Staying in Rosemont

[Daniel]

Hello,

Daniel from NYC out in rosemont chicago for business.. Tomorrow is my birthday. I often come here for business so have hit many of the normal places out here in the immediate area. I dont have a car but wouldnt mind traveling for an awesome place. Tomorrow is my bday and a couple of people are looking to take me out somewhere. I have been to place like ventannas, nicks, carluccis, every steak place, le cave. Can anyone recommend a cool place for my bday.

Thanks alot.

Daniel

[ronnie_suburban]

So many choices...

If you're into upscale and your hosts are willing to drive into downtown, I'd recommend Les Nomades or NaHa. I'd recommend Trio in Evanston, but it's closed on Tuesdays. Blackbird's Paul Kahan just won the 2003 Beard Award for Best Midwest Chef and its recent spawn, Avec, is also receiving a lot of positive attention.

More casual (very casual, actually)...Greek Islands on Halsted is delicious and very casual and Wishbone on W. Washington is a very good (albeit loud) funky, diner-type place.

Want a meat-fest? Brazilian-style churrascaria, Fogo de Chao, is a real show and the caipharinas, food (i.e. meat) and service are all top-notch. Many also say that their salad bar is the best one in the city.

If you want to stay closer to Rosemont, you may want to check out Chicago's Edison Park neighborhood (NW tip of Chicago). It's basically just east of Rosemont and offers a lot of fun places to dine. We had a decent meal at Basta Pasta a couple weekends ago and I've heard good things about Moretti's and The Mecca which are in the same 2-3 block area (~Northwest Highway and Oliphant). These are not high-end, fine dining destinations but above average neighborhood joints that have a lot of character.

If you'd like some more specific recommendations, just let us know what genre you seek. Of course, you can also browse the forum for previous threads as well.

And, here's a link to a thread being continually updated by another visitor to our city...

Tarka in Chicago

I hope some of that helps

=R=

[Craig Camp]

Don't forget if you don't have a car that it is very easy to take the "L" from Rosemont into the city and then it is an easy cab ride or walk to a long list of options. The choices in Rosemount are a little - shall we say - of another era.

[ronnie_suburban]

I'd recommend Trio in Evanston, but it's closed on Tuesdays.

DOH! Tomorrow is Wednesday, isn't it??!! (darned holiday)

Go to Trio...go to Trio

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

The choices in Rosemount are a little - shall we say - of another era.

LOL, very true...especially Cafe le Cave

=R=

[yellow truffle]

I'd recommend Trio in Evanston, but it's closed on Tuesdays.

DOH! Tomorrow is Wednesday, isn't it??!! (darned holiday)

Go to Trio...go to Trio.

Call them now and leave a message on their machine.

They may be already booked.

For high-end dining their is also MK, Tru, Charlie Trotter's and Spring.

[Daniel]

Don't forget if you don't have a car that it is very easy to take the "L" from Rosemont into the city and then it is an easy cab ride or walk to a long list of options. The choices in Rosemount are a little - shall we say - of another era.

I think rosemont in general is from another era. Shall we say the Capones chicago era. First of all, there are no schools, no libraries or movie theaters. The town has had only one mayor in 30 something years. His son is the chief of police and its right by ohare airport which i am sure handles alot of commerce and interesting materials. So it should be only natural for the old boys club to have matching cuisine. Best sleeper place in the area, Basillico's.

[Daniel]

I was recently driving down W. Devon Avenue torwards Super Dogs away from Des Plaines.. Dont know the name of the town.. I had seen two restaurants on my left that looked really interesting.. I was hoping someone has gone or knows something about it.. One place is called Thai Elephant the other which is right down the street is called i think Phillipines Restaurant.. The filipino place was the one the grabbed my attention.. Has anyone bben.

Edited May 24, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[nr706]

One place is called Thai Elephant the other which is right down the street is called i think Phillipines Restaurant.. The filipino place was the one the grabbed my attention.. Has anyone bben.

←

The Phillipine place is Pampanga. I'm nowhere near an expert on Phillipine food, but I've had several very tasty meals there. It's inexpensive and BYOB. And, FWIW, if you're into bicycling, there's a great trail that starts there, meanders along the North Branch of the Chicago River, through the Skokie Lagoons, and ends at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

Pampanga Resturaunt

6407 N. Caldwell Ave. (just north of Devon)

Chicago

(773) 763-1781

Edited May 24, 2005 by nr706 (log)

[VeryApe77]

I was recently driving down W. Devon Avenue torwards Super Dogs away from Des Plaines.. Dont know the name of the town.. I had seen two restaurants on my left that looked really interesting.. I was hoping someone has gone or knows something about it.. One place is called Thai Elephant the other which is right down the street is called i think Phillipines Restaurant.. The filipino place was the one the grabbed my attention.. Has anyone bben.

←

Have never been to Elphant Thai, but here is a recent report from another forum about it. Looks pretty good....

[Pugman]

Le Francais is not too far from Rosemont (just up the tollway a few minutes); definitley the best food within 20 minutes of Rosemont. Very formal and hushed, so maybe that's not what you want. Cab fare wouldn't be too bad.

However, I agree with the Ronnie's recommendation of Trio in Evanston (although there is no convenient car-less way to get there from Rosemont). My dinner on Saturday was really excellent. Trio has a long track record of finding and developing young chefs who are just amazing (Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, Shawn McClain, Della Gossett, and of course, Grant Achatz--to name just a few powerhouses that graced Trio's kitchen). The current chef, Dale Levitski, is just hitting his stride--I've noticed a quantum leap in his food recently. Mary McMahon, pastry chef, just won a major local award, too. Plus, it's a fun place to eat and not noisy (but also not stuffy).

The recs in Chicago: Spring, Naha, Blackbird, etc., are good ones, too.

Happy Birthday!

[Daniel]

The recs in Chicago: Spring, Naha, Blackbird, etc., are good ones, too.

Happy Birthday!

←

That was written about a year ago.. Just got back from Chicaggy this evening and will be returning on the 4th of July.. So again i will be spending my birthday, the 7th, in Rosemont.. Thank you for the early bday wish.. It always works out that I have the pleasure to be out of town and working on my Bday.. Lucky me..

daniel

Edited May 25, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

Thai Elephant

5348 W. Devon Ave.

773-467-1168

Had a surprisingly good meal at The Elephant or Thai Elephant.. The space is small holding maybe 10 tables.. The decor is sparse, but clean looking.. The waitstaff extremely casual, to non-existant, but in no way snobby..

We started with pork on a stick.. Not satay but with a really great marinade.. Strong with garlic.. Was the best thing we ate..

We also had chicken larb.. This was served really hot.. In terms temperature wise.. We ordered it really spicy and were not disappointed.. If it was served cold i would have thought it to be really good..

Tom Yum soup.. Served with tomatos. I like when tomatoes are added.. They provide a sweetness.. The soup was really good..

Next we had the catfish in a garlic sauce.. The catfish wasnt served whole, but in tiny over fried nuggets.. The dish was fare..

We also ordered a noodle dish that i dont remember.. It dont remember it being bad or good..

Overall this place is worth going to if you are in the area.. It was a huge surprise to see how authentic it was in terms of spice and most dishes.. In some parts of the menu they tend to offer some gringo items. Things like crab rangoon<crab and cream cheese deep fried>, and I remember seeing a few Japanese dishes too. But there are plenty of traditional dishes to choose from.. I would go here at least once a trip to mix it up a little..

[ronnie_suburban]

So . . . you liked it better than Arun's?

=R=

[Daniel]

Haha.. Exactly.. Even better then that, the bill was 31 dollars and its BYOB.. So basically i could eat here 10 times or have one dissapointing meal at Aruns..

Edited September 22, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

I was staying in Rosemont the other night and went to Bob Chin's in Wheeling.. For dinner I had a Jonah Stone Crab Appetizer, Blue Crab Claws in garlic and a pretty nice NY Strip.. Anyway, as I was driving back to my Hotel on N. Milwaukee Road I noticed that there were a lot of Korean Restaurants.. Actually, I missed the turn off and ended up going on Golf Road I believe.. Luckily, I noticed Super Dog and made a quick right to get me back on track..

The following night I drove down River Road until it changed to 45 and then it change to Milwauke Ave and then I came to this Korean BBQ Restaurant.. I had my father in the car with me and he very nice to come on this mission.. We arrived at this Korean Restaurant right next to an AmeriSuites I think.. It was also right next to a Strip Mall too.. There was some nice looking Asian Bakery in the back that I will have to check out next time..

The place looked rather empty but when we walked in there was a large table of 20 Korean People sitting with the BBQ'S fired, pots on portable hot plates with vegetables boiling.. We knew we had found a nice place..

We sat down and had the all you can eat BBQ for 19.95 a person.. It basically included as much of anything on the menu you wanted.. We had sliced Short Rib, Spicy Pork, Baby Octopus,and Lamb.. There was goat on the menu but only in a stew... The quality of the meat was great.. And for 20 bucks we certainly ate a ton.. I really liked a lot of the side dishes they offered..

Anyway, I recommend this to people in the area and if someone else has a Korean Place worth going to, I would appreciate it.. It seems to be a nice sized Korean Population in the area..

Also, if someone could help me with the name.. It was three of four Korean words.. I think it started with a P.. If not I will have to do a better report the next time I go..

Edited December 7, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[LAZ]

The following night I drove down River Road until it changed to 45 and then it change to Milwauke Ave and then I came to this Korean BBQ Restaurant..

←

Sounds like it could be:

Par Do Kang San

847/808-8822

1250 S. River Road

Prospect Heights

I think they use a gas fire for their at-table grills. Not far from Rosemont is New Seoul, which uses oak charcoal.

New Seoul Restaurant

847/439-3720

638 W. Algonquin Road #4

Des Plaines

[Daniel]

You are good.. Thanks for the recommendation, I will certainly try it.. I blindly chose this spot and was happy.. But Charcoal would be a lot better.. Thanks.

[Sweet Willie]

Pampanga Resturaunt

6407 N. Caldwell Ave. (just north of Devon)

Chicago

(773) 763-1781

←

Had some good noodle dishes here. The adobo was ok.

One of my favorite places in Rosemont area where I just had a group of friends to is Maria's Mexican on Foster a block west of River Road. Foster is about 1/2 mile south of the Rosemont Convention Cetner. I really like the mole here and chilies rellenos with the nod going to the beef stuffing.

[nsxtasy]

Several suggestions:

1. Black Ram Steakhouse is a restaurant in Des Plaines just off Mannheim, about three miles north of Rosemont. All of the food there is excellent - the steaks, the seafood, the desserts, everything. It doesn't get a lot of press, but it gets a lot of repeat business. The proprietor greets lots of arriving guests by name. If you're looking for a great steakhouse (and seafood) restaurant that nobody ever heard of, this is it.

Black Ram Steak House

1414 Oakton St.

Des Plaines, IL 60019

847.824.1227

2. If you would like real Chicago-style pizza, go to Giordano's and order the stuffed double-crust pizza. They are the only major Chicago-style chain with a location right in Rosemont. Also my personal favorite Chicago-style pizza chain.

Giordano's

9415 West Higgins Road

Rosemont

(847)292-2600

3. Gibson's Steakhouse is the best-known steakhouse in Chicago these days, and they have a location in Rosemont. (If you're looking for an unsung place with better food, including steaks, I think Black Ram is better, but if you're looking for a famous place that people can brag about having gone, then maybe this is your ticket.)

Gibson's

5464 North River Road

Rosemont IL 60018

(847) 928-9900

There are lots of places in Wheeling and Evanston, but those areas are really no closer than Bucktown/Wicker Park or downtown Chicago, where there are many more choices.

Incidentally (as most Chicago foodies already know), Trio, mentioned above in posts now several years old, is no more. Former chefs Grant Achatz is running Alinea (to nationwide acclaim) and Rick Tramonto is running Tru as well as a couple of new restaurants in the Westin in Wheeling, and the restaurant in that space in Evanston is Quince, which I recently tried (see separate topic) and is okay but not remarkable and certainly not worth the trip from Rosemont.

Edited March 21, 2007 by nsxtasy (log)

[Tess]

4. If you're looking for something a bit more creative, I've heard good things about David's Bistro but have not been there myself.  (It's on my "places to try" list.)

David's Bistro

Southeast Corner of Wolf & Central Road

Wolf Plaza

623 N. Wolf Rd.

Des Plaines, IL 60016

847-803-3233

Please do try this place out yourself before you recommend it again.

For the same price (or less) in roughly the same neighborhood, someone could go to Cafe Lucci and get a very large plate of pasta and a thoughtful wine selection. You will enjoy meeting the wine guy, Bobby.

[Sweet Willie]

Not far from Rosemont is New Seoul, which uses oak charcoal.

New Seoul Restaurant

847/439-3720

638 W. Algonquin Road #4

Des Plaines

←

New Seoul went through a remodel recently, I have yet to stop in to see if they still use charcoal. THEY BETTER !!!!!

[Daniel]

Siam's House Restaurant

7742 N Milwaukee Avenue

Niles, IL 60714 (847) 967-2390

Went here tonight.. It was a good sign walking in to a restaurant with only Thai customers.. We were greeted by a lovely young lady who was running the whole show.. She was answering phones from a cordless she had in her pocket, she was clearing tables and serving food..

We looked at the English menu and they had lots of the old favorites.. I had read somewhere else that there is a Thai Menu that they will translate for you..

We ordered grilled squid and pork sticks to start..

Soft and chewy with a little grill flavor.. Very nice starter..

Next up were tender grilled pork sticks.. Very flavorful, very juicy, very good..Served with a peppery sauce with crushed peanut in it..

After our waitress described some of the things on the Thai menu, I was very happy to hear they had a fried catfish salad.. I have had this dish at a few other Thai Restaurants such as Lotus of Siam and Sripraprhai.. Each place has made this dish differently but, it still remains a wonderful dish.. I like how they kept the catfish in a cake.. This led to more substantial pieces.. The dressing was a very spicy limey fish sauce dressing with lots of onion.. The salad was a hit..

Another dish of the Thai menu.. Pork leg with mustard green.. In a sweet brown sauce.. Pork was perfectly cooked, the greens were al dente, the sauce was drinkable..

Another dish of the Thai Menu. Homemade noodles, lots of Thai Basil, scrambled egg, chicken, mustard green, peppers, and sprouts.. I was expecting to like the pork or the catfish salad more but, this was my favorite dish of the night.. Though the previous dishes were very good, I loved this dish even more.. Might have been my favorite Thai Noodle dish that I have eaten..

Unfortunately we did not save room for their homemade coconut ice cream.. There was a table of 12 people sitting by us and they were all eating different bright glutinous rolls of some kind.. I couldnt even think of eating anything else..

This place is a gem.. If it was in my hood, I would be going there weekly, and driving to Queens a whole lot less.. Sorry for the dark photos, in a hotel and do not have the strength to edit photos right now..

Edited April 8, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

Taqueria El Gallo de Oro

1186 Lee St

Des Plaines

Lots of missing photos from this place.. But I am trying to clean out the camera so I might as well post some of the photos.. Actually, I added some photos to the above places too.

Chips and salsa:

Avacado salsa and pretty spicey chipotle salsa..

Carne Asada,fried tripa tacos and a huitlacoche quesadilla.. Mmmm intestiney... So damn good..

A couple of these with lime and hot sauce in the can.

Edited April 8, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

Spicy chicken gizzard appetizer:

A bunch of Banchan from Kimchi to raddish, all very good..

Charcoal burning grill and a frosty beer mug:

Pork and Short Ribs..

bibimbap

Bite: