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Gotta use a Lettuce Entertain You gift cert

annarborfoodie

By annarborfoodie
in The Heartland: Dining

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annarborfoodie

annarborfoodie

Posted
Posted

We'll be visiting Chicago in a couple of weeks and I have a $50 Lettuce Entertain You gift certificate that I want to use on this trip (it was a Chanukah present last year). I've been to a couple of their restaurants, but I'm interested in hearing suggestions for where we should spend this, either for a Saturday night dinner or Sunday brunch. We're staying at the Hyatt on Wacker and we'd prefer somewhere either within walking distance or within a short cab ride (10-15 minutes)

TIA for any recommendations!

ronnie_suburban

ronnie_suburban

Posted
Posted

If it were me, here are the LEYE I'd consider hitting (not sure if there are exclusions or not with the gift certificate):

Ambria

Nacional 27

Everest

Brasserie Jo

Tru

Joe's Seafood and Prime Steak House

You can check the full array LEYE offerings at their web site.

=R=

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

gmi3804

gmi3804

Posted
Posted

Make sure you read the fine print. Depending on which kind of certificate it is, some places may not accept them on Friday or Saturday nights. If by chance you don't get to use it this time, remember that Illinois law stipulates that gift certificates of any type (issued/purchased in IL) never expire, even if there's an expiration date on them. So if you have old "expired" certificates (and this goes for stores too), they're still valid.

George

"Mason-Dixon Line" Renamed "IHOP-Waffle House Line"

annarborfoodie

annarborfoodie

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Thanks for the tips. After looking at the web site, I'm leaning towards Brasserie Jo, plus I was able to get a reservation there at a decent time. This is a regular, purchased, gift cert so there are no apparent restrictions.

kivligan

kivligan

Posted
Posted

I read they have a new restaurant that just opened up. Maybe you could check it out and tell us all about it. I read about it on Metromix.com and they have a little preview of it. It is called Osteria via Stato.

ronnie_suburban

ronnie_suburban

Posted
Posted
I read they have a new restaurant that just opened up.  Maybe you could check it out and tell us all about it.  I read about it on Metromix.com and they have a little preview of it.  It is called Osteria via Stato.

There's a lot of buzz about this place and their sommelier, Belinda Chang, who received many accolades while she was at Fifth Floor in San Francisco.

You can read a mini interview with her in this week's edition of Chicago Magazine's Dish.

=R=

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

gmi3804

gmi3804

Posted
Posted
I read they have a new restaurant that just opened up.  Maybe you could check it out and tell us all about it.  I read about it on Metromix.com and they have a little preview of it.  It is called Osteria via Stato.

There's a lot of buzz about this place and their sommelier, Belinda Chang, who received many accolades while she was at Fifth Floor in San Francisco.

You can read a mini interview with her in this week's edition of Chicago Magazine's Dish.

=R=

Does anyone know how casual this place is? The part about the wine list really grabbed my attention! :rolleyes:

George

"Mason-Dixon Line" Renamed "IHOP-Waffle House Line"

kivligan

kivligan

Posted
Posted
I read they have a new restaurant that just opened up.  Maybe you could check it out and tell us all about it.  I read about it on Metromix.com and they have a little preview of it.  It is called Osteria via Stato.

There's a lot of buzz about this place and their sommelier, Belinda Chang, who received many accolades while she was at Fifth Floor in San Francisco.

You can read a mini interview with her in this week's edition of Chicago Magazine's Dish.

=R=

Does anyone know how casual this place is? The part about the wine list really grabbed my attention! :rolleyes:

Seems to be a semi-casual kind of place. I think you would feel comfortable in nice jeans.

kivligan

kivligan

Posted
Posted
I read they have a new restaurant that just opened up.  Maybe you could check it out and tell us all about it.  I read about it on Metromix.com and they have a little preview of it.  It is called Osteria via Stato.

There's a lot of buzz about this place and their sommelier, Belinda Chang, who received many accolades while she was at Fifth Floor in San Francisco.

You can read a mini interview with her in this week's edition of Chicago Magazine's Dish.

=R=

Does anyone know how casual this place is? The part about the wine list really grabbed my attention! :rolleyes:

Seems to be a semi-casual kind of place. I think you would feel comfortable in nice jeans.

I stopped in to peek. Maybe one step up from jeans (or REALLY nice jeans).

  • 3 months later...
Sweet Willie

Sweet Willie

Posted
Posted
Thanks for the tips.  After looking at the web site, I'm leaning towards Brasserie Jo,

how did you like it?

"I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be"
annarborfoodie

annarborfoodie

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Unfortunately, we never made it to Chicago and that gift certificate is still sitting around unused... but after reading about Osteria via Stato, I'm more inclined to use it there when we finally do make it to Chicago.

chefgy

chefgy

Posted
Posted

if your looking for something a little scaled down, try cafe Ba ba Reeba -> delicious tapas style food

  • 1 year later...
annarborfoodie

annarborfoodie

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Two years later, we finally used the gift certificate at Osteria Via Stato last week and loved it. The one hiccup was that we waited until 8:55 to be seated for our 8:30 reservation, and there were tons of open tables (I realize this probably had to do with servers rather than tables). The service was some of the best I have ever experienced. I was especially impressed that the waiter noticed my husband dabbing at olive oil he had dripped on his sweater, and came over with a salt grinder, napkin, and club soda and gave him directions for getting it out (and it worked!). We did the "dinner party" menu. The highlight was the onions baked with parmesan. It was like french onion soup without the broth. The onions just melted in your mouth. I had the braised short ribs, and my husband had lamb. Both entrees were very good. We tried the homemade gelato for dessert - I liked his gianduja better than my burnt caramel. I would definitely go back, without a gift certificate.

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