The Artist's Café
The Fine Arts Building

THE ARTIST'S CAFÉ has been at the cornerstone of the Fine Arts building since 1961 and is a family-owned and operated restaurant. It has been serving the greater Chicagoland area for four generations. The selection of food will please any palate and the prices are reasonable.

The owners took the best of an old Chicago building and by incorporating their own personalities, turned the restaurant into a favored gathering place for many local and international celebrities such as Balanchine, Baryshnikov, Gerald Arpino, Charlie Watts, Ron Wood, Dimitri Hvorostovsky, Studs Terkel, Joe Mantegna, Jean Claude Van Damme, Cisley Tyson, Billy Zane, John Kapellos, Blythe Danner, Jean Reno, Lauren Hutton, John Cusack, Jim Belushi and many others who might surprise. The Fine Arts Building was built in 1885 by Studebaker for the assembly and display of their carriages and wagons. The architect was Solon Beman. In 1898, this building was converted into studios and theaters for the artists and craftsmen of the day and after 100 years the type of occupancy remains the same.

The Fine Arts Building was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1978 by the City Council of Chicago – Commissions on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks.

Your hosts,
Angela Mitchell & Irene Makris