In fact, some of the splashiest openings of the past few years were by restaurants informed by a strong sense of the past. Two places come to mind. The building, though constructed in the late 1990s, feels like one of those grand old restaurants so popular in the 1950s. The food is offered family-style, and popular choices are large platters of breaded veal Parmigiana and bowls overflowing with hearty red pastas. Big hits, too, are the perfectly made cocktails.
Martinis come in glasses the size of fishbowls, and the olives are large and cleverly stuffed.
At Morton's of Chicago in Santa Ana , the setting is more authentic but more contemporary. Link goes here.