The main dining room of the Pump Room at Public Chicago
Chicago’s Who’s Who showed up at the legendary Pump Room at the Public Chicago hotel Tuesday night as owner Ian Schrager hosted a special dinner created by Jean Georges Vongerichten — who flew in from New York to personally oversee the gourmet gathering.
It was all about celebrating the Pump Room’s 75th birthday and the second anniversary of Schrager’s launch of the former Ambassador East as the Public Chicago, and the remodeled Pump Room.
As the culinary staff worked the room, clad in 1930s-ear uniforms — complete with those famous plumed turbans that were a signature look at the original Pump Room, Schrager unveiled 51 “New Chicago Icon” photos. The famed hotelier hand-picked individuals he feels represents Chicago’s “modern day cultural milieu, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former mayor Richard M. Daley, Nora Dunn, fashionistas Josh and Ikram Goldman, rapper/artist Lupe Fiasco, architect Jeanne Gang, Desiree Rogers, Linda Johnson Rice, Victor Skrebneski, Michael Kutza, civic powerhouses, M.K. and J.B. Pritzker, Robin Lowenberg Tebbe, Steve Traxler, Neal Zucker, Nora Daley Conroy, Trish Rooney Alden, Leslie Hindman, Rocky Wirtz, artist Francine Turk, plus a slew of media heavyweights.