Best Lettuce Rest. ??

NNTP-Posting-Date: 29 Mar 1999 19:32:03 GMT
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On Mon, 29 Mar 1999 11:18:03 -0600, Kathleen Braun wrote:

>hello all.  i recently received a gift certificate for the Lettuce
>Entertain You restaurants.
>
>any suggestions on which to go to?  i know enough to avoid L. Woods and
>would prefer non-oriental.
>
>thanks in advance,
>k
>
>

I think that Wild Fire is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant.  If so, I would recommend you go there - get the horseradish-crusted filet... very tasty.

I think it's on Erie between LaSalle and Wells.

Jeff

Kathleen B. wrote:
>
> hello all.  i recently received a gift certificate for the Lettuce
> Entertain You restaurants.
>
> any suggestions on which to go to?  i know enough to avoid L. Woods and
> would prefer non-oriental.

Depends on how big a gift certificate and what you like.  Top of the line is Everest, Jean Joho's top-flight Alsation restaurnt.  Ambria's contemporary French is second.  Also French, but less expensive and more casual is Mon Ami Gabi, in the same building and under the same partner, Gabino Sotelino, as Ambria -- it specializes in French-style steak and seafood.  Joho also has a more casual place, Brasserie Jo, c'est tres chic.  So much for French.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! the Spanish tapas bar, is still very good and lots of fun.  They also have a new, pan-Latin-American restaurant, Natcional 27, which doesn't strike me as overly authentic, but the food's good and the atmosphre looks like an old-time Havana nigt club, as my mother described it.

For Italian, both Scoozi and Tucci Bennuch are solid, but I miss Avanzare and Tucci Milan.  (Then again, I also miss Fritz That's It, Jonathan Livingston Seafood, and other now-closed classics, not least of which is Bones.)

You ruled out Asian, but Ben Pao and Big Bowl are both very good.

If you want to feel like you're revisting the '70s, go to R.J. Grunts.

For more information, see the company Web site:
http:/www.leye.com .

Leah Zeldes

Aren't their two flagship French/Alsatian restaurants on the list (Ambria and Everest Room, respectively)? They are top flight, very expensive, and unforgettable. My recommendation is Everest.

Regards, Jim M.

p.s., a more afordable Alsatian cousin of Everest is Brasserie Jo, co-owned by Chef Jean Joho.

Kathleen B. wrote:

>hello all.  i recently received a gift certificate for the Lettuce
>Entertain You restaurants.
>
>any suggestions on which to go to?  i know enough to avoid L. Woods and
>would prefer non-oriental.
>
>thanks in advance,
>k
>
>

I'd say Scoozi or Brasserie Jo. Scoozi is great for people-wtahcing too.

R.J. Grunt's is a no-no in my book, unless you still wish the early 70's were around and like more casual dining. But some liek it.

Enjoy using teh g.c. wherever you end up going!

Kathleen B. wrote:
>
> hello all.  i recently received a gift certificate for the Lettuce
> Entertain You restaurants.
>
> any suggestions on which to go to?  i know enough to avoid L. Woods and
> would prefer non-oriental.
>
> thanks in advance,
> k

>The best may be Oceanique

We had really bad service at Oceanique - from the management actually.   I won't go back there.