The Berghoff Restaurant was the first place I’d ever sampled goat cheese and eggplant anything… and after that first amazing bite, I became a lifelong addict. Couple this with a golden Berghoff brew and you have a match made in heaven.<\/p>\n
The Berghoff sits just outside the centre of The Loop<\/a> — Chicago’s historical core. It’s a short walk from the Chicago Art Institute, within throwing distance of the Palmer House Hilton<\/a> and a quick but energetic hike from Millennium Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was built in 1898 and rumoured to be the first place to serve alcohol at the end of prohibition in Chicago. This was probably because the Berghoff family brewed their own famous beer — made famous during the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. It was so successful that the family eventually opened the restaurant as a place where people could sample their beer — and eat sandwiches for free.<\/p>\n The sandwiches are no longer free; and, amazingly the restaurant was owned and operated by the Berghoff family until 2006 (Herman and Jan Berghoff — the third generation of the family). In December 2005 the couple announced their retirement<\/a> and handed their keys over to their daughter Carlyn and her catering business.<\/p>\n I’m not sure what happened to the Berghoff brewing business; however, there are plenty of goat cheese and eggplant recipes in the The Berghoff Family Cookbook<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"