117238 Wed Jan 05 21:43:32 -0800 2005 27 7 Chicago Area 0 640081 Visting Oak Brook on a business trip next week. Will probably get into the city once, but most evenings will probably just grab a bite locally before I crash at the hotel. The catch is, though it's a business trip, it's not one of those "expense account unlimited" business trips - total with tax and tip shouldn't go north of $30-$40 when possible. I'm also going to have several non-chowhound diners with me, so I can't go too crazy on unusual eats. So what do you recommend? One colleague has his mind set on Weber Grill, no matter how many bad reviews I show him. I also see Wildfire in several recent discussions, so that's a good bet. What else in that area should we consider? If we get one night in Chicago, what should be our destination? Location might be just as important as food, since we have just the one night. Wed Jan 05 21:43:32 -0800 2005 0 Daniel K 1 640082 At the Oak Brook mall, Basai Thai is pretty good, as is Stir Crazy. Chicago: I have brought business colleagues who are rather timid eaters to the following restaurants with rave reviews and the bills have fit within our travel budget (they are among my favorites, too): CAFE 28 - get the coconut shrimp, quesadillas, the steak or seafood dishes, and the moist, rich pistachio cake (sounds odd; tastes great!) for dessert. Plentiful and free parking on the East side of the Metra train tracks. 1800 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, (773) 528-2883. This is not downtown, but on the north side of Chicago and, if you need it, very easily accessed via public trans (Brown Line el, exit at Irving Park Road) CAFE IBERICO - order the wondferul warm/cold Spanish tapas for very reasonable prices. All of the potato tapas are great; sauteed mushrooms, goat cheese, pincho de solomillo (beef skewers), chicken croquetas, spanish tortilla, and the chocolate flan for dessert. Sangria is good, too! Link: http://www.cafe-iberico.com/menu.html Wed Jan 05 22:10:19 -0800 2005 640081 0 Bungalow Betty 2 640085 BTW, Cafe 28 serves excellent nuevo latino cuisine. Link: http://www.cafe28.org/ Wed Jan 05 23:37:21 -0800 2005 640082 0 Bungalow Betty 1 640083 Wildfire and Weber both might be a bit too pricy for that range. My choices in general for non-chowhound and chowhounds alike would be greek. Chicago has a great greektown, and two of the better greektown restaurants have offerings near Oak Brook, too. My favorites in greektown itself are Parthenon, Greek Islands, Costa's, and Athena, but all are good. Costa's and the Greek Islands both have outposts out west as well. You'd have no problems staying below $40 after tax/tip at any of these places. Chicago's Greektown stretches along Halsted from Van Buren to about Madison. Below are addresses, etc, for various places. Costa's Greek Dining & Bar 1 S. 130 Summit Ave. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 Phone 630.620.1100 http://www.costasdining.com Costas Greek Dining & Bar 340 S. Halsted Chicago, IL 60661 Phone 312.263.9700 http://www.costasdining.com Parthenon Restaurant (312) 726-2407 314 S Halsted St Chicago, IL 60661 http://www.theparthenon.com Athena Restaurant (312) 655-0000 212 S Halsted St Chicago, IL 60661 http://www.athenarestaurant.com Greek Islands Restaurant (312) 782-9855 200 S Halsted St Chicago, IL 60661 http://www.greekislands.net Greek Islands Restaurant West (630) 932-4545 300 E 22nd St Lombard, IL 60148 http://www.greekislands.net hope this helps, and enjoy your trip. -ed Wed Jan 05 23:18:51 -0800 2005 640081 0 Ed Fisher 2 640084 I forgot to mention that in my one visit to wildfire (a number of years ago) it was quite good, so if you are willing to stretch your budget, it might be a fine bet. My meal there came to about $60 per person, though. There's a reason they don't list prices on the website :) I've not been to weber grill, but I've heard many negative reviews as well. Although from what I understand the location in the city itself is better than any of the others. -ed Wed Jan 05 23:23:41 -0800 2005 640083 0 Ed Fisher 1 640088 Two places around Oak Brook which offer a good meal for under $35/person all-inclusive are Emilio's in Hillside and Tin Fish in Oakbrook Terrace. Note that I'm assuming you won't order more than one drink. I seriously doubt whether you could dine at Wildfire or Weber Grill for under $40/person all-inclusive, unless you only ordered appetizers... Mark Thu Jan 06 10:42:44 -0800 2005 640081 0 MarkH 1 640089 Wildfire in Oak Brook is very good-if you order carefully and don't drink, you may get by on the $40. limit. I went to a birthday/retirement dinner at Weber Grill this fall and it was just so-so. Food was expensive, not great at all. I'll not go again, but some people love it. I don't think you'll be able to go there for the $40 per person limit tho. The greek rest. in Oak Brook terrace is good and there also is a fondue place in Villa Park that would be in your price range. If you get a chance, let us know where you went and how you liked it! Thu Jan 06 10:54:41 -0800 2005 640081 0 jackie 2 640090 I agree with Weber Grill that it is over priced and over rated. We like Stir Crazy which is off the west side of the mall, you select your ingredients and they stir fry it for you. Also Braxton Grill is nearby, very good seafood in a nice setting Thu Jan 06 11:07:26 -0800 2005 640089 0 LikestoEatout 1 640093 In Oak Brook mall, Braxton Seafood Grill is a good choice. I've not tried the Thai place or Stir Crazy, but they seem to be popular. Other than that, it's mainly Lettuce Entertain You type places (Wildfire, Papagus, Mon Ami Gabi, Maggianos, Antico Posto). I haven't been there recently, but Tuscany is a pretty good Italian place right in that area. Bistro Banlieue (one of my faves) also is right down 22nd street, but probably would be out of your price range. If you think your group might enjoy Chicago-style pizza, there's a Giordano's right on 22nd Street. It's relatively inexpensive and good. Thu Jan 06 13:44:30 -0800 2005 640081 0 Ron A. 2 640096 And giordano's really isn't chicago style pizza, it's stuffed... it's a subtle difference, but I think an important one :) There are a number of Lou Malnati's in the suburbs, so one of those would probably be a better choice even if the stuffed/deep dish debate is of no concern. -ed Thu Jan 06 15:06:57 -0800 2005 640093 0 Ed Fisher 3 640108 Technically, I guess Giordano's "stuffed" is not authentic Chicago-style pizza (i.e., Malnati's, Pizzeria Uno & Due, etc.). However, it probably would be considered unusual (in a good way) by someone from the East coast. Come to think of it, Pizzeria Due probably wouldn't be a bad inexpensive downtown choice for a large group. We took a group from out-of-town there and they loved it. Thu Jan 06 18:47:24 -0800 2005 640096 0 Ron A. 3 640124 Isn't stuffed pizza endemic to Chicago as well? I often see it referred to as Chicago Style Stuffed Pizza. Fri Jan 07 11:14:43 -0800 2005 640096 0 saps 2 640135 A MAJOR second on Braxton's. I always enjoy eating there. You cannot get better seafood in the Chicagoland area for the price, IMHO. One note on Baisi Thai: I would consider it more of a Thai fusion restaurant that true Thai. Depending on your group, that may be a positive (I know a number of non-Thai eating people who will eat at Baisi). If you go, I recomend the basil chicken... Fri Jan 07 15:08:38 -0800 2005 640093 0 HappyFatGuy 3 640139 Several people I know (including myself) were fans of Braxton's but haven't returned since Tin Fish opened a couple months ago. I would suspect that Braxton's will be out of business by the end of 2005 if they don't adjust to the competition they now face. And I hope they do, since we consumers would be the winners! Fri Jan 07 16:58:33 -0800 2005 640135 0 MarkH 1 640097 A friend recently went to Tinfish in Oak Brook. They opened up a 2nd location very recently (I believe the original is in Tinley Park, a south suburb). Their seafood is excellent! Thu Jan 06 15:07:17 -0800 2005 640081 0 shopgirl 1 640098 A friend recently went to Tinfish in Oak Brook. They opened up a 2nd location very recently (I believe the original is in Tinley Park, a south suburb). Their seafood is excellent! Thu Jan 06 15:07:22 -0800 2005 640081 0 shopgirl 1 640102 Having been raised in the Oak Brook area (living now in Lincoln Park), hope my recommendations for your group bring happy eats: Tuscany on 22nd Street - Cozy choice for Italian, as a Phil Stefani restaurant it has a more local feel than the overwhelming Lettuce Enterain You's in Oak Brook Mall. (Altough, my top choices at the mall are Mon Ami Gabi, Antico Posto & Wildfire) Greek Islands in Lombard - Great advice on this one! It's my (greek) family's favorite for authentic dishes, recently remodeled with plenty of space for groups. J. Alexander's - Located just behind the shopping mall. It has a wide american-style menu to suit anyone's tastes. The interior brick and booth atomsphere is great, also it's not too pricey. The Clubhouse - A good "scene" bar & restaurant in the mall. It can get a bit pricey, but the atomshpere could be fun for business group. Pizza - Stick with the suggestion for Giordonno's as it's located right in O.B. on 22nd Street & good eats, the nearest Lou Malnati's location would be a hassle to get to during a business trip. Not worth your taste buds/time - Papagus, Stir Crazy, Cheesecake Factory (too much of a chain), Weber Grill (limited menu) Thu Jan 06 17:52:22 -0800 2005 640081 0 ChowSkinny 1 640103 Having been raised in the Oak Brook area (living now in Lincoln Park), hope my recommendations for your group bring happy eats: Tuscany on 22nd Street - Cozy choice for Italian, as a Phil Stefani restaurant it has a more local feel than the overwhelming Lettuce Enterain You's in Oak Brook Mall. (Altough, my top choices at the mall are Mon Ami Gabi, Antico Posto & Wildfire) Greek Islands in Lombard - Great advice on this one! It's my (greek) family's favorite for authentic dishes, recently remodeled with plenty of space for groups. J. Alexander's - Located just behind the shopping mall. It has a wide american-style menu to suit anyone's tastes. The interior brick and booth atomsphere is great, also it's not too pricey. The Clubhouse - A good "scene" bar & restaurant in the mall. It can get a bit pricey, but the atomshpere could be fun for business group. Pizza - Stick with the suggestion for Giordonno's as it's located right in O.B. on 22nd Street & good eats, the nearest Lou Malnati's location would be a hassle to get to during a business trip. Not worth your taste buds/time - Papagus, Stir Crazy, Cheesecake Factory (too much of a chain), Weber Grill (limited menu) Thu Jan 06 17:52:30 -0800 2005 640081 0 ChowSkinny 1 640119 Excellent food in French approach is Bistro Banlieue on north side of Yorktown Mall, only 10 minutes west of OakBrook. Small restaurant, great food, quiet ambiance. Thu Jan 06 22:34:07 -0800 2005 640081 0 CJ 2 640128 I agree with Bistro Banlieue. It's a place I love--great food, wonderful service, good wine list and a great place to just sit enjoy a meal and relax. I don't know if it fits in your price range tho--we have always spend over $100 for the two of us whenever we've gone there, but again, with careful ordering and maybe just one glass of wine, you could fit it in your price range. Fri Jan 07 12:23:59 -0800 2005 640119 0 jackie 3 640183 Easy to keep it below $50 by ordering wine by the glass and just a main course at Bistro Banlieue. Sun Jan 09 18:19:33 -0800 2005 640128 0 CJ 1 640127 Also, just south of Oak Brook off of Rte 83 and just north of Ogden is Pappadeaux's (cajun - sea food) They have a great lunch menu. Good crawfish bisque, especially. Chain, but good. Relatively nearby - west on 22nd til it turns into Butterfield Rd. at Finley in Downer's Grove (just before 355) is Cheeseburger in Paradise. Good cheeseburgers (so so on some of the sides, though) Funky place. For Chicago hot dogs and Italian beef there's a Portillos which also serves chop salads and ribs. Definitely under $30 and typical of the area. I know both hot dogs and It. beef can be had better elsewhere, but it's handy to where you're at. There is also an Irish pub on Rte. 83 on the west side across from the mall. The name escapes me, but they have good draft beer and their fish and chips are great. I'll second both Bistro Banleiu (on the high end for your price range though) and Greek Islands (in your range). Both have excellent food. Have a safe trip, the weather should be warmer when you're here than it is now! Fri Jan 07 11:46:01 -0800 2005 640081 0 Ann 2 640131 No offense, but I'm not sure Cheeseburger in Paradise is a good choice for anyone (particularly anyone from out-of-town). Based on my one experience there, I'd describe it as a tacky, overcrowded chain place with mediocre food and inept service. Maybe it's passable at lunchtime, but I'd go elsewhere...Just my opinion. Fri Jan 07 13:44:07 -0800 2005 640127 0 Ron A. 3 640140 I agree, Cheeseburger in Paradise is merely a hype-spot and I still can't determine why it landed in the area. Fri Jan 07 17:13:12 -0800 2005 640131 0 ChowSkinny 1 640289 Here's what we managed to hit this week: Monday we hit Tuscany for dinner. Tasty, though nothing special - we have a lot of great northern Italian in the DC area, so the bar is set pretty high. I had risotto with duck breast - the duck breast was excellent, but the risotto was undercooked, somewhat bland, and too soupy. And why do places insist on serving tomatoes waaaay out of season, after such a bad 2004 crop anyway? Tuesday we went to Buono Beef for lunch. OK, it's fast food, but it was a chance to get an Italian Beef sandwich, and it beat the Arby's next door. Though not by a lot. Tasty beef, but the bread was soggy. That night we were kinda wiped, so did takeout from Baisi Thai. HUUUUGE mistake - that was awful. All 3 of us thought our meals were bad. And why would you have an outdoor mall in Chicago? No wonder the place was empty. Wednesday we hit Giordano's for lunch. Something of a mistake - we were kinda in a rush, so we didn't have time to wait for them to make a pie, so we got the mini stuffed pizzas. Good, but not great. And the service, even though we said we were in a hurry, was slooooooow. That night was the highlight of the trip - Wildfire. Fantastic service, and absolutely superb food. I had the bone-in ribeye, cooked black and blue, and it was cooked perfectly. A nice single-malt to start the evening, a couple of bottles of (overpriced) wine, and our party was very very happy. Waaaay over our budget, but it was only once. Today at lunch we found a Mexican place around the corner from the office, on Wolf Rd. just north of Cermak. Called Quesa Broso, it seems to be a pretty new family-run place, and served pretty authentic food. Definitely worth checking out if you're in Westchester. Tonight we hit another Chowhound recommendation - Greek Islands. Three of us got the "family meal", and made the mistake of adding an appetizer and eating some of the bread basket. Felt like they brought the food to the table in a wheelbarrow. Most of the food was excellent - especially the grilled octopus, the stuffed grape leaves, and the gyros. Desserts were just ok. Thanks to everyone for the recommendations! Thu Jan 13 23:28:57 -0800 2005 640081 0 Daniel K 2 640354 Just to let you know, the bread for the Italian Beef is supposed to be soggy, that's the "gravy". I ask for extra gravy when I go to Portillo's. Some mom and pop beef places to make them dry but I don't like that taste, the wetter the better! Mon Jan 17 14:34:33 -0800 2005 640289 0 LikestoEatout 3 640373 I guess I'm more used to the Philly Cheesesteak style, where you take a soft but crusty roll, so the roll stands up to the grease/gravy in the sandwich. Tue Jan 18 16:26:36 -0800 2005 640354 0 Daniel K 2 640392 Glad to hear that the meals at Wildfire & Greek Islands were enjoyed by your group! It's always nice to sneak in tasteful & relaxing eats during business related travel . . . hope your next time in town you'll have the chance for a meal in the city, too! Wed Jan 19 14:39:31 -0800 2005 640289 0 ChowSkinny