Chicago recommendations

[epicurious]

Hello,

We are a group of three foodie-ladies going to Chicago in May for 5 days and would like some recommendations for lunch & dining.

The condo we are renting for our stay is at the corner of E. Huron & N. Wabash. What we are looking for: anywhere around there or a short cab ride away where the food is great, the service unpretentious, the crowd lively. We also have a soft spot for seasonal cuisine and chefs that support local farmers and producers. We are willing to venture out of that area for a must-go restaurant.

We would also appreciate feedback on our short-list so far:

- Sepia

- Avec (or Blackbird)

- Purple Pig

- Custom House

- Quartino

Thank you!

[KD1191]

We would also appreciate feedback on our short-list so far:

- Sepia

- Avec (or Blackbird)

- Purple Pig

- Custom House

- Quartino

I can recommend Avec and Purple Pig for convivial dining with excellent food (I generally prefer the food at Avec, if you must choose).

All the meals I've had at Sepia have been quite good, but I still think of it mostly as a great place to have a cocktail while waiting for a table at Avec. The bar is the equal of any restaurant in the city. Lunch at Sepia is pretty reserved compared to the more energetic crowd you get in the evenings. Blackbird is more refined at all hours. It's the rightful flagship of PKs mini-empire, but not exactly lively.

Haven't eaten at Custom House, but those I know who have didn't enjoy themselves very much. I've heard good things about Quartino, but haven't been.

We also have a soft spot for seasonal cuisine and chefs that support local farmers and producers. We are willing to venture out of that area for a must-go restaurant.

Graham Elliot, just down Huron, I think meets those criteria, though it's not everyone's idea of fine dining with the foie lollipops and cheez-it cracker garnishes. If you can get through to Schwa, and I'd whole heartedly encourage you to try, it's certainly worth traveling out of your way.

If you're willing to take a cab to dine at Sepia, you could just as easily get to the Publican, which has been my favorite place in the city since it opened. (Yes, we're getting a little Paul Kahan heavy at this point in the tour, but there's nothing wrong with that...I could very happily eat at 2 of the 3 of Blackbird/Avec/Publican in a week.)

Not too far from you are the three Rick Bayless establishments (Xoco, Frontera Grill, Topolobampo). The last is the best, and most expensive. All are devoted to local agriculture. And, Topolo mostly to seasonal dishes. For refined Latin dining without the Top Chef Masters crowd, May St. Cafe and Mixteco Grill are good choices (but a decent cab ride away).

There's been a surge of upscale comfort food places in Chicago, into which I'll paint broadly Gilt Bar, Kith & Kin and Branch 27...though the latter may more accurately pegged 'approachable nose-to-tail' and slotted in with the likes of The Bristol (an excellent and very upbeat spot) and Mado (as well as the aforementioned Purple Pig and Publican). Of these, only Gilt is really walking distance from your place (and 12 blocks, at that).

Edited April 4, 2010 by KD1191 (log)

[epicurious]

Thank you for the input! We're definitely gonna throw in a Bayless joint sometimes during our stay (and yes, I AM one of those Top Chef Masters people! LOL)

We were also debating whether to go to Avec or Blackbird but now that you've thrown Publican in the mix, we can't choose!! Are they all similar?

As for Sepia, I think we might go for North Pond instead for that local cuisine experience. Would that be a good choice?

Thanks again and happy Easter!

[KD1191]

North Pond is terrific. It's where I took my wife the day we got engaged, so it has a special place in my heart. That may be why I didn't suggest it for three ladies, to me it has a very romantic undertone, but on second thought that's more my personal experience and not something that's inherent to the restaurant. Stunning view of the skyline, as well.

Blackbird, Avec and The Publican are each unique, and you can't go wrong with any of them. Blackbird is fine dining while Avec and The Publican are communal. I see Avec's dishes as more of a composition, while the Publican will take an ingredient and make it shine, treating it in a manner that brings out the best in it. (i.e. Some of the best oysters I've ever had, amazing charcuterie.) Publican is also beer-centric while at Avec you're more likely to be having wine.

[inductioncook]

Be sure not to miss the Publican, and realize that although the publicity is about pork it's one of the best seafood restaurants around!

[nsxtasy]

I agree with the recommendations for Rick Bayless's restaurants. My recommendation to a visitor from out of town would be Topolobampo or Frontera Grill rather than XOCO (which is more along the lines of street food and less unusual). Both have excellent food. Topo is more expensive for dinner and accepts reservations for the whole place and books up well in advance (three months for Saturday nights - reserve NOW on Opentable.com). Frontera Grill accepts only a handful of reservations and holds most of the room for walk-in traffic; waiting time to be seated can be lengthy, especially on weekends. You might consider either of them at lunchtime, when Topo doesn't generally book up way in advance and its prices are similar to Frontera's.

I think there are better, more enjoyable places to eat than the three Kahan restaurants. Avec is the LOUDEST restaurant in Chicago, has the most uncomforable seats, it only offers communal seating, and its no-reservations policy is maddening. I also have found the food only so-so, although other people seem to be impressed. Blackbird has delicious food, although it too is incredibly noisy, and the banquette seating is so tight you'll be sharing your conversation with neighboring tables. The Publican does have excellent meat and seafood dishes, but the desserts are embarrassingly dreadful, and it's almost as noisy as Avec. If you go to Publican, keep in mind that over half the seating is communal (at loooong tables) but when making your reservation (either by phone or on Opentable) you can express a preference for the communal or for your own table and they will do their best to honor it.

When I go out for contemporary American food, my favorite place in the city is Cafe des Architectes, with fantastic food from Chef Martial Noguier. Everything I've ever eaten there has been amazingly delicious. The fact that their 3-course prix fixe menu is so affordable ($42 every night, with a limited $29 menu Sundays-Tuesdays) is just an added bonus.

Custom House changed chefs and revamped their menu a few months ago, and now calls themselves Custom House Tavern; I haven't been there since the change.

For "must go" dining, there are two places I recommend, as they are so unique. Both are in Lincoln Park, a couple miles from where you're staying. First is Alinea, ranked one of the ten best restaurants in the WORLD. It's from Chef Grant Achatz, and it will blow your mind. Yes, it's expensive (figure $300 per person including moderate wine, tax, tip), and dressy (jackets for gentlemen), but it's unique and it's here.

The other is North Pond, which uniquely represents Chicago for its setting, located in the middle of Lincoln Park (the park itself, not the adjacent neighborhood of the same name). It faces its namesake pond with the city skyline looming over the opposite shore. The renovated building formerly served as the warming shelter for skaters on the frozen pond in the winter. The food is contemporary American featuring local and seasonal ingredients from James Beard Award finalist Chef Bruce Sherman.

Enjoy your visit!

Edited April 5, 2010 by nsxtasy (log)

[KD1191]

The original poster asked for places with a lively crowd, so I wouldn't necessarily count the volume level at Kahan's places against them in this case.

Also, as I mentioned above, I find the no reservations policy at Avec to be the perfect excuse to enjoy an excellent cocktail or two around the corner at Sepia.

[nsxtasy]

For a lively crowd, I would instead recommend some of our upscale ethnic restaurants:

Nacional 27 (Latin fusion)

Cafe Iberico (tapas)

Quartino (Italian small plates)

Sunda (pan-Asian)

All of these are lively, with excellent food. All are within a few blocks of where the OP is staying in River North. And all except Cafe Iberico accept reservations.

If you want to go to the West Loop, here are a few lively places with good food that I recommend:

Red Light (pan-Asian)

Carnivale (Latin fusion)

La Sardine (French bistro)

All of these accept reservations too. There's really no need to get stuck waiting around at (or forced to hang around near) a place that doesn't accept reservations, when there are plenty of places that do, and whose food and atmosphere are every bit as good and as fun.

Note that most of the nicer restaurants in Chicago accept reservations for free on Opentable.com which is an easy way to see at a glance where there is availability at any given time and day. La Sardine doesn't use Opentable but accepts reservations on its own website. Alinea, you have to call.

Edited April 5, 2010 by nsxtasy (log)

[epicurious]

Thank you all for the recommandations!

I've booked North Pond, The Publican and Café des architectes for 3 dinners and will keep Frontera Grill, Purple Pig and Quartino for lunch.

I'll be back in a few weeks to review all my meals!

[eternal]

I'm also heading to Chicago with the wife and some friends specifically because we have a rez at Alinea and because we never do this sort of thing. I had heard about the Publican while dining out here in Seattle and so got a rez there as well. Is there any place that we should check out for lunch? We're looking for outside the norm option (we can get great american/italian/french food here). So maybe a particular ethnic restaurant/street food or somebody doing something else interesting with molecular gastronomy. I've always been a fan of bayliss too so maybe we should look into one of those...

[KCWilkinson]

Blackbird is open for lunch. They dabble a little bit in those techniques, and it's a great opportunity to experience one of Chicago's best for less cash.

If it's the weekend, you could always head to Chinatown for some decent dim sum too. Living nearby San Francisco kind of spoiled me, but Chicago's dimsum is decent IMO.

I would avoid doing pizza, mostly b/c Chicago pizza sucks (blasphemy for someone raised an hour outside of it, I know). But Chicago has some incredible gyros, italian beef, and hot dogs too.

Edited April 19, 2010 by KCWilkinson (log)

[KD1191]

While I agree that Chicago-style pizza is not worth the effort, the city of Chicago is turning out some spectacular pizzas at places such as Spacca Napoli and Coalfire. We also have, according to Alan Rich, the best pizza in the country at Great Lake.

There is a ton of wonderful ethnic food in Chicago. For Dim Sum, there's Phoenix and Korean Barbecue at San Soo Gab San. Pho at Tank Noodle or any of Tony Hu's places for regional Chinese Lao Sze Chuan (reopening soon after a fire), Lao Beijing or Lao Shanghai. Mexican from cheap home-style classics at Nuevo Leon or Carnitas Don Pedro to refined haute cuisine at Topolo and plenty in between (mentioned above).

Moto embraces the moniker "postmodern" instead of Molecular, but the food there is more science driven even than Alinea. You'll find some of these techniques at Graham Elliot, as well.

Schwa writes its own rules and is always worth an effort to try and book.

[KCWilkinson]

While I agree that Chicago-style pizza is not worth the effort, the city of Chicago is turning out some spectacular pizzas at places such as Spacca Napoli and Coalfire. We also have, according to Alan Rich, the best pizza in the country at Great Lake.

Nice! Did not know that. I have been gone for a while now, in Sonoma County. I'm moving back in the next few weeks and am excited about trying these pizza places and of course, the obligatory reservation at Alinea.

[nsxtasy]

Good call on Alinea.

I ate at the Publican last month. I thought the appetizers and main courses were very good, but the desserts were absolutely dreadful (and we tried all three on the menu). The room itself is VERY NOISY (a problem with all of Kahan's restaurants). Overall, I'm glad I tried it, but I don't have any desire to return. Tip - About half the seating is at two long communal tables; if you have a preference, either for a private table or for the communal seating, you can indicate it when making your reservation (either over the phone or in the comments field on Opentable).

For lunch, I highly recommend getting our local specialty, Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, which is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! We have two types, the single-crust "pizza in the pan" at Uno and Due, Lou Malnati's, and Pizano's, and the double-crust "stuffed pizza" at Giordano's and Bacino's. I think both are superb, and way better than any thin-crust pizza I've ever had. And remember - unlike thin-crust pizza, this is a local specialty you can't get anywhere else, only while you're here in Chicago. Why not try it and decide for yourself? Tip - wherever you go for deep-dish, you can phone in your order ahead of time to avoid waiting 30-45 minutes while seated for your pizza to bake.

Beyond pizza, there are plenty of other places to lunch. Rick Bayless's Mexican restaurants are great for lunch, because you can make reservations at Topolobampo without the usualy three-month need to plan for dinner, and its lunch prices are similar to Frontera's. And, like deep-dish pizza, creative provincial Mexican food is something you can't get back home.

There are plenty more ethnic choices, including the places I mentioned above in River North:

Nacional 27 (Latin fusion)

Cafe Iberico (tapas)

Quartino (Italian small plates)

Sunda (pan-Asian)

and in the West Loop:

Red Light (pan-Asian)

Carnivale (Latin fusion)

La Sardine (French bistro)

Also, Mercat a la Planxa serves excellent tapas in the south end of the Loop.

If you go to Chinatown for Szechuan food, I greatly prefer Double Li to Lao Sze Chuan; the food is better (and more varied, not everything is over-the-top spicy), the room is pleasant rather than drab/dingy, and Ben Li is always friendly and helpful with menu selections.

Edited April 20, 2010 by nsxtasy (log)

[NancyH]

Bob and I will be spending a couple of weeknights near Adams and LaSalle shortly. Any suggestions for eats within walking distance/short cab ride? Interested in ethnic/cheap/neighborhood eats as well as more upscale/interesting fare. Probably just for dinner, though we may get a breakfast or lunch in also!

[nsxtasy]

Bob and I will be spending a couple of weeknights near Adams and LaSalle shortly. Any suggestions for eats within walking distance/short cab ride? Interested in ethnic/cheap/neighborhood eats as well as more upscale/interesting fare. Probably just for dinner, though we may get a breakfast or lunch in also!

Hi Nancy!

Adams and LaSalle is in the middle of the Loop, Chicago's historical and commercial downtown area. Much of the dining in the Loop itself is geared towards those who work there, and consists of places emphasizing breakfast and lunch rather than dinner. However, there are still some excellent places in the Loop, and the good news is, almost all (except Everest) are open for lunch, often at lower prices than dinner. Furthermore, if you walk 10-20 minutes in any direction, your options multiply exponentially, particularly for dinner.

Starting with the central Loop (around Adams/LaSalle) itself, there are several places that I think are quality, destination type restaurants. One is Everest, which is one of Chicago's high-end temples of haute cuisine. Chef Jean Joho serves French-Alsatian cuisine, but with a contemporary emphasis, not your traditional old-time French type menu. Food that will "wow" you, dish after dish. The wine list is enormous (over 1700 wines) and includes the best selection of Alsatian wines in the country. The service is the very best I have experienced in any restaurant, anywhere. The view from the 40th Floor of the Midwest Stock Exchange Building looking out over the city is magnificent. It's dressy (jackets required for gentlemen) and rather expensive, although less so that some of our other top restaurants; also note that they have a pre-theater special for 5:00/5:30 seatings, a three-course fixed menu for $50.

Another very special place is Vivere. Vivere is the ground-floor restaurant in the Italian Village complex. The food is excellent; although it's Italian, it also has a contemporary American feel to it. Last time I ate there, I had a cream of carrot-ginger soup, followed by a roast duck breast that was one of the best ducks I've ever eaten. I'm not sure how they prepared it - sous vide, maybe? - but the doneness was uniform throughout (not the typical overdone outer and underdone center) and it was amazingly tender, reminiscent of the wagyu beef at Alinea. The decor is gaudy. They do a big pre-theater business, and you'll watch the place suddenly empty out around 7:30.

There are some other worthwhile places in the central Loop, including Atwood Cafe in the Hotel Burnham, for contemporary American (although their chef recently left), Cibo Matto in the Wit, a new Italian place that I haven't yet tried but is getting favorable reports, and of course, places to get our delicious deep-dish pizza, including Pizano's on Madison and Giordano's on Jackson.

Also within a few blocks walk is our new French Market. Keep in mind that it just opened a couple of months ago, and it's not fancy. However, it has several dozen food booths and these include some of the very best that Chicago has to offer. Highlights include the croissants, entremets, and French macaroons at Vanille Patisserie; the artisan chocolates at Canady Le Chocolatier; the cheeses at Pastoral; and the rainbow cookies at Delightful Pastries.

All of the above are within a five-minute walk of Adams and LaSalle. Extending the radius to a 15-minute walk puts the following excellent places within reach:

Topolobampo, Frontera Grill, and XOCO (Mexican)

Blackbird (contemporary American)

La Sardine (French bistro)

Red Light (pan-Asian)

Carnivale (Latin fusion)

Mercat a la Planxa (tapas)

Steve's Deli (Jewish deli)

I know you're already aware that you can hop on the el to get to some of our better ethnic restaurants, such as Double Li in Chinatown, various Thai restaurants, the Vietnamese places on Argyle, etc.

For breakfast, Adams/LaSalle is close to Lou Mitchell's, a conventional breakfast restaurant serving commuters for many decades. If you want something different, unique, and delicious, though, go to Bongo Room. Bongo Room specializes in pancakes, such as their pretzel pancakes with white chocolate sauce, and blueberry pancakes with almond panna cotta cream. Tip: A standard size order consists of three HUGE pancakes, but you can also order a one-third or two-thirds portion size at a reduced price, which enables you to try more than one item. Bongo Room's South Loop location is about a mile walking from Adams/LaSalle, or you can take the CTA Red Line south to the Roosevelt Road exit.

Edited April 27, 2010 by nsxtasy (log)

[eternal]

Thanks for the input. Looks like we could try XOCO for lunch on Saturday, before the dinner at Alinea and not get crazy full - something I don't want to do before 25 courses. On sunday, we have to wander and were thinking of doing a city walking tour near the park, so Mercat de la planxa sounds like a good spot. Too bad none of the Bayliss restaurants are open on Sunday

Also, any recommendations for a good bakery/breakfast spot? Nothing big. We just like a nice pastry, maybe some yogurt and a good cup of coffee. looking for something within walking distance of The Wit. Lake & State

[nsxtasy]

Looks like we could try XOCO for lunch on Saturday, before the dinner at Alinea and not get crazy full - something I don't want to do before 25 courses.

Yup. Frontera Grill is also an option; they're open for brunch on Saturdays, and waits are not typically excessive. XOCO is just around the corner, so you could just go and decide at the last minute which of the two you're more in the mood for.

Also, any recommendations for a good bakery/breakfast spot? Nothing big. We just like a nice pastry, maybe some yogurt and a good cup of coffee. looking for something within walking distance of The Wit. Lake & State

First I'll tell you about the best options; then I'll tell you what's close by.

It will take you about 12-15 minutes to walk northeast to Fox & Obel, our premier gourmet food store. IMHO they have the very best baked goods and pastries in the entire city. You can buy them to go at the bakery counter, or you can go to the cafe in the rear of the store and get anything from a pastry to an entire meal cooked to order, and sit at a table to consume it. (The cafe isn't fancy, just your basic coffeehouse; you place your order and pay in line, then they bring it to you.) I particularly recommend their cinnamon swirl rolls, which are sheer heaven. They also have the world's best bran muffins, and in the cafe they do a nice Cobb omelet.

It will take you about the same 12-15 minutes to walk west to our new French Market off the concourse of the commuter train station. Among the shops there is Vanille Patisserie, which has wonderful croissants and entremets. And there's a Lavazza shop for coffee.

If you don't want to walk that far, Intelligentsia, our local coffee specialty brewer, has a shop two blocks from your hotel, on Randolph between Wabash and Michigan.

Also close by... As decadent as I am (and keeping in mind that I am not a coffee drinker), if I wanted a pastry treat near State/Lake, I'd walk two blocks south to Beard Papa's for one of their yummy cream puffs. (They have coffee and yogurt too.) It's not very easy to find, because it's below street level in the Pedway (pedestrian walkway); when you go to 108 North State, you have to go inside the indoor mall and down the escalator.

Edited May 18, 2010 by nsxtasy (log)

[jesteinf]

Thanks for the input. Looks like we could try XOCO for lunch on Saturday, before the dinner at Alinea and not get crazy full - something I don't want to do before 25 courses. On sunday, we have to wander and were thinking of doing a city walking tour near the park, so Mercat de la planxa sounds like a good spot. Too bad none of the Bayliss restaurants are open on Sunday

Also, any recommendations for a good bakery/breakfast spot? Nothing big. We just like a nice pastry, maybe some yogurt and a good cup of coffee. looking for something within walking distance of The Wit. Lake & State

If you'd like a glimpse at the non-Bayless Mexican food scene, and you've got some time on Sunday, I'd recommend heading over to the Maxwell Street Market. Mixed in among the tube socks and tire rims is some of the best Mexican street food that you'll find in the US. Handmade tortillas, tamales, churros...all sorts of good stuff and a great slice of urban life. Some advice for navigating the market can be found here. Head to about Roosevelt and Desplaines and just wander from there. Not your typical tourist attraction, but if you're looking for some real deal Mexican food you should have a great time.

Edited May 18, 2010 by jesteinf (log)

[eternal]

Excellent info. We're definitely in for some stuff not on the normal list of attractions. I think I might just cancel the Mercat reservation and head to MSM instead. I think we're set for the weekend. Thanks again.

[nsxtasy]

Do both - Maxwell Street for lunch, Mercat a la Planxa for dinner!

There are plenty of additional options on Sunday, too - lots of places that do a mighty fine brunch, and most of our nicer restaurants are open for dinner.

Edited May 18, 2010 by nsxtasy (log)

[eternal]

6pm flight back to Seattle on Sunday

[nsxtasy]

There are different ways to enjoy Sunday. Maxwell Street Market is one - street food at a flea market. Personally, I would choose Sunday brunch at North Pond over that, in a heartbeat. After brunch, walk around the pond, walk to the zoo, etc. That's the way Chicago is - it's always a matter of having too many good options!

[jesteinf]

More information about "street food at a flea market" here

[eternal]

The brunch looks great but something tells me we are going to be incredibly full and bloated on Sunday morning. Leaving tomorrow morning!