Illinois diners have endured another run of local restaurant losses after three treasured restaurants closed earlier this year. The latest group includes a five-decade Palatine institution, a longtime Chicago Thai restaurant and a much younger Oak Lawn brunch spot that quickly built a following.
Their lifespans were dramatically different, but all three became gathering places with identities that went well beyond their menus. Here are three Illinois restaurants that are now gone.
Durty Nellie’s in Palatine
Durty Nellie’s closed October 4 after 54 years in downtown Palatine. Opened in 1972, the Irish pub, restaurant and live-music venue became one of the northwest suburbs’ best-known nightlife destinations and a place where generations gathered for drinks, food, sports and concerts…