When a wonderful meal is served in grand, historic surroundings, it is even more memorable. These five Historic Hotels of America in the Midwest region offer the best of both worlds – restaurants with delicious, innovative cuisine and a fascinating look at American history.
Explore all Historic Hotels of America or discover the featured the hotels in the American Midwest below:
The American Club (1918)
Kohler, Wisconsin
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Almost a century ago, Walter Kohler, himself the son of an immigrant, built a Tudor-style village along the Sheboygan River for his immigrant workers. Today, the village includes The American Club, known for stellar golf, fine dining at The Immigrant Restaurant and popular festivals. Look for Wisconsin artisanal cheeses on the restaurant’s menu, and make plans to attend the Festival of Beer in May or the Food & Wine Experience in October. Both events offer chef demonstrations and special pairing meals.
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Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza (1931)
Cincinnati, Ohio
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In Cincinnati’s vibrant, friendly downtown lies an Art Deco gem, the 1931 Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. Here, rare Brazilian rosewood paneling and immense ceiling murals provide visual interest while executive chef Todd Kelly creates award-winning cuisine at the hotel’s Orchids at Palm Court restaurant. Courses might feature doughy zeppole pastries made with goat’s milk, shaved red wattle ham or roasted venison served with braised chestnuts and winter squash.
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French Lick Springs Hotel (1845)
French Lick, Indiana
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For 170 years, guests have come to the French Lick Springs Hotel to rest and rejuvenate in gilded surroundings, just steps from the beautiful Hoosier National Forest. Now, with gaming, spas and golf – as well as 1875: The Steakhouse – there’s even more reason to come. At the restaurant’s open kitchen, chefs prepare dry-aged steaks of premium Midwest beef (the house specialty is a prime bone-in ribeye served with a rich demi-glace). Order yours with a side of sweet Indiana corn simmered in cream and finished with truffle oil.
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Palmer House®, A Hilton Hotel (1871)
Chicago, Illinois
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In the heart of downtown Chicago, a quick walk from the Art Institute of Chicago, visitors flock to the Palmer House, originally built as an extravagant wedding gift from Chicago business magnate Potter Palmer to his wife Bertha. Reserve a seat in the hotel’s Lockwood Restaurant for the prix fixe lunch – it includes a tour of the hotel with its resident historian, and a dessert brownie. Legend says the dessert was invented in the hotel’s pastry kitchen for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair!
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Grand Hotel (1887)
Mackinac Island, Michigan
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The dining room of the 1887 Grand Hotel overlooks the Straits of Mackinac on the south shore of Mackinac Island, a Victorian-era playground where horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the only modes of transport. In the evening, dress your best for the five-course dinner, where Michigan wines and seasonal fruits steal the show (try the smoked duck breast with sour cherry jam). Before dinner, step out onto the hotel’s legendary porch, believed to be the longest in the world.
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