Chicago Dining

[reid]

I will be in Chicago in November and am definitely going to be dining at Alinea (if I can get a booking there!) I am also considering Charlie Trotter's, TRU or Avenues. Does anyone here have a preference? If I can, I am also going to try for a table at Schwa.

[boagman]

If I can, I am also going to try for a table at Schwa.

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Start trying to get yourself a reservation *yesterday*.

And no, I'm not kidding.

[kai-m]

Schwa doesn't take reservations so far in advance. At least that's what they told me when I got a real person (!!) on the phone at the beginning of july and tried to reserve for mid-september ("we haven't even got a book yet for september...")

...6-8 weeks seems to be the usual time frame.

Anyway, good luck! - after that conversation I have been calling every day since the beginning of august and the best I got (twice) was their answering machine...

Edited August 19, 2008 by kai-m (log)

[ulterior epicure]

I will be in Chicago in November and am definitely going to be dining at Alinea (if I can get a booking there!)  I am also considering Charlie Trotter's, TRU or Avenues.  Does anyone here have a preference?  If I can, I am also going to try for a table at Schwa.

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I don't know what Chef Duffy has been up to at Avenues. I've heard mixed reviews. I'd stick to Trotter's or TRU.

[jesteinf]

I'll be at Avenues the last weekend in September. I'll be sure to report back.

[nsxtasy]

I will be in Chicago in November and am definitely going to be dining at Alinea (if I can get a booking there!)  I am also considering Charlie Trotter's, TRU or Avenues.  Does anyone here have a preference?  If I can, I am also going to try for a table at Schwa.

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Well...

For one thing, if you're going to do one "top table" meal (Alinea), you might want to balance it with something not quite so high-end. For example, North Pond would be a great place to go with that, not quite so elaborate, but excellent food from James Beard-nominated Chef Bruce Sherman in a wonderful, uniquely Chicago setting in Lincoln Park, with the city skyline towering over the opposite shore of its namesake pond.

Or, if you do want to have a second "top table" meal, there are other places which are slightly different in some ways. For example, Spiaggia is one of our best places, but the only truly high-end place that is Italian, rather than contemporary in cuisine. Or, Everest leans towards the French-Alsatian end of things (although still contemporary and innovative in nature) and has that marvelous view of the city. And L2O is our newest "top table" and is unique in its emphasis on seafood.

However, if you must choose among those three, like many of us, I have not yet been to Avenues since the change in chefs, so I cannot venture an opinion on the changes Chef Duffy has made. The other two, well... you really can't go wrong with either Trotter's or Tru; both deserve their fine reputations.

[reid]

I tried to book a table at Schwa and I did get a call back from Michael. Apparently, they are not open on the day that I wanted to dine there. They did have tables available for Saturday night, but I am already booked at Alinea.

Oh well, I guess Schwa will be on my list for my next visit,