A Final Toast to Iconic Chicago Restaurant the Cape Cod Room

Eddie Arruza | December 14, 2016 5:53 pm

In 1933, when the Century of Progress International Exposition was drawing millions to Chicago’s lakefront, a new restaurant opened just up the road on the Magnificent Mile. It was located inside a luxury hotel that attracted the well-heeled and well-known.

That restaurant is still one of Chicago’s best dining spots, but only for a few more days.

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The Cape Cod Room is closing on New Year’s Eve and with it go 83 years of lobster thermidor, Bookbinder soup and legendary diners.

We take a final look at the famed eatery.

BOOKBINDER RED SNAPPER SOUP

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Soup base:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 each, chopped: carrots, celery ribs, garlic cloves

1 onion, chopped

1/2 each, chopped: red and green bell pepper

12 crushed white peppercorns

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons each, chopped: fresh thyme, rosemary, cilantro

8 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Salt to taste

Red snapper:

2 small onions, finely chopped

3 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 to 2 fillets (10 ounces total) red snapper

1/4 cup sherry

1. For soup base, heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, garlic, onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Stir in peppercorns, bay leaf, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and cilantro. Cook 2 minutes. Add 7 cups of the broth: heat to boil.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan; add flour and cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 1 cup broth until roux is smooth. Add roux to soup base; cover, simmer over medium-low heat 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Strain through fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth; discard solids. Return broth to pot.

3. For snapper, heat water to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery; blanch until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon; add to broth. Boil fish in same water until cooked through. Remove fish from water; flake very finely with fork. Stir snapper and sherry into soup base; heat through.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories ............ 165 Fat ............ 9 g Saturated fat .. 3.3 g

% calories from fat .. 50 Cholesterol .. 29 mg Sodium ...... 1,075 mg

Carbohydrates ....... 8 g Protein ....... 13 g Fiber .......... 0.7 g

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