Home to the National Restaurant Association trade show and many fine dining restaurants, Chicago is a foodie’s delight. But for visitors looking for breakfast, the hunt for good options in the downtown area often is confined to the offerings at your hotel. And that’s mostly because they don’t know about downtown Chicago diners.
But we refuse to pay marked-up hotel prices for average breakfast offerings. Instead, we seek out unusual spots known to and patronized mostly by locals. And that’s exactly what we found at the Pittsfield Cafe, a downtown Chicago diner in a historic setting.
Tucked away near the intersection of Wabash and Washington Streets in a soaring atrium lobby loaded with antique architectural accoutrements. Pittsfield Cafe definitely fits the description of neighborhood downtown Chicago diner. Open for breakfast through late lunchtime, the classic diner menu is full of comfort food favorites plus some ethnic delights.
Architectural Wonder and City History
In addition to fantastic diner fare at reasonable prices, dining in the 5-story atrium is like stepping back in time. Looking up at the balconies covered in marble and adorned with brass and bronze, it’s easy to imagine elegant evenings of yesteryear held here. And as the building opened in 1927, Chicago’s highest society — and maybe a few of its famous gangsters — likely visited the newly-crowned tallest skyscraper in Chicago. Constructed by the Marshall Field’s family, it’s almost certain that the Pittsfield at 55 Washington Street was a posh destination from its opening in 1927.
We’ve visited this hidden gem on multiple Chicago trips. We first stopped in for a weekend breakfast before a non-stop day of the National Restaurant Association show. Our business associates – accustomed to those hotel offerings — sounded confused when we suggested a downtown Chicago diner. They looked delighted when they arrived. And by the time we left, all of us swore we’d likely never have breakfast anywhere else when visiting Chicago.
Perfect Start to a Chicago Day
We’ve kept that vow on multiple personal visits. We enjoy the slow pace, friendly confines and huge portions that are a perfect start to a day of touring or other leisure.
Inside the main restaurant, a classic diner-style atmosphere awaits, complete with counter service or comfortable booth seating. While that looks warm and inviting, we actually prefer the seating in the soaring atrium. It offers more distance from our dining neighbors in this post-Covid world while putting us closer to the incredible architecture.
Breakfast is our favorite time to visit this downtown Chicago diner. It’s a great way to start a busy business or weekend day when you may not have time for lunch. Our go-to choices are the skillet breakfasts, with eggs and breakfast meats served over a steaming bed of hash brown potatoes. On our most recent visit, we polished off a massive Chef’s Skillet, loaded with bacon, sausage, ham and Swiss cheese — plus three eggs over-easy and that massive bed of potatoes. Oh, did we mention the side of wheat toast?
Traditional and Beyond
Ours was the most traditional skillet choice among options that included Steak, Santa Fe, Bronx Pastrami, Corned Beef and a Gypsy dish.
If you prefer your items served separately, the omellete and scrambler plates are just as filling while allowing some separation among the main ingredients. Those choices include Meat Lovers, Corned Beef, Corned Pastrami, Midwestern, Veggie, Mediterranean, Denver, Sausage and Cheese, Ham and Cheese.
The extensive menu offers lots of other traditional breakfast options and quantities. Plus, there’s a full lunch menu of hot, fresh-cooked dishes and sandwiches. While we’ve admired the plethora of lunch offerings, we’ve never gotten beyond the incredible sandwich choices. The traditional club is our personal favorite. But we’ve committed to trying a broader range of lunch foods, including the gyros.
Don’t Miss the Art Deco and Gothic Features
And if you’re a fan of classic Chicago architecture, stroll through the exit on Washington Street for an extra treat. Frankly, if this lobby area isn’t on a Chicago architectural tour, it should be! As the exterior of the building is under renovation, we’re sincerely hopeful that all of the classic style and traditional adornments will be restored fully and carefully preserved.
Near the elevators, it’s easy to imagine a uniformed elevator attendant calling out your boarding instructions and floor stops. The intricate bronze designs on the elevator doors reflect the craftsmanship common to this period.
Look up and the bronze ceiling displays that same period craftsmanship and attention to fine detail.
And, be sure to check out the vintage mail collection box. It features long drop chutes (perhaps running the full height of the building) that terminate in the lobby.
More Pittsfield History
We found these sources to provide some additional interesting historic background about the building:
Chicagology, which includes some newspaper clips, too.
Digital Research Library of Illinois History
Chicago Landmarks Guide of 2003
Wikipedia Entry, including other sources
Is the Pittsfield Building Cursed? You’ll need a subscription to Crain’s to view this story, which delves into some unlucky happenings at the building.
