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Chicago- Solo Dining?

Vinotas

By Vinotas
in The Heartland: Dining

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Vinotas

Vinotas

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Posted (edited)

This is my first trip to Chicago and I'll be there for a few days in River North and will be alone for most of the time, so I was wondering where to eat a good, not crazy expensive meal. I am not looking for Michelins, I prefer the little hidden gems that every city has.

I already know about Hot Doug's and the Wiener Circle. Anything else I should know about?

Also, any good dive/blues bars within stumbling distance?

Thanks in advance,

Cheers! :cool:

Edited by Vinotas (log)
http://vinotas.blogspot.com/
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Alex

Alex

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Could you give us a few more parameters? For example...

1) Would you like the restaurant to be within -- a) walking distance; b) public transportation; c) reasonable cab ride; d) other -- of River North?

2) How much -- including meal, beverage(s), tax, and tip -- do you consider "not crazy expensive?"

3) Chicago, as I'm sure you know, has an enormous variety of restaurants. Do you have any strong cuisine preferences (or no-nos)?

4) Any preference for outdoor vs. indoor dining?

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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KD1191

KD1191

Posted
Posted
This is my first trip to Chicago and I'll be there for a few days in River North and will be alone for most of the time, so I was wondering where to eat a good, not crazy expensive meal.  I am not looking for Michelins, I prefer the little hidden gems that every city has.

I already know about Hot Doug's and the Wiener Circle.  Anything else I should know about?

Also, any good dive/blues bars within stumbling distance?

Thanks in advance,

Cheers!  :cool:

When will you be here? HotDoug's will be closed the 4th - 9th.

For a quick, inexpensive lunch grab a sandwich from Pastoral (on Lake, between Michigan and Wabash) or something from the cafe at Fox & Obel (on Illinois, several blocks east of Michigan) and head over to the river walk.

In River North, there's the Rick Bayless block - Clark Avenue between Illinois and Hubbard. Xoco, his new quick-service breakfast/lunch spot would certainly be worth a stop, if it opens before you arrive. If not, and you can swing it, Topolobampo is amazing (and always worth the additional cost over Frontera, where I'm always left wishing I'd gone to Topolo instead).

Not really a hidden gem, but Sepia is a fantastic restaurant in the West Loop that probably doesn't get as much credit as it deserves. They have a lounge/bar area where you can order from the full menu, which might be nice for a solo diner.

Chicago-style pizza isn't my thing, I much prefer the thin-crust at Coalfire or Spacca Napoli. The former is both closer to downtown and likely to be more solo-diner friendly.

Steak is something that Chicago does better than most places, but I would avoid the old-school like Morton's and Gibson's in favor of a place like Keefer's (on Kinzie and Dearborn in River North).

There are a few jazz/blues clubs in the River North area, but the big ones are the Green Mill in Uptown and the Checkerboard Lounge in Hyde Park (unfortunately not the original location). You're not going to find too many dive bars in that area of town, due to the steep rent. About the closest you'll get might be the Clark Street Ale House (with a big neon sign out front that says "Stop & Drink"), where they have an impressive list of regional beers available.

True rye and true bourbon wake delight like any great wine...dignify man as possessing a palate that responds to them and ennoble his soul as shimmering with the response.

DeVoto, The Hour

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KD1191

KD1191

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Just walked past the Xoco site and the windows were still papered over and there were construction workers striking in front...not sure I would expect it to be open any time soon.

True rye and true bourbon wake delight like any great wine...dignify man as possessing a palate that responds to them and ennoble his soul as shimmering with the response.

DeVoto, The Hour

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kitchensqueen

kitchensqueen

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About the closest you'll get might be the Clark Street Ale House (with a big neon sign out front that says "Stop & Drink"), where they have an impressive list of regional beers available.

I second Clark Street Ale House - great local brews on tap, all served in their proper glassware. A great little spot. The carry a lot of Two Brothers specialty brews, which in my opinion is one of the best Chicago-area breweries.

http://apartmentfarm.wordpress.com
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philadining

philadining

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I've always gone to Frontera when I'm staying in that neighborhood. As a solo diner, you have a decent chance of just dropping-by and getting a seat at a counter/bar (in the dining room) even at busy times, without the horrendous waits that are common for a table. At least it's worked for me a few times.

On the more basic end of the spectrum, there's an Al's #1 Beef at 169 W. Ontario St. and a Lou Malnati's Pizza at 439 North Wells Street.

"Philadelphia’s premier soup dumpling blogger" - Foobooz

philadining.com

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taoseno

taoseno

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For a hidden drinking gem, check out the Matchbox

770 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago, IL 60642-5939

(312) 666-9292

it's tiny like the name suggests so you will get to know your neighbors.

the bartenders make each drink from scratch, no mixes on site and there is an eclectic beer list.

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Vinotas

Vinotas

Posted
  • Topic Starter
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Could you give us a few more parameters? For example...

1) Would you like the restaurant to be within -- a) walking distance; b) public transportation; c) reasonable cab ride; d) other -- of River North?

2) How much -- including meal, beverage(s), tax, and tip -- do you consider "not crazy expensive?"

3) Chicago, as I'm sure you know, has an enormous variety of restaurants. Do you have any strong cuisine preferences (or no-nos)?

4) Any preference for outdoor vs. indoor dining?

1) all of them?

2) for 1 person eating a decent meal w/ either 1-3 good beers or 2 glasses of wine w/ tip, maybe under the $100 range?

3) I eat everything from everywhere (except olives and anchovies for some reason, can't stand them though I will sop up good olive oil like it's going out of style)

4) love eating outdoor, can't get enough of it, but no real preference.

I love sitting at the bar observing things, thanks for all your recommendations.

Cheers! :cool:

http://vinotas.blogspot.com/
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Vinotas

Vinotas

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  • Topic Starter
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For a hidden drinking gem, check out the Matchbox

770 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago, IL 60642-5939

(312) 666-9292

it's tiny like the name suggests so you will get to know your neighbors.

the bartenders make each drink from scratch, no mixes on site and there is an eclectic beer list.

This sounds like my type of place! I will be certain to stop in.

http://vinotas.blogspot.com/
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Alex

Alex

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Here's a NY Times article about Chicago's microbrews and some of the places that serve them.

There are many good restaurant choices in River North. To pick just one, I'm a fan of A Mano, on Dearborn just a bit north of the river.

A great place for outdoor dining is Piccolo Sogno, not too far from you, where Grand, Halstead, and Milwaukee meet.

I (along with many eG'ers) am a fan of Sweets & Savories, on Fullerton about a mile west of the Red Line station. On Tuesday nights this summer the entire dinner menu is half price, which is just an outrageous deal. Also, to the best of my knowledge, they're still BYO (some liquor license hassle). I'd call first to check on that, though. There's a good wine store--Binny's--in River North, on Grand between Wells and Franklin.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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KD1191

KD1191

Posted
Posted
For a hidden drinking gem, check out the Matchbox

770 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago, IL 60642-5939

(312) 666-9292

it's tiny like the name suggests so you will get to know your neighbors.

the bartenders make each drink from scratch, no mixes on site and there is an eclectic beer list.

And, of course next door is the Silver Palm, home of the 3 Little Pigs sandwich (Smoked ham, a breaded pork cutlet, two strips of bacon, and two fried eggs, blanketed in a thick coat of gruyere, all on a brioche bun).

The Violet Hour is another great place to drink in Chicago. It's a speakeasy, with classic cocktails, a laid-back atmosphere and friendly/knowledgeable bartenders. They require guests to have a seat, so to avoid a wait, go early, or avoid the weekends.

True rye and true bourbon wake delight like any great wine...dignify man as possessing a palate that responds to them and ennoble his soul as shimmering with the response.

DeVoto, The Hour

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Vinotas

Vinotas

Posted
  • Topic Starter
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I ended up being swamped with work but did make it to The Bristol and A Mano as well as my friends' place. Oh, how could I forget, one night (late!) we hit the Weiner's Circle.

The Bristol was insanely good, a friend knows the owners so they really put it all out there. Food, service were great, just what I was looking for (wow those pig tails were delicious!).

The Weiner Circle was exactly as advertised, the shtick was funny and a bit insulting but the hot dog was pretty good. Fries were awful, especially with the neon orange "cheese" goo that was poured over them. I am happy to have avoided most of that mess.

A Mano was OK, nothing extraordinary but it was well-situated right by the river so I could jump on the architectural cruise when I had a chance. Lunch was a steal at $11.

Thanks all!

Edited by Vinotas (log)
http://vinotas.blogspot.com/
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