts, Eli began experimenting with cheesecake recipes between lunch and dinner service. After a year of testing, he created something new: richer and creamier than New York-style, with an all-butter shortbread crust instead of graham cracker. Chicago-Style cheesecake was born.
Eli died in 1988, but his son Marc continued operating both the restaurant and the now-famous cheesecake company. In 2005, Northwestern Memorial Hospital (the building's owner) sold the property to Lurie Children's Hospital for expansion. After 39 years, the steakhouse closed. Today, Eli's Cheesecake Company continues to thrive, and a playground across the street bears his name.
🍽 Signature Dishes
The signature dish that celebrity regulars craved
Invented here - richer than New York style, with all-butter shortbread crust
Classic Chicago preparation served at Eli's for decades
💡 Did You Know?
- Eli invented Chicago-Style cheesecake in the restaurant's kitchen in the late 1970s
- Frank Sinatra was such a fan he said he could eat an entire cheesecake himself
- The Eli M. Schulman Playground across the street was dedicated in Eli's memory in 1988
👤 Notable People
🏙 What's There Now
Lurie Children's Hospital campus; Eli M. Schulman Playground across the street
Original Address: 215 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611