The Grand Opening of the Other Side at 3153 N. A photo of the opening night appears in Windy City Times May 1, 1986. Medusa and Nunzio opened the Orbit Room at 3708 N. That's two years before that neighborhood started to look gay. Seen enjoying the colorful balloons and sipping champagne were Marge of His 'n Hers, and her delightful new bartender Hazel, Scotty of the Carnival, Chicago's only non-alcoholic bar, Wes & Bob of Checkmate II, and Charlie of the Flight.'Īnother bar that's a mystery is the Odyssey Bar, which opened at 3231 N. In his GayLife column, the Polish Princess wrote: 'The joint was jumping as the new camp bar Molly's Follies held its grand opening. 17, 1976 and promised a fabulous all-male burlesque show every night. Madison-across from the Holiday Inn in Greek Town-a Disco that opened Dec. The fountain was installed by the manager Paul Wirts and the bartender opening night was Jay Wells.Īnother bar that very little is known about is the Matchmaker at 740 W. It was described in Gay Chicago: 'The warm paneled room with fireplace is enhanced by one of the most comfortable beer gardens/patios in town with plenty of foliage, a three-tiered fountain and cushioned lounge chairs.' The bar hasn't changed much since. It was called the Manhandler and is still a popular men's bar. 15, 1980 a 'western-style bar' opened at 1948 N. Sounds like Mama Lion's is going to liven up an otherwise staid area of Chicago.' And they'll give a trophy to the high score winners. They'll be doing fun things, like a bowling tourney (where else. Her bowling league was there (all of them) last Sunday, and they all had a ball. Lucy assured me that everyone is welcome. They have three female and two male bartenders. It opened in January 1976, and in Chicago GayLife, columnist Christopher wrote: 'My very good friend Lucy is one of the owners, joining Rose in operating Mama Lion's. Pulaski was also popular with men there were occasional drag shows. If anyone has any info about this bar please contact me.Īlthough owned by women, Lucy and Rose, Mama Lion's at 3600 N. It was a men's dance bar and the owner was Dennis Kovac. The bar, however, stayed open until 1992. Sadly, Mother Carol died almost a year later. I wonder if Carol's sponsor this time is Flo's 'sister'?' Ira Jones in his Gay Life column wrote: 'A new rumor floating about that Mother Carol Farnham is buying into the now closed Den One in Old Town. 13, 1978, the Mother of all drag queens, Mother Carol (Richard Farnham), opened Carol's Speakeasy at 1355 N. Let me know if you've attended the opening of a gay bar: your memories bring back memories for others. The opening of a gay bar is always a grand occasion and to bring back memories for you, here are a few from my files. This article shared 13504 times since Wed May 14, 2003