Joseph loved the show Man Vs Food and watched the Chicago episode when host Adam Richmond ate his way through piles of Italian food. So Joe had a list of places he wanted to eat. We could only grant him one wish so we chose to go to the Billy Goat Tavern in downtown Chicago.
The Billy Goat Tavern is famous for two reasons.
In 1945, the Chicago Cubs seemed destined to win the World Series and local tavern owner William ‘Billy Goat’ Sianis attended game 4 with his lucky goat. But the Cubs owner, P.K. Wrigley wouldn’t let the lucky goat in because ‘the goat stinks’. William was so upset that he proclaimed ‘The Cubs ain’t gonna win no more’. And so the billy goat curse was placed and the Chicago Cubs have never won the World Series since.
Anyone watching Saturday Night Live in the late 1978 will remember the ‘Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Cheezborger! skit with Akroyd, Belushi and Murray. Akroyd and Belushi used to do comedy in Chicago so they knew the Billy Goat Tavern and wrote the skit based on the colourful characters in the pub.
A quiet Monday afternoon at Billy Goat Tavern. We visited with cousins Sandy and Lee.
The famous goat leading to the Cubs curse.