Good Places Near Arlington Heights?

[NancyH]

As long as I'm thinking about my upcoming visit to Chicago - any suggestions for good places to eat in the general vicinity of Arlington Heights? We'll be staying at the Sheraton there for a weekend with a car.

[Tess]

What kind of food?

I am very fond of a little place called Retro Bistro at Golf and Busse in Mount Prospect. If you like the sincere suburban strip mall bistro, give this one a try. Best crab cakes I've ever had; they are mixed with rock shrimp for more texture.

There's a fair amount of stuff in Arlington Heights itself, from sushi to tapas.

[NancyH]

I am looking for quality, fresh food - preferably fish or seafood, which is hard to get with good quality in Cleveland (where I live). Ethnic and spicy of all types is especially preferred. I avoid chains, but I had a good meal at Pappadeux last year when I was there, so I also try to avoid pre-conceived notions!

[ronnie_suburban]

I am looking for quality, fresh food - preferably fish or seafood, which is hard to get with good quality in Cleveland (where I live).  Ethnic and spicy of all types is especially preferred.  I avoid chains, but I had a good meal at Pappadeux last year when I was there, so I also try to avoid pre-conceived notions!

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Mitsuwa!

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[Tess]

Mitsuwa is not to be missed! Might be kind of a madhouse trying to get a meal in the food court on the weekends though.

For seafood, you will not be far from Bob Chin's or from the suburban branch of Shaw's Crab House. I hate to send someone to Shaw's in Schaumberg because it's in the Woodfield Mall. Horrible to drive in and out of and it will be packed. The food is good, though.

For sushi, I've been dying to try this place:

http://www.wildfishcontemporary.com/184829.html

Over in Glenview, about 20 minutes from where you will be, is a Greek restaurant called Periyali with good fish. A fairly unassuming place, but I think the food is on a level with the Greek restaurants in the city. I usually get the Lake Superior whitefish and the grilled calamari.

[elfin]

Mitsuwa is good rec! But whenever we go (late morning weekends) the food court is only a half operation. But you can always suppplement with the sashimi/sushi sold on premises.

[NancyH]

I adore fresh sushi and there is none here (in Cleveland, when dealing with fresh fish products, the universal defense is "but that's how it's supposed to smell"). I don't think so.

Where is Mitsua in relation to where we are staying? We will be staying at the Sheraton Arlington Hts (by the racetrack). Just looked at the on-line article - it looks great.

Thanks all! Keep those suggestions coming!

Edited September 15, 2004 by NancyH (log)

[ronnie_suburban]

Where is Mitsua in relation to where we are staying?  We will be staying at the Sheraton Arlington Hts (by the racetrack).  Just looked at the on-line article - it looks great.

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Here is a link to some directions from Mapquest.com...

Sheraton to Mitsuwa, directions

...it appears they are only about 5.5 miles apart.

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[NancyH]

I just saw a reference to Bob Chinns on Chowhound - anyone know anything about it or where it is?

[ronnie_suburban]

I just saw a reference to Bob Chinns on Chowhound - anyone know anything about it or where it is?

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Nancy,

Check out this link to their web site:

Bob Chinn's Crab House

393 S. Milwaukee Avenue

Wheeling IL 60090

(847) 520-3633

I think the place is sort of odd and hard to peg down. Yes, they have very fresh fish and seafood. Yes, they have some other good stuff (garlic rolls, MaiTais). But the place is a barn, a dining factory. You'll walk past a shop hawking an entire line of Bob Chinn's retail items before you ever get to your table. It's an ultra high-volume joint, not a comfortable venue in the least and they move them in and out rather quickly. Pricing is reasonable and the turnover definitely has a positive effect of the quality of the fish and seafood. I believe I read once that Bob Chinn's is the single highest grossing restaurant in the country. Based on their huge parking lot and long line usually coming out the door, I wouldn't doubt that it's true. But again, they move folks through quickly so the line's probably not as bad as it usually looks.

There are some who feel that the place is "all that" but I'm not sure if I agree. It's certainly reliable but not the spot where I'd want to spend a special occasion unless I was spending it with a loud and rowdy group. There are no subtle or artful preparations here either; just the basics. The place screams "tourist" even though it's so far out of the way that I can't believe many tourists go there.

I'm never disappointed when I learn that I'm going there but I'm never very excited about it either...and as you can probably tell, when it's my turn to pick, I've never chosen Bob Chinn's either.

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[NancyH]

Ronnie - thanks for the heads up - no, this does not sound like our kind of place. We will almost certainly try Mitsua.

[gmi3804]

I have thoughts on Bob Chinn's which I can't post until after Friday.

::cues mysterious music::

[ronnie_suburban]

I have thoughts on Bob Chinn's which I can't post until after Friday.

::cues mysterious music::

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:shock:

...we'll be waiting

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[Thrak]

Bob Chinn's Mai Tai's are horrible, made with powdered mix in a machine, grapefruit tasting garbage. Food is good though. Go to a Cantonese restaurant to get a good Mai Tai.

[kuan]

The best kept secret in the Schaumburg area is Jockey's Wok and Roll. WHAT? It's a Chinese restaurant which serves some of the best Dim Sum in the lower 48. Better than many Chinatown restaurants. Try it! You will not be dissapointed.

1017 N. Roselle Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60195

It's tucked away in the crook of an L shaped strip mall. On weekends, just follow the line of cars turning into the parking lot.

[ronnie_suburban]

Bob Chinn's Mai Tai's are horrible, made with powdered mix in a machine

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Is this true? Because I have it from a very reliable source that they buy a fair amount of fruit juice concentrates and purees...either way, the mai tai's are not worth the trip, IMO

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[yellow truffle]

Looking at your avatar, NancyH = Food Heaven? ne?

So how about Japanese cuisine.

Torishin (isakaya = japanese tapas)

1584 S. Busse Rd.

Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

847-427-4590

Serious Japanese restaurant. For an adventure, their menu is in Japanese, although they may have an English menu. It has always been an experience every time I go there. Located next suburb over.

Sushi Station (kaiten sushi = sushi on conveyer belts)

1641 Algonquin Rd

Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

847-593-2450

Food is good and midwest-fresh. Also located close to Arlington Heights.

[NancyH]

Actually, Truffle, it was the Japanese "noodle western" Tampopo that got me started on both my journey through Asian food and culture, and my love of cooking and cuisine in general. I confess that Japanese rates below other Asian cuisines in my order of favorites, but real sushi is not available in Cleveland. If this place is really good (and the bi-lingual menu indicates a "local" clientele), we will probably try it. Thanks for the info!

[NancyH]

I just learned something interesting - it appears that Mitsuwa is a chain! Their website is kinda weird, too, no info other than locations and links to Mapquest. I still intend to check it out and perhaps grab some lunch there!

[ronnie_suburban]

I just learned something interesting - it appears that Mitsuwa is a chain!  Their website is kinda weird, too, no info other than  locations and links to Mapquest.  I still intend to check it out and perhaps grab some lunch there!

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"Chain" may be overstating it. It's actually the retail end of a HUGE Japanese trading congolmerate.

And yes, their web site is decidedly useless.

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[budrichard]

I frequently drive from Wisconsin to shop at Mitsuwa(stock up actually) and have eaten at the 'Food Court' there. The range is from Japanese Sushi(they are quite stingy with the slice of fish) to Korean Bim Bop or whatever. It is not fine dining but a food court akin to any other in a mall. For a lunch on the weekend it would suffice or to bring back to your room. For an evening's dinner, no.

As it happens, i will be at the Odeum on 11/6 and will be having lunch with a friend from Oak Brook and am also looking for a nice lunch spot in the area. The 'Food Court' at Mitsuwa is not it. -Dick

[NancyH]

Just back from Chicago - loved Mitsuwa and had a wonderful "Tampopo-esqe" noodle soup lunch before we wandered the aisles. We got a piece of fresh wasabi root and Bob will try to grow it. I might contact those folks about opening a store in the Cleveland area!

We took some friends with us to Torishin for dinner and it was a wonderful adventure! The staff seemed to be as amused with us as we were impressed with the food - there is an English menu, but the sushi combination and sushi special listed there pulled no punches - they were authentic and delicious (I did not eat every bite, but that's ok too - I tasted at least a bite of each item and got to try some things I never had before). The dumping appetizers, noodle dish and sukiyaki that two of our party ordered were also outstanding. The clientele is mostly Japanese and the place is very small - they had to seat us in the take-out side of the place because there are only a few tables (my companions didn't want to sit at the sushi bar).

The Weber Grill was good, but should have been better -- more skilled hands are needed at the kettle, I think (oh well, at least I won't spend the rest of my life wondering if I should try it).

We ran out of dining opportunities before we could try Jockey's Wok & Roll or the Szechuan place - we'll try to hit those next year!

So George - what's the word on Bob Chinn's that you didn't want to say until after Friday?

[yellow truffle]

Just back from Chicago - loved Mitsuwa and had a wonderful "Tampopo-esqe" noodle soup lunch before we wandered the aisles.  We got a piece of fresh wasabi root and Bob will try to grow it.  I might contact those folks about opening a store in the Cleveland area!

Is there allot of Japanese peeps there in Cleveland? Ethnically speaking, who are the top three?

We took some friends with us to Torishin for dinner and it was a wonderful adventure!  The staff seemed to be as amused with us as we were impressed with the food - there is an English menu, but the sushi combination and sushi special listed there pulled no punches - they were authentic and delicious (I did not eat every bite, but that's ok too - I tasted at least a bite of each item and got to try some things I never had before).  The dumping appetizers, noodle dish and sukiyaki that two of our party ordered were also outstanding.  The clientele is mostly Japanese and the place is very small - they had to seat us in the take-out side of the place because there are only a few tables (my companions didn't want to sit at the sushi bar).

If you get the Japanese menu, you get some really interesting (tasty, but not for the masses, although eG folks would love this place) dishes. Yeah, the place is small and smoky. Glad you enjoyed.

[NancyH]

Cleveland is such an ethnic melting pot; I really don't know the proportions. There is a good size Japanese community, but it keeps to itself for the most part; the Chinese community is more prominent and we are starting to see an upswing in Korean and Vietnamese; from an Asian-Ethnic perspective, the most interesting restuarant in town is a Cambodian place that is outstanding. There are also many other different ethnic groups here, from Europe and the rest of the world.

[gmi3804]

So George - what's the word on Bob Chinn's that you didn't want to say until after Friday?

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I have some mixed thoughts about the place. I've been going there regularly (about every other week) for seventeen years, and have always loved the "vibe" there. I know it's not "fine dining," and the place is a factory, and you're served $40 entrees on plastic plates sometimes. But the quality of the seafood is wonderful, in an area of the country where really good quality seafood is a rarity. So I've no problem with the food.

Upper management, on the other hand, is problematic. I remember noting that the place is the third highest-grossing restaurant in the country, at $21MM in sales last year (they post the Industry News list proudly in their bar/waiting area.) In short, they ain't hurtin' for business. It's a bit insulting to the customer to be in the restroom and have little signs everywhere reminding you to "conserve nature" by using only one pump of hand soap, or only one towel to dry your hands. Now I'm all for Saving The Planet, but this is a bit much from a place which sells overpriced souvenirs at the entrance and certainly doesn't charge bargain prices for any of its food.

Two weeks ago, we were informed by our favorite server that after twenty years of faithful service, she'd given her two-week notice to leave. She had the most seinority of anyone server in the place, but was hardly recognized as being an asset to the place by any of the owners. I won't go into detail because I don't know the full story, but it seems to me that a place that would let someone who's given so much good service to a place (she was head server, responsible also for training all the new hires) walk without even asking why she'd grown unhappy with her job, clearly views its employees as a means to a financial end. It seems to be all about maximizing profits for them. I could hardly blame them for that - it is a business, after all. But still...when someone I consider a good friend after all these years, who I've seen get married, become a grandmother, etc., is unhappy, it makes me unhappy. I know she's devastated at her decision to leave, and I'll miss her terribly. But she's typically optimistic about her decision to move on. Even though she's one person in a place where many work, the place won't be the same without her.