Lincoln Sq eats?

Someone wrote:
>Mike0000 wrote:

>>I just moved out to Ravenswood right off Lincoln and noticed a whole slew of
>>interesting looking restaurants.  Anyone want to make a recommendation for,
>>say a date or a casual business lunch?

>There are plenty of highly recommended's in the neighborhood.

>Don't miss the Chicago Brauhaus, you'll know why when you go there.
>Stop at one of the Bierstubes on the street and have a couple of
>beehives first.  Then dance in the fountain across the street
>afterwards.

The fountain is lovely, but I miss the gazebo.

I'll bite: I don't know why. The few times I'd eaten there: High prices, considering the small portions. Big plates to drown entrees in gravy. The food tasted fine, but when I want Austrian/Bavarian, I prefer that Austrian place near Lincoln/Belmont/Ashland, Cafe Metro or something.

Someone should have mentioned Cafe Selmarie, Lincoln and Giddings. Delicious soups, good bakery, and a nice vegetarian chile. A French-Asian fusion place. I haven't eaten there since they expanded into the jewelry store, though.

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Full disclosure warning: I work at this place!

There's Jury's, on the corner of Lincoln and Pensacola (just south of Montrose). I passed this place up a million times for a long time, and a few years ago my now-ex-wife and I went in one night for a quick dinner before going off to our various evening classes. We were pleased- two sandwiches and soft drinks and our bill was under ten bucks. Turned out this was on a Monday, when they had a "buy one get one free" deal, which they still have. I was so impressed with the place, I left an application and was hired a couple of weeks later, to work a night or two a week, and full time in the summers.

There are specials nearly every night. They do a steak special on Thursdays, a "ten dollar Tuesday" special, in which a bunch of items on the specials are ten bucks, plus he has a couple of ten dollar bottles of wine. On the weekends, there's a list of wine specials that are amazing. The place is well-run, and the owners, Pete and Dan, are terrific guys, and are almost always there, making sure the quality and customer service are excellent. The place has a pub feel to it, but the menu is diverse: burgers, pasta, ribs, steak, crabcakes, lobster, various sandwiches and salads. The bruschetta and the grill calamari appetizers are to die for. There's a decent beer selection and an excellent wine selection-- owner Pete is a wine afficienado. There's both a 12-table patio in back and four more tables on the sidewalk if you feel like dining "al fresco." The staff is great and friendly--I enjoy working with them. We know a lot of our regulars by name.

BTW, this is "son of" the Jury Room that Pete and Dan had on Lincoln and Fullerton for years. In 1996, they got tired of being gouged on rent and bought a building and moved to North Center (Lincoln Square technically starts north of Montrose).

I feel okay tooting our own horn since it was the quality of the place that made me want to work there. Though I work full time as a teacher, I I plan on working there at least until I get my kid off to college, in 8 years or so. It's a nice place to work and a nice place to eat.

As far as other local places, our neighbor Tournesol offers authentic french cuisine. The executive chef spends an enormous amount of time on quality control, and the buzz from customers I've talked to was that it was great. Down Lincoln a few more blocks, I've heard good reviews of She She, though I don't know much about their menu.

Brian

In article , trent
wrote:

> Mike0000 wrote:
> >
> > Hey everyone,
> >
> > I just moved out to Ravenswood right off Lincoln and noticed a whole slew of
> > interesting looking restaurants.  Anyone want to make a recommendation for,
> > say a date or a casual business lunch?
>
>
> There are plenty of highly recommended's in the neighborhood.
>
> Don't miss the Chicago Brauhaus, you'll know why when you go there.
> Stop at one of the Bierstubes on the street and have a couple of
> beehives first.  Then dance in the fountain across the street
> afterwards.
>
> LaCampagne is an improving French place, styling itself as
> "country-French".  It has a great outdoor patio dining area, average
> prices, and a drinkable wine-list (and a wine-bar).
>
> Further south is Tournesol, better than LaCampagne (IMHO) but no bar and
> nosmo king.  It is also church-quiet, so don't bring the Loud family.
>
> La Bocca del Verite is good to very-good Italian, and maybe a little
> pricey for the pasta (but not back-breaking).  They'll "work with you"
> if there is something special you want that is not on their menu.  Their
> Wine selection is above average, as is it's price.  The name means
> "Mouth of Truth" and there is a Terr-Cotta sun with an open mouth when
> you walk in the door.  Put your hand in it's mouth and make a statement,
> if you're lying it WILL bite you (for fun, ask the bartender for the
> remote-control).
>
> Daily Grill, bar food.  Better bar than a restaurant.  Sneak upstairs to
> one of the smaller bars and make friends with a bartender, they "play
> the game" really well there.
>
> The Grafton - is new, and is supposed to have good food.  I always end
> up drinking my dinner here.  It's friendly and loud, with a good crowd
> of regulars that leave early.  You will pay for every drink here.
>
> There's more that I can't remember right now, due to my being a little
> hung over and having my brain not working 'cuz I have to wake up at 5:30
> since I moved OUT of Ravenswood.
>
>
> trent