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Yvette on North State Parkway in the1980s
By Megan McKinney
Who remembers Yvette? Or the string of other restaurants with great bars and terrific music running along the west side of North State Parkway in the 1980’s and 90’s? The additions were tucked in between P. J. Clarke’s and Zebra Lounge. Yvette and Turbot were among them, both owned by Bob Djahanguiri, whose first neighborhood spot was Toulouse on Division across the street from Butch McGuires. The immense popularity of the State stretch led to the nickname North Date Parkway.
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And here’s Bob Djahanguiri. Can’t pronounce his name? Try ZHAN-gary.
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We recently lost P.J. Clarke’s to a high rise.
But Zebra Lounge has been active on this site since before and throughout Prohibition.
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Bob Djahanguiri returned a few years later, with the Old Town Brasserie several blocks west on Wells Street. 
But not for long. Bob is now making diners happy in California and appears happier himself in the sunny climate. 
A block north of Yvette and Turbot was—and is—the Churchill, where Gene Sage, another owner of multiple popular late Twentieth Century restaurants, presided over two terrific spots across from each other on the ground floor. 
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Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, of the same era and territory, is now a Chicago icon.
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Gibsons was opened during spring 1989 by Hugo Ralli and Steve Lombardo.
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In 1997, the same pair added Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House next door to Gibsons.
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Diagonally across the street from Gibsons and Hugo’s is LUXBAR, which is part of Gibson’s Restaurant Group.
Steve Lombardo—and his family—have begun branching out and away from the original neighborhood. Above, on Canal Street is Gibsons Italia.
Here is the working family and a good time to discuss the Lombardo Steves. The co-founder of Gibsons, here in the lower left, is Chicago’s middle Stephen J. Lombardo, father of the three shown with him in the photograph. Directly behind is one son, Stephen J. Lombardo III, with another son, Michael Lombardo, to Steve III’s left and their sister, Liz Lombardo Stark next to their father.
In River North the Gibsons Restaurant Group opened Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar in 2005.
For some years, the Lombardos have been looking for a site in the Fulton Market District at which to branch out with another Gibsons-related restaurant.
They have found the site and leased space large enough for more than one property in the ground floor of the eleven-story building at 919 West Fulton Street. Everything is still in the concept phase. The above image is a projection toward the future from the imagination of an artist.
We can next expect the Gibsons Restaurant Group to expand nationally—to Arizona, Texas, and Washington D.C., joining the current Boathouse in Disney Springs, Florida and Hugo’s Frog Bar & Chop House in Philadelphia.
Author Photo: Robert F. Carl
