Eric H. wrote: >Going in a few weeks... thought about laying down the dough >for Charlie Trotters or Spiaggia, Well, if you want Charlie Trotters and you're less than six weeks away, you may out of luck. Six weeks is (in my experience) the minimum wait for reservations. And I don't imagine that it gets any less than that. > but it's not THAT special >an occasion. Want something one step below that. Maybe $18 entrees >and a $35 bottle of wine, that sort of thing. Hmmm, for Spiaggia and especially Charlie Trotters, $18 entrees and $35 bottles of wine are considerably more than "one step down" :-) Both times at Trotters our bill was over $400 (for two.) >We'll be staying in the loop, without a car. So don't send me to Wheeling >or something. There are some very very nice places downtown. My first choice would be Vivere in the the Italian Village complex. On Monroe within walking distance of, say, The Palmer House. At the same time, Chicago boasts a great system of taxis, at reasonable prices. You will find many, many excellent restaurants on north Clark St. as well. The Little Italy area has a number of fine restaurants as well (Taylor St.) Francesca's comes to mind. One of my favorite experiences recently was at Confusion (on north Damen, I believe.) Others to try: Shaw's Crab House, Nick's Fish Market..both basically downtown. You might also try the Frontera Grill, or Topolobampo (both Mexican). For Greek food, Costa's comes to mind. Others: Ambria, Everest... there are so many.. >Thanks for any help. You bet! Hope this helps... >eth >[email removed]
Chicago, IL
Chicago recs
Eric H. wrote: > Going in a few weeks... thought about laying down the dough > for Charlie Trotters or Spiaggia, but it's not THAT special > an occasion. Want something one step below that. Maybe $18 entrees > and a $35 bottle of wine, that sort of thing. Hate to break the news to you, but $18 entrees are quite a few steps below Trotters or Spiaggia. Most of the nicer restaurants in the River North/Michigan Ave. area have entrees around $20 and more. A few of the "moderate" restaurants that we like are Blackhawk Lodge, Bistro 110, Magenno's (sp?) Mediterran Kitchen in the NBC building and Kiki's Bistro. > > > > Want to avoid the tourist places unless they are great. Would like a "taste > of the City" though- maybe Italian or Hunks o' Beef. Something unique > and vibrant. Am I asking too much? If you want to take a taxi to the Taylor St. area, one of our favorites (and extremely popular with locals and tourists) is Tuscany. Also, very good Italian steak houses are Madison's (near the United Center) and Erie Cafe. The best steak house in town is Gibsons but it is more expensive. We also like Coco Pazza for Italian. Hope this helps Jamie (remove XXXs to e-mail) > > > Thanks for any help. > > eth > [email removed]
Engineered C. wrote in article ... > Eric H. wrote: > has a number of fine restaurants as well (Taylor St.) Francesca's comes > to mind. One of my favorite experiences recently was at Confusion (on > north Damen, I believe.) Just wanted to enthusiastically second the Confusion recommendation. A nice touch for those who enjoy wine but don't know the lingo is that they categorize their wine by dryness and fullness. Even on a limited budget and with limited wine knowledge, we easily found several by-the-glass selections we liked. > For Greek food, Costa's comes to mind. Others: Ambria, Everest... > there are so many.. Oo, gotta second the Costa's recommendation, too. Try a nice slab of braised lamb, and get the garlic dip with your bread. My husband and I very much enjoyed Zinfandel, which is downtown. It offers a seasonal menu of American food, focusing on a different region each month. Printer's Row in the South Loop is officially passe, but I had great food the time I ate there. They, too, focus on American food. Bistro Zinc does nice French. Hope this helps. Kendra [email removed]
Park Avenue Cafe...entrees are approx $24, appetizer $12, dessert $8...bit pricier than your request, but the chocolate cube is the best chocolate dessert I've...ever...had.