“The leading French restaurant of the city is Ober’s, on Winter Place, off Winter Street. This has more than a local fame. It is most patronized by the possessors of long purses. It has a large general dining-room, a café, and several private supper rooms. The viands here are unsurpassed by any place in the city.” The story of Locke-Ober begins some thirty years earlier. The buildings in which it is located were originally constructed as dwellings at sometime prior to the records covered by the building department. Luis Ober’s name first appears to be connected to Winter Place in 1870, although in 1879 he makes reference to “This place of over twenty years standing, where French cooking, par excellence, is made a specialty.” It appears that Ober took over 4 Winter Place from a Mr. F.A. Blanc who was operating a restaurant there in 1868. It is believed that Ober was one of Blanc’s customers.