mid-price-range Chicago (Union Park) restaurants?

[amccomb]

So, we are going to be in Chicago for July 13, 14, and 15 for the Pitchfork Music Festival which is being held here:

Union Park

1501 W Randolph St

Chicago, IL 60607

(Corner of Lake St. and Ashland Ave.)

We'll be driving up Friday, but not going to the festival. We will be attending on Saturday and Sunday.

I did a search on restaurants in Chicago, and the list is overwhelming, so I am going to add to the jumble with my own request for restaurant ideas.

We like any kind of food - any ethnicity. The constraints are that a friend who is coming along is on a budget and doesn't want to spend more that $35 on a nice meal, and prefers under $20 for most meals. Also, we won't be dressed up and may be a little rumpled and sweaty after the festival on Saturday and Sunday, which gives us only one shot at a slightly nicer meal - Friday night.

Any ideas for a decent Friday night dinner for around $35 in that area?

What about ideas for casual places on Saturday and Sunday breakfast and/or lunch (shows start at noon) and dinner? We want good food!

We wouldn't mind doing dim sum or tapas or some other meal that we could all share if anyone has any ideas.

[nr706]

I really don't think there's anywhere in that area where the three of you can get a decent dinner Friday night for under $35 total. You might want to try a tacqueria in Little Village, or there are several similar-type places in Rogers Park. If you can exceed the $35 limit a little, there are a couple of Thai places around Lincoln Square that might work. Or, you could go for a classic Chicago hot dog ... Wiener's Circle or Wiener and Still Champion are two very good examples, and would probably be within your price range.

One place to look would be here:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=28&...4d01dfc5fd456f9

For Sunday breakfast, and a unique and budget-friendly experience, don't miss the Maxwell Street Market (Sundays only) which isn't on Maxwell Street any more, but is centered around Roosevelt and Canal Streets. Many, mostly Mexican, street stalls (real Mexican, not your Taco Bell stuff - you can watch the Mexican grandmas patting out fresh tortillas by hand. Helps if you know a little Spanish.) The food is mixed in with other other flea-market stalls.

Edited July 1, 2007 by nr706 (log)

[nsxtasy]

Dump the cheapskate friend.

Seriously, though, if you must eat for under $35 per person, you're not all that far from Greek Town, and at any of the Greek places there, you can eat within that amount, assuming you're not getting much alcohol too.

Another option would be Chicago-style pizza. Giordano's - my absolute favorite of all the Chicago-style pizza places - has a location in Greek Town. You'd be way under your $35 limit.

(Rogers Park and Lincoln Square are pretty far from the near west side, and not that convenient to get to.)

[santo_grace]

One option might be to take the Ashland bus down to Pilsen for good Mexican places. They are at 18th and Ashland, so it's a straight shot down Ashland. There are plenty of cheap eats down there, along with a slightly more expensive place (but still within your $35 range). It's called Mundial Cocina Mestiza. They are BYOB, which will help also. I'm not sure where you are staying, but you should easily be able to get around with public transportation from there.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t...ighlight=pilsen

[nsxtasy]

One option might be to take the Ashland bus down to Pilsen for good Mexican places.

←

That's a good suggestion too. Pilsen's about 2.5 miles south on Ashland, a straight shot by bus. Just like Greek Town is about a mile east of where you'll be. And the price is right in either case.

For public transit information within the city, here's a link to the CTA website.

Incidentally, it's worth pointing out that one of the city's very best restaurants is right near Union Park - one sixtyblue. Absolutely fantastic food, in a casual, very hip setting. If you can get rid of your friend - it's way above his budget, since you can expect to pay $80-110 per person, including moderate alcohol, tax, and tip - it's really one of our culinary treasures.

[hsm]

Dim sum on Saturday isn't very far away. For my $, Phoenix has the best in Chinatown, which isn't all that far.

[You can take the Green Line to the Red Line. Take that south (not in the Howard direction) to Cermak/Chinatown, walk down the steps, head west (it will be obvious which way the restaurants are), take a right at the corner with the parking lot, then a left onto the next street (Archer). Phoenix will be up half a block.]

[ronnie_suburban]

Incidentally, it's worth pointing out that one of the city's very best restaurants is right near Union Park - one sixtyblue.  Absolutely fantastic food, in a casual, very hip setting.  If you can get rid of your friend - it's way above his budget, since you can expect to pay $80-110 per person, including moderate alcohol, tax, and tip - it's really one of our culinary treasures.

←

I've always been a fan of one sixtyblue but my last meal there was riddled with poorly prepared food . . . very fishy-tasting scallops, sinewy, undercooked lamb, undercooked potato wedges, cold potato puree. Not one person in our party of 5 finished their entree. Perhaps it was just a bad night but for now, sadly, I'd suggest going elsewhere.

=R=

[nsxtasy]

That's the total opposite of the several dinners I've had there, but I haven't been lately. I hope it hasn't gone downhill; it was always superb. Now I've got to go back and make sure it's still as good as ever. I sure hope so; it's been my favorite "go to" place in the city when I want a meal that blows me away.

(It's also worth noting that it's only about a block from Union Park.)

Edited July 3, 2007 by nsxtasy (log)

[JDYmeat]

Ina's (1235 W. Randolph) is walking distance from the park. Great breakfast and famous for her Fried Chicken. Also check out Cobra Lounge (Fulton and Ashland)after the show, very cool Rock and Roll bar. Friday Dinner; I agree with nsxtasy. There are too many great places in the area to miss Red Light, Marche, Vivo, Sushi Wabi, May Street Market, Moto, Follia, etc. One unique cheap eats would be PEREZ restaurant (Randolph and Peoria?) still operates a butcher shop out of the back and has great goat tacos, open breakfast thru dinner.

[amccomb]

These are all great suggestions!! Thank you all!

I talked to my friend, and he said he may be willing to splurge a little, but no way will he do $100 per person.

The husband, on the other hand, is willing to pay that and more. He is wondering how far Sweets and Savories is from the area.

I guess I had better start looking for hotels in the area, too!

[Alex]

These are all great suggestions!!  Thank you all!

I talked to my friend, and he said he may be willing to splurge a little, but no way will he do $100 per person. 

The husband, on the other hand, is willing to pay that and more.  He is wondering how far Sweets and Savories is from the area.

I guess I had better start looking for hotels in the area, too!

←

S & S is about three miles from Union Park -- straight up Ashland to Fullerton, then right one block. There's free parking next door after 6, I think. $100+ per person will get you a very, very nice meal there.

[nsxtasy]

The husband, on the other hand, is willing to pay that and more.  He is wondering how far Sweets and Savories is from the area.

←

Sweets and Savories is a very good place. It is three miles due north of Union Park. The previously-mentioned bus up Ashland Avenue will take you right there.

The price at S&S can vary wildly. You can get their $10 wagyu burger on Monday nights (normally $17), or you can get order the $60 tasting menu ($50 on Wednesday, I think), or a la carte. And, of course, alcohol is... what it is. I recently ate there and the bottom line was $90 per person, including moderate alcohol, tax, and tip. I thought it was very good, but not as good as any of the dinners I've had at one sixtyblue.

Incidentally, if you're considering a nice dinner on the west side, two other places to consider are Blackbird and Avec, which are co-owned and next door to each other, about a mile east of Union Park on Randolph. Blackbird is in the same genre as one sixtyblue and Sweets and Savories, casual and moderately expensive with fabulous food. Avec differs in several ways: they don't accept reservations, they have communal seating (you may or may not enjoy this), and their prices are significantly less, with entrees around $18 rather than $30. With its lower prices, it may be exactly what you're looking for.

You'll find prices shown on the menus on the websites of all of these restaurants.

I guess I had better start looking for hotels in the area, too!

←

I'm not very familiar with the area around one sixtyblue and Union Park, but I suspect there are not any decent hotels in the neighborhood. Most of the hotels in Chicago are in the overall downtown area (South Loop, Loop, River North, Gold Coast) and, as you might imagine, tend to be rather expensive, although you can get some details through the usual websites (e.g. Hotwire). I've heard that the Lincoln Park Days Inn is moderately-priced and reasonably nice.

Edited July 3, 2007 by nsxtasy (log)

[amccomb]

Well, my husband has reserved a hotel:

Hilton

720 S Michigan Ave

Chicago, IL 60605

So, we could extend our eating area to anywhere near the hotel and Union Park, or anywhere in between.

The friend has said not to worry about budget, so now our constraints are mainly location, the ability to get a seat, and for Saturday night, the possibility to go somewhere near the hotel that is open late - still serving after 11pm.

Any new ideas?

[JDYmeat]

Cuatro (2030 S. Wabash) is open until 2:00 a.m. Jerry Kleiner's, Room 21 is next door, Fred Ramos is the new chef. Very short cab ride. Other downtown spots tend to close earlier, but anything in the loop would be fairly close.

[nsxtasy]

Cuatro is a good place to consider for your late-night requirement on Saturday. We'll get to that. But first, let's talk about a few places closer to your hotel, okay? (Scroll down if you can't wait for some late-night recommendations!)

Places close to your hotel

If budget is no longer important, then go to Custom House. It's just a couple of blocks from your hotel, and it's outstanding. New American cuisine from Shawn McClain, who was nominated for the James Beard Award. They have a 3-course pre-theater dinner for $46. You can see the menu (and prices) on their website. Their last seating is 10 pm weekends.

Custom House

500 S. Dearborn St.

(312) 523-0200

Also just a short walk from your hotel, at the other end of the price spectrum, you can get stuffed (double-crust) Chicago-style deep-dish pizza at:

Edwardo's

521 S. Dearborn Street

Chicago, IL 60605

(312) 939-3366

Check the menu on their website and order ahead of time if you want to avoid waiting 30-40 minutes for your pizza to cook. Last seating is 11 pm weekends.

For breakfast/brunch, and again, just a few blocks' walk:

Orange on Harrison

75 W. Harrison St.

312-447-1000

They serve pancake "flights" (four different kinds of mini-pancakes on a plate), egg dishes, custom-blended juices, etc.

And, for Thai food:

Amarit

600 S. Dearborn St.

312-939-1179

Places open late on Saturday night

For a late-night place, you might not be able to eat too close to your hotel, but let's talk about places which seat people after 11 pm.

As recommended above, Cuatro is very good and stays open late. They serve Latin Fusion and it's very lively, has music, etc. The only downside is that there's really very little around there at night, so it kind of sits on its own on a commercial strip in the middle of the rapidly-gentrifying South Loop neighborhood.

The four restaurants in the KDK group are all open late. Two are about a mile east of Union Park: Red Light (Asian Fusion, and my favorite of this group), and Marche (French Bistro). Closer to your hotel (about 3/4 mile south of it) are the other two, Opera (Chinese) and Gioco (Italian).

To throw a few more options out there, other places seating past 11 pm include Aigre Doux for contemporary new American (read my eGullet review here), Hugo's for seafood, Smith and Wollensky for steak, The Gage for a gastropub-type place, and Venus for Greek, in Greek Town. All of these places are a short cab ride from Union Park and from your hotel (the Gage is only 3/4 mile from the hotel, which is walkable).

As you can see, Opera, Gioco, and the Gage are all about 3/4 mile from your hotel. Those are the closest places I can think of that are open late. Maybe one of those works for you; otherwise, cabs are plentiful.

As for availability, I think every restaurant I am mentioning in this post accepts reservations on opentable.com, so with a few clicks of your keyboard, you can make a reservation. Don't worry about availability till you do that, as you'll probably find that finding availability is not a problem at all.

Edited July 10, 2007 by nsxtasy (log)