Chicago Style Cheesecakes

Eli Schulman never did anything halfheartedly. So when his cheesecake debuted at the first Taste of Chicago on July 4th, 1980, revelers judged it to be the #1 dessert of the festival.

Before Eli’s cheesecake, New York was considered the cheesecake capital. However,when Eli created his  original recipe, breaking all the rules of traditional cheesecake baking, a new category of cheesecake was born: Chicago Style. Thanks to the bakery’s commitment to working with regional farmers to select the best ingredients and slow-cultured, all-natural dairy, fans around the world would argue that when it comes to luscious cheesecakes, Chicago is the cream of the crop.

To appreciate the rich, creamy flavor in every slice of Eli’s cheesecake, take a quick trip back in time to the opening in 1966 of Eli’s the Place for Steak, a restaurant just off the Magnificent Mile. For nearly 50 years, Eli’s was a legendary hangout for the who’s who of entertainment, sports, and politics, including the night at the piano-bar when famed pianist Hal Roach played “Hail to the Chief” for one notable guest, President Bill Clinton, or the fact that every Mayor and Governor has wagered Eli's Cheesecake when Chicago teams have made it to the championships. But no matter who wins a title, Eli’s still reigns as the world champion of cheesecakes.

If you had reserved a table back then, before the steakhouse closed to make way for Lurie Children’s Hospital, you might have found yourself seated next to Sean Connery, Don Rickles, Johnny Carson, Mike Ditka, or the Backstreet Boys. If you saw Frank Sinatra  and his entourage (Sammy and Dean) enjoying chopped liver at his preferred corner table, well, it was just another night at the classic Chicago steakhouse where Eli Schulman first created his world-famous cheesecake.