Business took me to Chicago today and around noon I was on the far SE side. A couple of weeks ago someone mentioned eating at the shrimp house on 95th street and watching trains crossing the drawbridge on the NS (ex Conrail).
Well, at noon I was hungry and on 95th Street under the Skyway. The Calumet Fisheries is still there at the 95th Street drawbridge and offers up a very good lunch and a great view of the NS mainline crossing the Calumet River. So, with my fish tips basket I ate a great lunch and watched a Chicago Short Line train cross the river with 2 switcher units and a healthy supply of coil cars.
Other than the view being backlit, it was perfect. Throw in a couple of sailboats and a bass boat with a couple of guys tossing plugs and it was quite scenic for an urban industrial area. The fish was excellent. The weather cooperated with 75 degrees and sunshine…a perfect late summer day.
What spots do you find are great to grab a quick lunch and watch trains?
Last time we were in the area to eat was when the B&O drawbridge and the ocean freighter collided many years ago. You should have been able to see the remnants of that bascule bridge from the eatery.
Our favorite for a quick lunch is the Fontano’s sandwich shop in Elmhurst. Grab a sub and take it out to the station platform.
BTW, what is the ex B&O line? I stopped in and made a cold call at Chicago Short Line and the man kept mentioning the CSX line, but I cant place it.
Calumet Fisheries has been around since 1928 according to the take out menu. I brought home 1/2 pound of smoked salmon for dinner tonight (not for me, but the gf…will let you know what she thinks of it.).
It is worth a trip to this place…quite the spot. and if fish doesnt work, the Skyway Dog House is a couple of blocks away.
The former B&O line’s bridge was just north of the tandem lift bridges (historically two NYC and two PRR), or between the fish place and those bridges. The line now joins the NS to cross the river, then presumably goes back down and under the NS to head due west.
Dog House sounds like a good second choice–I’d go for the well-established fish place (I believe I had shrimp when we were there).
Not familiar with Tom–maybe Charlie at the hobby shop knows him.
I have two such places. One, just north west of Milwaukee has a second-story deck elevated with a great view of the WC main and I think the CNW main–although it could be CP.
In Indy, there is a place called Dunaways. It is expensive–$200 or more counting wine. But, it is a fourth story roof top with a great view of the busy CSX action. With great food, a good bottle of wine, and that train action, it is pretty hard to beat–until you get the bill and realize your tip runs you more than all of your lunches for the week combined.
You are correct regarding the Blues Bros. There are copies of Blues Bros memorabilia (articles and posters) hanging up.
Where exactly is the other place you are referring to? Is it on the south side of the tracks? Which side of the bridge? Indiana side?
Interestingly, I heard the dispatcher tell a crew at Hobart that they would be in the siding for awhile and it would be ok to go grab a bite to eat.
What usually happens in that situation…does the engineer stay with the train? How often does it work out that you can grab a bite? Do you often take food with you?
In College Park/Hyattsville/Blandensburg Maryland area, down near the Prince Georges County Court complex (the new one) just north of DC, there is a restaurant called Franklins that is right near the CSX main. You can usually count on 3-4 trains during the lunch hour. Definitely need a window seat. Not the best view, but you can see them. Better in the winter when the foliage is reduced.
Deshler has a shelter house you can have a picnic at.the shovel in marion is another good spot. also the station inn in Berea is right by the tracks.lets see kfc,cravings or lattys grove in defiance.man better get back to the diner I’m hungry.