nsxtasy

Now that we're at the halfway point of the year, I thought I'd check up on how I'm doing against my goals for the year: 1. Lose weight: Not done. I intend to do a lot less eating out the second half of the year. 2. Quince: Done. But disappointing. 3. Fine dining: Only partially done (Sweets and Savories, Avenues) unless Sunday brunch qualifies (Sola, Cuatro). 4. Tallent: Done. But disappointing. 5. Thai food: Done (Thai Pavilion 2, TAC Quick). 6. Pizza: Done (Burt's Place, Pequod's). But disappointing. 7. Barbecue: Not done. 8. Hot Chocolate: Not done. 9. Chocolate Box: Done. But disappointing. However, I tried a lot of chocolatiers in the area, and found others that I liked a lot. See separate topic. 10. The Lobby Restaurant in the Peninsula: Not done. 11. Close by places: Mostly done (Black Ram Steakhouse, Mitchell's Fish Market, Lupita's, Thai Sookdee, Walker Brothers, Pete Miller's, but not Oceanique, Chef's Station) Here are the highlights and lowlights of my meals during the first half of 2007, (excluding brunch visits, fast food, etc): Wow, Incredible (worth traveling long distances to dine): Tallgrass (Lockport IL) - best meal of the first half of the year Avenues (Chicago IL) Le Bernardin (New York NY) Margaux (Sheboygan WI) Aigre Doux (Chicago IL) Very Good (worth recommending to others): Black Ram (Des Plaines IL) 14 West (Indianapolis IN) Diva (Toledo OH) The Cabin (Ashland OH) Mitchell's Fish Market (Glenview IL) Kincaid's (Burlingame CA) Rosemary and Sage (Riverdale NJ) Lupita's (Evanston IL) TAC Quick (Chicago IL) Thai Sookdee (Evanston IL) Thai Pavilion 2 (Skokie IL) Pete Miller's (Evanston IL) Giordano's (Evanston IL) Lou Malnati's (Evanston IL) Just Okay (worth visiting if you're in the neighborhood): Cafe Matou (Chicago IL) Georgio's International (Toledo OH) Brant's Bistro (Mansfield OH) Davis Street Fishmarket (Evanston IL) Italian Colors (Oakland CA) Rivoli (Berkeley CA) L'Explorateur (Indianapolis IN) Merle's Barbecue (Evanston IL) Wildfire (Glenview IL) Disappointing, seriously flawed (worth forgetting): Burt's Place (Morton Grove IL) Pequod's (Morton Grove IL) Tallent (Bloomington IN) Port Edward (Algonquin IL) Quince (Evanston IL) Dreadful (worth warning others away): Steve's Dakota Grill (Ontario OH) Gio (Evanston IL) Dave's Italian Kitchen (Evanston IL)

Are you referring to Tapawingo, the restaurant in Ellsworth, northeast of Traverse City? If so, it's a fantastic restaurant, to be sure - I loved it the last time I was there - but the fact that it's located in the middle of nowhere, 268 miles away, may have something to do with its lack of widespread notoriety in Detroit.

Spiaggia is definitely number one. In fact, I think it's really the only Italian in town on that level of formality, creativity, and ultimate service. If you go down a notch, that opens up a whole bunch of places which still have excellent food. A few have already been mentioned above. Cafe Spiaggia, its more casual sister restaurant, belongs in this group. So do Coco Pazzo and Trattoria 10. My personal favorite in this group is one of those places people don't talk that much about, but I think is really awesome, IMHO as good as anything short of Spiaggia: Vivere, the fine dining restaurant in the Italian Village complex in the Loop. All of these are good, and you can't go wrong with any of them. As for other "don't miss" places, I agree that Chicago-style pizza is a "don't miss", whether you prefer the stuffed, double-crust pizza of Giordano's, Edwardo's, or Bacino's, or the single-crust pan pizza of Lou Malnati's or Gino's East. Rick Bayless's two Mexican places are worth visiting, too - although I don't know why everyone only mentions Frontera Grill, when you can make advance reservations at Topolobampo without the hassle or worries; at lunch you'll find the prices aren't that different, either. My personal favorite for "don't miss" would be one sixtyblue, for unbelievably delicious New American cuisine in a hip but casual setting.

That won't be necessary. Avenues and Tru both accept reservations on OpenTable. For this Friday, right now it shows openings at Avenues at 5:30 and 6:00, and at Tru at 5:15 and 6:00. I would take Avenues over Tru, but you really can't go wrong either way. Enjoy!

I assume you are referring to Cafe Spiaggia, rather than Spiaggia. Spiaggia is one of Chicago's very top restaurants, with creative Italian food and top-notch service. Tony Mantuano, the chef/partner, won the James Beard Award for Best Chef - Midwest in 2005. Dressy and very expensive. It is not open for lunch. Cafe Spiaggia, right next door, is Spiaggia's "sister restaurant" and serves moderately-priced (not inexpensive, but not super-expensive either) excellent Italian food. Casual. It is open for both lunch and dinner.

You can also find both of those items (and more - smoked meats, etc) at Zier's, in Wilmette. Great, great butcher (as are F&O and Gepperth's). They sell Tallgrass Beef at the various locations of Foodstuffs.

I was not overwhelmed when I went there some months ago. There are some restaurants whose menus sound good, but whose flavors just don't impress; you take a bite of most dishes and the reaction is "oh, that's interesting" instead of "wow, that's divine". That's the way I felt about May Street Market. I was particularly disappointed with their two most-talked-about dishes, the bleu cheese cheesecake (which I was really looking forward to; I think the idea could make for a superb savory dish, but this didn't thrill) and the onion soup. It's a nice place (comfortable surroundings and decor) and the service was fine. The food wasn't bad, by any means, and I would consider it perfectly fine if I were visiting a smaller city. But here in Chicago, there are so many other places you can go where the food makes you think of "wow", and for me, this just wasn't one of them. My suggestion: If you want to try May Street Market, go there for a pleasant lunch. Regardless of whether the food is great or merely okay, it's an enjoyable time. And after lunch, you can enjoy the food shopping in the area, with D'Amato's Bakery across May Street and Terry's Toffee on the other side of Grand.

Last week, the Chicago Tribune had a reasonably complete list of farmers markets in the Chicago area. (They said it was "partial", but that sounds like a disclaimer; it sure looks comprehensive to me.) The ones within the city limits are listed by day of the week. The ones in the suburbs (over a hundred of them, I would guess) are listed alphabetically by municipality. Click here for the article.

Wow, I can't believe they put Milwaukee in the Midwest category rather than the Great Lakes category where Chicago is. That makes it obvious they're bending over backwards to make the former the "every place except Chicago category" as much as possible. (Downtown Milwaukee is only 90 miles from downtown Chicago, they share suburbs halfway in between, and quite a few folks in either city dine in the other from time to time.) I don't mean any slight against the nice folks in Milwaukee. They have a nice restaurant scene there (I see Adam Siegel was nominated, and I haven't yet been back to Sanford since Sandy has taken hands-on control again, but I can only believe it's as wonderful as ever). As great as we have it here in Chicago, it's nice to see more and more outstanding places opening and developing in cities all over the Midwest/Great Lakes region. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees in all categories!

I don't know where you're getting those prices. Most of the main courses are around $27-33 at both places, with only one or two items higher than that. On the Custom House website menu, the only entree shown above $33 is the New York Strip, but it's $38, not $48. Here are the entrees on the dinner menu at Naha, from the website link provided in Ronnie's post: Line Caught Monkfish Loin and "Fresh Bacon" Kurobuta Pork Belly with Golden Chanterelles, Wood-Grilled Leeks and Herb-Crusted Salsifis, Lobster Red Wine Jus $31.00 Wild Carolina Coast Striped Bass "Riviera" with a Salad of Shaved Fennel, Arugula and Babaganoush, Cured Tomatoes, Spanish Olives and Yellow Pepper Broth $30.00 Skate Wing and a Cannelloni of "Sunchoke" with Butter Poached Chesapeake Bay Lump Crab, Jerusalem Artichokes and Oyster Mushrooms $29.00 Medaillons of Ranch Venison, Huckleberies, Roasted Chestnuts and Brussels Sprouts, Celery Root and "Honeycrisp" Applesauce $39.00 Wood-Grilled 18oz. "Prime" Ribeye of Beef with a Gration of Macaroni and Goat Cheese, Glazed Shallots, Oxtail Red Wine Sauce and Fleur de Sel $46.00 Braised Short Ribs of Beef, Wild Boar Bacon and Cauliflower Puree with Roasted Winter Root Vegetables and Cippolini Onions,Smoked "Manuka" Sea Salt and Herb Salad $32.00 Blossom Honey "Lacquered" Aged Moulard Duck Breast, Caramelized Quince and Fennel, Broccoli Rabe, Sicilian Pistachios and Port $32.00 Roast "Brace" of Quail and La Quercia "Americano" Prosciutto with a "Fondant" of Austrian Crescent Potatoes, Roasted Acorn Squash, Red Pearl Onions, Swiss Chard and Tarragon $27.00 Roast Loin of Rabbit with a "Ragout" of Braised Rabbit, Confit Garlic Crushed Potatoes, Applewood Slab Bacon, "Hen of the Woods" Mushrooms, Glazed Young Carrots and Turnips $26.00 Wild Alaskan Troll Red King Salmon, Yukon Potato Gnocchi, Braised Artichokes and Leeks, Enriched Chicken Jus with Chives and Chervil $33.00

Kiki's, like Naha, is on the other side of the Loop (downtown Chicago) from McCormick Place, so cab fares will be a bit more. Not a showstopper, just an FYI. Good French bistro food. Little-known fact: Kiki's is one of only a handful of restaurants in or around downtown which offers free valet parking, so if you have rental cars... Another little-known fact: Kiki for many years owned/ran the only French restaurant in the Loop, Le Bordeaux. There are many, many more restaurants just north of the Loop than in the South Loop, towards McCormick Place. Some of them are less expensive than Naha/Custom House, too. The trick is finding one that has the small private dining room you're looking for AND is not expensive AND is open Mondays. Kiki's doesn't say anything about a private room on their website. Perhaps Coco Pazzo Cafe, also just north of the Loop, might meet your needs. It's moderately-priced Italian (sister restaurant to the more expensive Coco Pazzo), very good food, open Mondays, and their website says "For groups up to 25 guests, Coco Pazzo Cafe can accomodate your party in our charming platform area, please contact Jack Weiss for further details 312.664.2777." As another option, Greek Town (just west of the Loop) has a lot of inexpensive Greek restaurants but they tend to be louder/busier than typically desirable for a business dinner. They may have private rooms that will work for you. Places there include Greek Islands, Santorini, the Parthenon, etc. Price-wise, Kiki's is similar in price to Gioco and Cuatro. Coco Pazzo Cafe is similar in price to Opera. Greek places in Greek Town are priced similar to Coco Pazzo Cafe and Opera, maybe a bit less.

If Naha is over your budget, then so is Custom House. Custom House is at least as expensive as Naha, maybe a tad more. Of the places mentioned above, Opera is the least expensive (even aside from their Sunday/Tuesday special deal), Custom House and Naha are the most expensive, and Gioco and Cuatro are in between. (They all show prices on the menus displayed on their websites.)

I just wrote up a summary of the better restaurants in the Sheboygan area. I've included links to their websites where available. I travel to Sheboygan frequently, and I've been to most of the better restaurants there. Sheboygan seems to be an interesting town, kind of transitioning from a not-so-great blue-collar town to a resort town with upscale amenities. You can find out more information on the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce website. Here are the best restaurants in the area, in order based on my personal opinion about them: 1. Margaux. Spectacular. See link above to my recent report. I can't say enough about how wonderful it was. It was fantastic! 2. For "fine dining", in addition to Margaux, there are Biro and O, which are owned/run by Marcel Biro, who also has/had a cooking show on public television. Creative cuisine, and pretty good, but I think the food at Margaux is even better. 3. The American Club is a big, expensive ($400 plus per night) resort in Kohler, near Sheboygan, and it has several restaurants. Upscale, nice, and pretty good, but very conventional. 4. 52 Stafford, a combination Irish pub, upscale restaurant, and bed and breakfast in Plymouth. 5. Seabird, a decent seafood restaurant in the recently-developed waterfront development on Lake Michigan. I see from their website that they have added a wine and tapas bar since I was last there. 6. Bruce's, in Elkhart Lake. American food. 7. Richard's, an American restaurant in nearby Sheboygan Falls. 8. CityStreets, an American restaurant (prime rib, etc), also in the recently-developed waterfront development on the lake (but has been there a while longer than some of the others). 9. Thai Cafe Restaurant - Pretty good Thai food, not at all fancy though. All of these restaurants are pretty good. The dining scene there is much better than you would typically expect in a county with just over 100,000 people. And, of course, it's only 45 minutes from Milwaukee, with its vibrant food scene. I haven't mentioned the Osthoff, which is a resort in Elkhart Lake. In my visits there, some times they have had their restaurant open, while others they have only had food available there for room service and banquets. Other places I've tried include Nino's Steak Roundup (steakhouse), Brisco County Wood Grill (American food), and the Depot (a steakhouse in Plymouth); these are okay, but I don't think they're as good as the ones I've listed above. Also, Il Ritrovo specializes in Neopolitan pizza and is one of ~20 places in the country certified to do so by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, but I have not been there. (Sorry, but the deep-dish pizza is so good at home in Chicago that I never eat pizza when I'm out of town.)

Here are several recommendations, with a bit more detail. All are a short cab ride from McCormick Place, except Cuatro, which is just a few blocks away. 1. Cuatro (Latin Fusion) 2030 S. Wabash Ave. 312-842-8856 Cuatro is very hip (music, decor) and the food is excellent. I don't think they have a private room, though. And they are not open for lunch. So it might not be the best choice for that business dinner for eight, but it's the most unusual of this group when it comes to the food. 2. Custom House 500 S. Dearborn St. (just over two miles from McCormick Place) 312-523-0200 Custom House is from Shawn McClain, who has several local restaurants, all outstanding. The food is American, using local ingredients where possible, with some emphasis on meat. Classy place (although business casual attire is fine). Their website says that they can provide "Semi-private in dining room up to 11; separate space available for 75 people." 3. Opera (upscale Chinese) 1301 S. Wabash Ave. (just over one mile from McCormick Place) 312-461-0161 Their website says they have a banquet room that seats 8-14, which sounds perfect for your needs. Also, they are relatively quiet on Mondays. (They have a three-course $25 deal on Sundays and Tuesdays, which may be why they are not busier on Mondays.) 4. Gioco (Italian) 1312 S. Wabash Ave. (just over one mile from McCormick Place) 312-939-3870 Their private dining options may be too large for your needs ("Speakeasy seats 36-60; Banquet room seats 96-150; Entire restaurant seats 230") All of these places are open on Mondays, and all except Cuatro are open for lunch. For your business dinner, Custom House is the nicest, but it's possible that the size of the private room at Opera may make it a better fit for your needs. There's also a restaurant (NetWorks) right within Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. I haven't been here and don't know anything about it, other than that it's right IN McCormick Place, so you can't beat it for convenience and proximity. BTW, it's "McCormick Place", not "McCormick Center".

They had been closed on Saturdays earlier this year, following the birth of a new child in the Carlson household, but I thought they recently started serving on Saturdays again. They are closed on Sundays. If you are looking for a restaurant open on Sundays in the innovative/splurge category, Alinea is open on Sundays, and so are NoMi, Spiaggia, and Seasons. A lot of the more casual restaurants are open on Sundays too, including Spring, Custom House, and mk. Yes.

You're welcome to your opinion, but it's quite the opposite of mine. I've eaten dinner at both places relatively recently (two weeks ago, in the case of Sweets and Savories). And while I like Sweets and Savories, I wouldn't put it in the pantheon of Chicago's best restaurants. I've eaten meals where every bite of every dish is unbelievably delicious, not only at those top tables like Everest, but also at places like One Sixty Blue, Aigre Doux, Michael, and Oceanique, with dinners so good they seem like magic. I just would not put S&S into that category. Not even close. Yes, some dishes were excellent, but others were just okay and not at all remarkable (which is why I didn't post a report on my recent dinner there). Good? Yes, even very good, and I will continue to include it among casual fine dining places I recommend. Great, exceptional? Certainly not. Sorry to disagree with folks here, but the food I had wasn't nearly as great as some people make it out to be. I can only conclude that much of its attraction is due to its unlikely location and reasonable price (although you can spend a lot more than $50; my dinner was not inexpensive), along with the friendly attitude of Paul and David. All of which speaks well for the place, to be sure. But I wouldn't rank it among the very best casual places here, and certainly wouldn't compare it to Everest, where I have had several of the finest meals I've had in all my years in the city.

I think the $50 three-course pre-theater deal at Everest is an equally good value. It's nice to have two great values from two very good (but very different) restaurants.

There is a wonderful restaurant in Sheboygan called Margaux. I posted a report on my recent visit in this other topic about restaurants in Sheboygan.

It's not clear what kind of "goodies" you have in mind. The suggestions so far tend towards cheap eats and groceries - nothing wrong with those, but that's not the only thing that qualifies as "goodies". You'll find mention of some of the Chicago area's farmers markets in this topic. And some of our pastry shops in this one. As a Chicagoan proud of our city's culinary offerings, I would encourage any visitor to do two things: (1) have a dinner from one of our top chefs, e.g. at Alinea, Avenues (which is in the Peninsula), Everest, Charlie Trotter's, Tru; and (2) have some deep-dish Chicago pizza for lunch at Lou Malnati's, Gino's East, or Giordano's. If there's some other "goodies" category we've missed, let us know!

I like Vanille a lot. Their macaroons are French macaroons (sandwiches of almond macaroons with a small amount of ganache in between) and are excellent. So are their entremets. Bennison's... er... does some things well, some things not so well. Avoid anything they make with almond paste; for some reason, their almond paste creations have little to no almond flavor. For example, their marzipan slices do not compare favorably with the next suggestion, and there is no almond taste to their French macaroons. If you go to Pasticceria Natalina, which is an excellent place specializing in Sicilian pastries, one block south of there is Swedish Bakery. Very nice breads and pastries. I particularly love their marzariners. Their marzipan cake is also excellent. Another good place not too far from Pasticceria Natalina and Swedish Bakery is La Patisserie P on Argyle Street. It's an interesting combination of French and Asian pastries and baked goods, on a street with lots of Vietnamese eateries. If you go to the 'burbs, Three Tarts Bakery in Northfield does a fine job with small cookies and individual-sized cakes, also has a wickedly good pear almond tart. And Gourmet Frog, the carry-out adjunct of Froggy's restaurant in Highwood, has a lot of good things, including French macaroons, a large number of French pastries and cakes available by the slice as well as whole, also good soups, onion quiche, etc. They also have plainish rich butter cookies that are wonderful.

Here's some more detailed information about public transportation options and what they mean to food (although I agree with MattJohnson that you'll probably be dining with friends at least one of whom has a car, which will be a lot more convenient when you are going outside of Hyde Park). Metra is Chicago's commuter rail system, and includes the Metra Electric Line (formerly known as the IC, or Illinois Central, many years ago) which runs between Hyde Park (stops at 47th/Kenwood, 51st/53rd, 55th/56th/57th, 59th, and 63rd Streets) and the Loop (stops at Millennium Park and at Van Buren Street). Trains take about fifteen minutes and run hourly all day long, with the last departure leaving the Loop at 12:50 a.m. Monday-Saturday. Metra may or may not be convenient for you, depending on where you're going from and to; it runs along the east side of Hyde Park and the east side of the Loop, and does not continue to the north side of Chicago. You will have to pay a separate fare if you take the CTA (bus and el/subway) to continue your trip. More information on Metra at metrarail.com, or click here to go directly to the schedules for the Metra Electric Line. The CTA operates Chicago's bus and el (subway) lines. The advantage is that one fare, with a transfer, can take you anywhere in the city (and a few close-in suburbs). As Palladion notes, it is more time-consuming. You'll find more information on the CTA website at transitchicago.com. Both websites (Metra and CTA) have a travel planner that does a fairly good (but not always infallible) job at providing suggestions for getting from one point to another. Either travel planner includes options from all transit services (both Metra and CTA, as well as Pace suburban bus service where applicable). Food options within Hyde Park have been described above. Hyde Park is a relatively small, isolated neighborhood, and there isn't much around it worth traveling to. So you will become familiar with places within the neighborhood very quickly. When you leave Hyde Park for food, you'll usually be travelling at least 7-8 miles or more. Metra service runs to the Loop, which is Chicago's commercial center, but is only part of the greater area that people refer to as "downtown Chicago" and contains many, many restaurant choices, including places in the South Loop, the West Loop and Greek Town, and River North, Streeterville, and Michigan Avenue. Most, but not all, of the places in these areas tend to be on the expensive side, with the Greek restaurants in Greek Town as a notable exception. Beyond downtown, there are many, many restaurant choices all over the city, including many in the "cheap eats" category. Some ethnic choices are clustered in specific neighborhoods (Indian restaurants on Devon Avenue, Vietnamese on Argyle) while many others are just spread out all over. If you enjoy food, I suggest that you try to travel all over the city and you will find plenty to choose from. Besides, it's nice to leave Hyde Park from time to time, to get a little more variety into your life and to appreciate how much all of Chicago has to offer. One of the more useful websites in looking up hours and other information on restaurants is Metromix, the dining/entertainment website of the Chicago Tribune, which has restaurant listings searchable by neighborhood, cuisine, etc.

I really love the Oceanaire. I've been there numerous times and it's always been excellent. This past weekend, I was visiting central Indiana, and I decided it was time to try some places I had not been to before, rather than going back to the Oceanaire. I loved 14 West (downtown, at the Circle Center), I liked L'Explorateur too (in Broad Ripple), but I was disappointed in Restaurant Tallent (in Bloomington).

Outstanding restaurants open on Mondays also include: Formal Fine Dining Tru NoMi Seasons Ambria (till June) Casual Fine Dining One Sixty Blue Aigre Doux mk Sola Sweets and Savories Steakhouses Most steakhouses are open Mondays. Fusion Le Lan Le Colonial Cuatro Vermilion Bistro Bistro 110 Kiki's Bistro Mon Ami Gabi Italian Coco Pazzo Mexican Adobo Grill Salpicon Seafood Fulton's on the River Hugo's Frog House Shaw's Crab House Suburban Parker's Ocean Grill (Downers Grove) Oceanique (Evanston) The Stained Glass (Evanston) Jacky's Bistro (Evanston) Va Pensiero (Evanston) Campagnola (Evanston) Tin Fish (Tinley Park) Vie (Western Springs) Le Francais (Wheeling) Osteria di Tramonto (Wheeling)

I think the answer to that question is pretty obvious. I expect delicious food, and reasonably creative. And I've found it in some smaller towns in Ohio (e.g. Vermilion, Ashland, Mansfield, and Wooster) as well as in the big cities. The interest in good food (and no, bologna and meatloaf don't qualify) throughout the country has increased dramatically in recent years. It's no longer all that unusual to find a top notch restaurant in smaller towns. Last time I checked, Toledo was mentioned by the original poster, and there are replies in this topic with recommendations for fine food in Toledo. A good restaurant, even one in a small town, can provide a unique local experience that includes delicious food items, not ones you'd find on the menu of a high school cafeteria.

A bologna sandwich and a meatloaf sandwich? You're kidding, right?