Chicago Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[kai-m]

Any suggestions for a relaxed, casual place to eat on our arrival night in Chicago? We arrive in the late afternoon/early evening and will be tired after a long flight, so we really don't need anything fancy. Just a good burger or steak or maybe even just a good sandwich place.

We will stay at the Monaco Hotel (225 N Wabash Ave).

Thanks

kai

Edited July 8, 2008 by kai-m (log)

[LAZ]

Any suggestions for a relaxed, casual place to eat on our arrival night in Chicago? We arrive in the late afternoon/early evening and will be tired after a long flight, so we really don't need anything fancy. Just a good burger or steak or maybe even just a good sandwich place.

We will stay at the Monaco Hotel (225 N Wabash Ave).

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There's a branch of Gold Coast Dogs at 159 N. Wabash Ave.: Classic Chicago-style hot dogs, natural casing, neon-green relish and all the toppings. They're open till 8 p.m.

[salutistagolosa]

Boka is a very good restaurant thanks to Chef Tentori (IIRC)

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Yes, Giuseppe Tentori, as noted on Boka's website. Their menu sounds great...

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I checked out their webpage, and is one ofe the very few ones without prices (at least, I could not find them): should I worry? i am going to Chicago in a couple of days, and I am tempted by Boka among others...

[Mussina]

Heading to Chicago for a meal at Alinea on a Friday night (the 9th). We'll be staying at the Lakeshore W and I would love suggestions for a light lunch in the area of the hotel when we arrive and a place for lunch and dinner the next night (a Sat.). I am thinking onesixty blue for the next night dinner or perhaps Lincoln Park. What do people think of MOTO or OTOM? Esp. after a dinner at Alinea?

Many thanks for your suggestions!!!!

[nsxtasy]

Heading to Chicago for a meal at Alinea on a Friday night (the 9th).  We'll be staying at the Lakeshore W and I would love suggestions for a light lunch in the area of the hotel when we arrive and a place for lunch and dinner the next night (a Sat.).  I am thinking onesixty blue for the next night dinner or perhaps Lincoln Park.  What do people think of MOTO or OTOM?  Esp. after a dinner at Alinea?

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For a light lunch in the area, go to Fox & Obel. This is Chicago's premier upscale gourmet grocery store, and it's located just two very short blocks from the hotel. They sell the very best meats, fresh seafood, prepared foods, baked goods (terrific cinnamon swirl rolls, bran muffins, breads and pastries), etc. They have excellent premade sandwiches. Even better, in the rear of the store is a cafe where you can get anything from a cup of coffee to a sandwich or salad to an entire lunch or dinner, cooked to order. The atmosphere is your basic coffeehouse but the food is divine. Also recommended if you're looking for breakfast near your hotel.

For Saturday lunch, some of the best high-end restaurants are open for lunch, including NoMi and Seasons, and also some of the steakhouses (Capital Grille, Saloon). For less expensive fine dining options, Bistro 110 is not too far away, for French bistro food. Other choices are Shaw's Crab House (seafood), Coco Pazzo Cafe (Italian), and Gino's East (deep-dish pizza). All of these are open for lunch and all are walking distance from the W at 644 N. Lake Shore Drive (assuming it's not a blizzard or below zero degrees).

For dinner the next night, one sixtyblue has been very good - in fact, my very favorite casual fine dining restaurant in the entire city - but they changed executive chefs a few months ago and I haven't been there since then. Initial reports from others under the new Chef Michael McDonald have been positive. So I can't vouch for it personally but it appears to remain an excellent choice.

When you say Lincoln Park, I am guessing that perhaps you are referring to North Pond, the restaurant located in the park itself (not just in the surrounding neighborhood of the same name)? If so, that's an excellent choice too. The setting, in the renovated former skaters warming house with the city skyline towering over the opposite shore of its namesake pond, is exquisite, and the contemporary cuisine from James Beard Award-nominated Chef Bruce Sherman is excellent.

I would NOT recommend Moto after dining at Alinea. The two places are just too similar, both specializing in unusual ingredients and techniques under the umbrella of molecular gastronomy. I recommend instead doing something a bit more different from Alinea. Along the same lines of casual contemporary American cuisine as one sixtyblue and North Pond, other excellent choices include Aigre Doux, Sweets and Savories, and a whole bunch more. And there are other kinds of food, too - everything from Italian (Coco Pazzo Cafe, Cafe Spiaggia), to French bistros (Bistro 110, Kiki's, La Sardine), to upscale ethnic restaurants (DeLaCosta for Latin fusion right near your hotel, Vermilion for Indian-Latin, Vong's Thai Kitchen for Thai, Shanghai Terrace for Chinese, Le Colonial for Vietnamese), to neighborhood ethnic restaurants (not many downtown near the W but a few), to, well, just about anything you can think of. So if there is some particular kind of food you'd like for the other dinner, let us know and we can make recommendations!

So those are some ideas. If you need more information or more specific suggestions for any of these categories, or if you have any other questions about dining here, please feel free to ask and we'll try to help. Enjoy your visit!

Edited January 3, 2009 by nsxtasy (log)

[Mussina]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. Fox and Obel it is for lunch when we arrive.

DeLaCosta looks great -- completely different than Alinea. Unfortunately it isn't open for lunch so I have decide between it, onesixty blue and the Green Zebra (I love the idea of vegetables as the star) for dinner the second night. Any thoughts?

Any other suggestions for lunch. I am looking for something interesting with bright flavors (I have eaten enough confited and braised food here in New England to last me the next couple of winters).

Also - any must see museums, sights?

Many thanks!

[nsxtasy]

DeLaCosta looks great -- completely different than Alinea.  Unfortunately it isn't open for lunch so I have decide between it, onesixty blue and the Green Zebra (I love the idea of vegetables as the star) for dinner the second night.  Any thoughts?

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Well, they all offer different kinds of foods! If you love the idea of vegetables as the star, then Green Zebra is a great place. If you like the idea of Latin fusion, then DeLaCosta is a great choice. (And its location near your hotel also makes it a nice backup if you plan to go elsewhere, then find that there's a blizzard or bitter cold that particular night.) one sixtyblue is a great choice for contemporary American - although there are other such choices too, including some that are closer to your hotel (Aigre Doux, MK); North Pond is also worth considering, for its setting as well as its food. There are no bad choices here; it just depends on what you're looking for.

Any other suggestions for lunch.  I am looking for something interesting with bright flavors (I have eaten enough confited and braised food here in New England to last me the next couple of winters).

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How about Frontera Grill for creative provincial Mexican food? They serve brunch on Saturdays, and you can walk there from your hotel. And I'm sure you're familiar with Rick Bayless's accomplishments. Just keep in mind that they don't accept reservations (they do, but in extremely limited quantities, and keep most of the dining room for walk-ins) so you'll want to get there early or accept the possibility of a longish wait to be seated.

Also - any must see museums, sights?

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Those are too numerous to mention, and depend on your preferences for anything from art museums, to natural history museums, to zoos, to... you name it, we've got it. The website for the Convention and Visitors Bureau is choosechicago.com.

Feel free to ask more questions, and enjoy your visit!

[Mussina]

Thanks again! I booked at Le Colonial for lunch - the menu looks great - and Green Zebra for dinner. Dinner the first night is Alinea. I am planning to hit the Violet Hour as well (probably both nights!)

Any other bar suggestions or good places to catch some music?

What do people think of the Second City theater? Funny or tourist trap?

[jesteinf]

I love Second City (just don't eat there), it's definitely not a tourist trap. If you go on Friday night, there's a free improv set after the late mainstage show. Sometimes some pretty famous alums will show up unannounced to perform with the cast. Depending on what time you finish up at Alinea you could try to make it (I think the improv set starts around 12:30am, but I could be wrong...it's been a little while since I've been).

[Alex]

Also - any must see museums, sights?

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As nsxtasy said, there are numerous choices.

This isn't a museum per se, but one of my favorite places to visit is the Chicago Cultural Center. There are entrances on Randolph and Washington, just west of Michigan Ave. It's a stunning building (the former main branch of the Chicago Public Library), and features art and photography exhibits along with music and dance performances. For example, there's a performance this Sunday by the Chicago Chamber Orchestra. Best of all, it's free.

If you've never been there, the Art Institute of Chicago is worth a visit, of course, if for nothing else than seeing Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Caillebotte's Paris Street, Rainy Day, and Renoir's Two Sisters.

[nsxtasy]

I am planning to hit the Violet Hour as well (probably both nights!)

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If you've never been there, you should be aware that the facade is totally nondescript and not labeled. You can walk right past it and not know that it's there. The entrance is disguised (so as to emulate an old-time speakeasy) and looks like a plain panel of plywood, IIRC. So make sure you have the address, and don't worry if you don't see it; it's there.

one of my favorite places to visit is the Chicago Cultural Center.

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If you've never been there, the Art Institute of Chicago is worth a visit, of course, if for nothing else than seeing Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Caillebotte's Paris Street, Rainy Day, and Renoir's Two Sisters.

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If you go to the Chicago Cultural Center, go see the newly-restored Louis C. Tiffany stained glass dome inside.

The Art Institute has a lot of famous paintings. Perhaps the best known is Grant Wood's American Gothic.

Right next to the Cultural Center and the Art Institute is our new Millennium Park. It won't take a lot of time, but I consider it a "must see"; its sights include "the Bean", the Cloud Gate sculpture whose shiny stainless steel exterior has the appearance of that legume; the Frank Gehry-designed bandshell pavilion and bridge; and the Crown Fountain with its obelisks depicting the faces of ordinary Chicagoans.

[KCWilkinson]

Hey guys. I'm looking for a restaurant to take myself and 3 of my culinary school buddies in the next couple of weeks. I would love to go somewhere like Alinea, Tru, or Trotter's, but my budget doesn't allow that kind of freedom.

Any good recommendations for a meal for 4 under $200? Much appreciated, thank you.

I may spend a bit more and go to Alinea by my lonesome, but I feel a bit weird dining out alone, even though this feeling is probably misguided.

Edited February 21, 2009 by KCWilkinson (log)

[jesteinf]

Sweets & Savories would be a great choice. Really nice, high-end food and they just massively reduced their menu prices (plus they're BYOB for right now). You could do very well there for $50 pp.

If you want to go downscale, check out Sun Wah for Chinese BBQ, in particular the Beijing duck which you'll need to call ahead for if you want it. You'll get a whole duck with pancakes, plus a soup and fried rice made from the carcas for $30...total.

Sweets and Savories

Website

1534 W Fullerton Ave

(773) 281-6778

Sun Wah

1132-34 W. Argyle St

(773) 769-1254

[Alex]

Sweets & Savories would be a great choice.  Really nice, high-end food and they just massively reduced their menu prices (plus they're BYOB for right now).  You could do very well there for $50 pp.

If you want to go downscale, check out Sun Wah for Chinese BBQ, in particular the Beijing duck which you'll need to call ahead for if you want it.  You'll get a whole duck with pancakes, plus a soup and fried rice made from the carcas for $30...total.

Sweets and Savories

Website

1534 W Fullerton Ave

(773) 281-6778

Sun Wah

1132-34 W. Argyle St

(773) 769-1254

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I haven't been there in a few years, but I'd second Josh's S & S recommendation. (Josh, what's with the BYOB? Is there a corkage fee?)

I'd also recommend Terragusto, which also is BYOB ($1 pp "recycling fee") at the Addison location.

KC, when you say $200 for 4, does that include wine? tax? tip?

[jesteinf]

No, nor corkage at S&S. There's something going on with their liquor license, so I'm not sure if this is permanent or temporary (or if it's temporary how long this will last).

[jesteinf]

Another place I just remembered where you can eat VERY well for $50pp is The Bristol down in Bucktown/Wicker Park.

Here's a recap of a recent meal I had there (this was for four people and our total bill including tax and tip was $200):

Last night's dinner at The Bristol was really wonderful. This is a restaurant run by people who really, truly, love food and there are many rewards to be found for the patrons that share that love.

We had 12 dishes with not a clunker among them. We didn't take a menu, so forgive some of the imprecise descriptions.

Our first round consisted of three of the lighter dishes on the menu:

Trout roe with pureed cauliflower and freshly made blinis - This was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The saltiness of the roe played beautifully off of the smooth puree. Also, the warm, just made blinis were the perfect vehicle for this little "snack".

Goat carpaccio - Teeny tiny slices of seared goat plated nicely along side lentils and a bit of frisee(?). I've never had goat raw/barely cooked and I have to say I really enjoyed this preparation. The goat was nicely seasoned and the lentils were an interesting companion to the dish

Rapini - This dish contained the only small miscue of the night, with the poached egg served on top of the rapini coming out a bit too poached (depriving us of the joys of the runny yolk). That being said the rapini was tasty enough to make up for the overcooked egg.

Next we moved on to the more substantial:

Chicken hearts - Not for the faint of heart (sorry). Just a bunch of chicken hearts on a rosemary skewer. Interesting texture, but the flavor was like nothing I've ever had before. I think we all agreed that the best way to describe the flavor was "intensely chicken-ey". Probably what chicken used to taste like before the advent of factory farming. The flavor that the hearts imparted on to the polenta was just brilliant. Outstanding dish, and good for The Bristol for serving it.

Roasted chicken - As good a roasted chicken as I've ever had. Moist meat, crispy skin, what else do you need? How about some outrageously good broth for dipping your...

Duck fat fries - Some of the best fries I've ever had. Thicker than the frites at Sweets & Savories, the fries packed a powerful taste and crunch. They were served with garlic aioli and a housemade ketchup. I wasn't nuts about the ketchup, but I loved the garlic (and I mean GARLIC) aioli.

Roasted marrow bones - Again, hard to go wrong here. I slightly prefer the bones at Volo if only for the trio of salts that you get.

Sweetbreads - Not the usual fried to the point of maybe being a Chicken Mcnugget, these bad boys were big and meaty. As Kenny said, you knew you were eating sweetbreads.

Squash with ricotta - I'm not a big squash fan, but covering it in ricotta will at least maybe think about being a convert.

And then, dessert:

Chocolate sabayon with housemade nutter butters - Done, nothing else needed. Thank you very much.

Meyer lemon panna cotta - Very good, nice and lemoney

Pistachio tarte - Good if you're in the market for a more savory dessert.

The Bristol

2152 N Damen Ave

(between Shakespeare and Webster)

773-862-5555

[KCWilkinson]

Whoa!! That is a serious meal at The Bristol.

That sounds awesome, I'm definitely going to look into that option for us.

That sounds like a great deal, especially at $200 including tax and tip--- and Alex, I did need it to include tax, wine, and tip, although I could go a little more if need be. Terragusto also sounds great.

Thanks for the tips guys, I really appreciate it.

Edit: The Bristol sounds really familiar to me. I think they were at the Chicago Gourmet event where I worked the booth for my school. Did they just recently open in the last 6 months?

Edited February 21, 2009 by KCWilkinson (log)

[mr food]

We're there this weekend and staying at the Marriott at 540 N Michigan. What's good within a mile or two? Any cuisine ok

[nsxtasy]

We're there this weekend and staying at the Marriott at 540 N Michigan. What's good within a mile or two? Any cuisine ok

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Within a mile or two??? Within a mile or two, there are over a thousand restaurants (literally - and no, I am not exaggerating), many of which are excellent.

Here are some great restaurants within a few blocks walk of your hotel (under 5 minutes), starting with the closest; click on the name to go to their website (in some cases, the restaurant website is part of the website of the hotel where they are located):

Heaven on Seven (Cajun, Rush St location)

David Burke's Primehouse (steakhouse)

Joe's (steakhouse)

Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due (deep-dish pizza)

Shaw's (seafood)

Vong's (Thai)

Avenues (fine dining)

Shanghai Terrace (upscale Chinese)

The Lobby* (contemporary American)

Giordano's (deep-dish "stuffed" pizza, Rush St location)

Rockit (American)

NoMI (fine dining)

Brasserie Jo (French bistro)

Also note that our local Restaurant Week promotion (special 3-course menus for $22 lunch, $32 dinner) has been extended through this Friday, so you'll be able to take advantage of it if you go to participating restaurants on Friday. More details here. Most of our nicer restaurants accept reservations on Opentable.

* If you're a chocolate lover, you might be interested in the Chocolate Bar. On Friday and Saturday evenings, 8-11 pm, the Lobby has an all-you-can-eat buffet of 40-50 chocolate desserts in smallish portion sizes so you can try a lot of them. Not cheap, around $32.

Edited March 4, 2009 by nsxtasy (log)

[sugar plum]

I've just returned from a food-filled weekend in Chicago. What a wonderful city to dine in! I did the necessary eGullet research beforehand and we hit up three fantastic restaurants during our stay there: Sepia, Blackbird and Custom House. First off, at all three restaurants, baby octopus was featured on the menu! What's up with that? Are they breeding in Lake Michigan?!

At Sepia, we started with their mushroom and garlic flatbread. It was very tasty but I wouldn't probably order it again. It's a very small portion for what you pay for. My husband had the red kuri squash starter and I had the salad. I don't recall either of us being overly impressed with them. My husband followed with the roasted cobia boar sausage and loved it. It seemed like a strange combination but in the end it was a winner. I opted for a vegetarian night and had the farro "risotto" with roasted vegetable. It was very bland and the veg from my starter re-appeared in my main. We finished the meal with a lemon tart and vanilla gelato. I found the tart curd to be too sweet but the gelato was delish! We drank red wine by the glass. Our server was very good at helping us out with our selections. She knew her stuff and impressed us both. Although I enjoyed Sepia's ambiance and service, I probably wouldn't return again. The food was decent but not that impressive. All told with 3 starters, 2 mains, 1 cocktail and 3 glasses of wine and 1 dessert I think the bill came to $150-ish?

The next evening we dined at Blackbird. This restaurant was probably my favourite of the trip. I loved the professionalism of the staff and the high level of service from the get-go. I would say my only non-food complaint would be that this restaurant is really cramming the clientele in. We sat VERY close to other diners. They are trying to make the most of their square footage for sure! I started with the Taleggio salad and my husband had the baby octopus. My husband's comment was that the portions were very small. This is a finer dining restaurant and we're used to that but I think that night he was overly hungry or something. They had a nice touch of beginning the meal with an amuse buche and finishing of with mignardises. Both starters were excellent. I followed with the butternut squash polenta. I'm a reformed vegetarian that occasionally falls off the wagon. This veg main was perhaps one of the better I've had in a non-vegetarian restaurant. Usually it's the standard veg lasagna, pasta primavera or some sort of risotto. The polenta was very tasty. I can't recall now what my husband had but by the time we left the restaurant, he was still hungry! I finished the meal with the white chocolate mousse. Absolutely perfect and loved the contrast of the mousse with the green tea streusel. If you go to Blackbird, make sure you go to the bathroom. It's hilarious! Our meal again was around the $150 mark with 2 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert, 1 cocktail and 3 glasses of wine.

My husband's favourite spot of our trip was Custom House. Here I started with a salad with pumpkin seeds and a perfectly balanced vinagrette and my husband had an antipasto type of dish with cured meats from the Seattle outfit Salumi. We followed with a braised short rib for him and a Waygu sirloin for me. My husband loved the short rib so much he's requested it for his birthday this year. Anyone know a good recipe? We chose their mushroom gnocchi and green beans almondine as sides. All the food was phenomenal at Custom House however they do really get your wallet with the way their menu is set up. With the above, dessert (chocolate parfait) and 2 glasses of wine each the bill was $180. This was the priciest meal yet and I think by this point in the trip we were both feeling overfed/over-boozed and poor! Nonetheless, Custom House had wonderful food and excellent service. I would definately recommend this restaurant to any carnivore in the Chicago area.

[nsxtasy]

Thanks for the report!

Funny, I have had some of the exact same experiences at Blackbird! The food is phenomenal, but that long line of tables on one side of the dining room is so close together, you feel like you're part of the conversation on either side of you. (It's also very noisy.) And the last time I was there, it was for a private event, and the portions were so small I left hungry too! This is why I generally direct folks to other places instead - particularly Cafe des Architectes, Aigre Doux, and North Pond - because they also offer spectacular food, but without those downsides.

I had that short rib dish at Custom House not too long ago - on the bone, with the horseradish cream puffs - and it's wonderful. I was chatting with Rob Hurrie, the chef-owner of Margaux in Sheboygan WI, where I had the best short ribs in my life, and he said that braising short ribs is one of the simplest dishes to prepare. So by all means try it! (As for the rest of my dinner at Custom House, I also loved the sweetbread appetizer, but was disappointed by the desserts.)

Come back and visit again soon!

[Alcuin]

I also had a short food-filled stay in Chicago this past weekend. We ate at Tru and North Pond.

The food at Tru was excellent but there were a number of service hiccups that got in the way a few times. We arrived early for our 9:15 reservation and weren't seated until 9:30. Then, having ordered, we asked to consult with the sommelier over a wine choice to go with our meal. We waited and waited for him to arrive, which he finally did. Unfortunately right after he left (within one minute) our first course arrived and we were still wineless. Fortunately (!) they had mixed up my girlfriend's order and sent out the wrong plate, saving us from sitting there wondering where our wine was while we ate. For this mix up, they did send us out an extra course of gnocchi, spinach, and morels that was well-made and delicious. We ordered prix fixe because it was late, we'd just come from The Violet Hour, and we wanted choices especially for dessert. When it came for us to order dessert we ordered a chocolate souffle which we decided to split and a cheese plate that we would split. Having selected our cheeses though, we were informed that the souffle was unavailable so we ordered two desserts. We wouldn't have done this if we'd known the souffle was unavailable because we were already verging on being overfull with the addition of the gnocchi course.

All in all, the food at Tru was delicious: I had Beef Tartare (theirs was a good example), Lobster tagliatelle (the tagliatelle didn't do much, but the lobster was incredible), Gnocchi, spinach, and morels (delicious, if not extraordinary), and a hazelnut themed dessert with concord grape sorbet (I was a bit full and this dessert was heavy so I don't remember much of it). My girlfriend had a Foie gras torchon with accompaniments (she really liked it), the gnocchi dish, Duck with chard, mushrooms and wild rice (she said it was well-made, if not extraordinary), and grapefruit sorbet (she loved this dessert). The candy cart at the end of the meal is a nice touch and we enjoyed a delicious takeaway apple cake the next morning. I couldn't help compare my experience here with my experience at Alinea about a year ago--I found Alinea to be flawless in terms of service and food (which was consistently exciting). Maybe comparing prix fixe to a tasting at Alinea is a bit apples to oranges, but still.

We also had brunch at North Pond. We were initially seated out of the way in a booth, but my girlfriend requested a window seat and we got one in a few minutes. I can't believe the view of this restaurant--it is spectacular, even in early leaf-less spring. The food was also delicious from beginning to end--the only thing that wasn't was the coffee that was weak and tasted cheap. Overall, though, we had an incredible brunch--I love the style of the place from the decor to the super fresh, pure flavors of the food. It was the best brunch I've ever had--the setting, food, and (most importantly) the company were perfect.

[KD1191]

Any other bar suggestions or good places to catch some music?

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After The Violet Hour, I think the second best cocktails in Chicago are likely to be at Sepia. They also have one of the most consistently good cheese plates I've had stateside. The front lounge is great for a drink and snack. Don't get me wrong, it's also good for dinner, but I don't feel drawn to it that often for a full meal.

[newbie21]

Whoa!! That is a serious meal at The Bristol.

That sounds awesome, I'm definitely going to look into that option for us.

That sounds like a great deal, especially at $200 including tax and tip---  and Alex, I did need it to include tax, wine, and tip, although I could go a little more if need be.  Terragusto also sounds great.

Thanks for the tips guys, I really appreciate it.

Edit:  The Bristol sounds really familiar to me.  I think they were at the Chicago Gourmet event where I worked the booth for my school.  Did they just recently open in the last 6 months?

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I know they're new to that location (less than 6 months).

[nsxtasy]

I know they're new to that location (less than 6 months).

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Call it right around six months; there's a "First Look" on Metromix dated October 2, and they usually do that after a place has been open a week or two.

Edited March 25, 2009 by nsxtasy (log)