119806 Wed Jun 07 13:12:17 -0700 2006 6 7 Chicago Area 0 653663 For an anniversary dinner, we're looking to try a tasing menu with wine pairings. Something interesting but not too stuffy - not a blow-a-wad so you can say you've been there kind of place. Any ideas? Thanks. Tom Wed Jun 07 13:12:17 -0700 2006 0 Tom 1 653664 How about Sweets and Savories on Fullerton. Tasting menu is excellent, and also very reasonably priced. My recollection is $60 per person. I don't think they do a wine-by-the-glass pairing, but they have a good wine selection. Another choice is Schwa. Wed Jun 07 13:32:51 -0700 2006 653663 0 Darren 2 653666 I wholeheartedly second the recommendation of Sweets and Savories. Great place, great food, and a nice atmosphere. We chose the tasting menu, but do make sure you see the regular menu too. They like to push the tasting menu, and we actually had to ask to see the regular menu. But, I've got no regrets for choosing the tasting menu. One hint: we specifically requested that at least one of the dishes include a foie gras preparation, and they accommodated that request (without an upcharge). We noticed that other parties that ordered the tasting menu did not get a foie gras dish. So, if you want foie gras (and who doesn't?) be sure to ask for it! Wed Jun 07 13:43:37 -0700 2006 653664 0 bill 3 653667 That's funny -- when I was there, perhaps two weeks ago, they asked if we wanted to "add" a foie gras course to the tasting menu. We said yes, and thew gave us each a glass of sauternes gratis. The food was excellent. But frankly, there was too much of it. :) Wed Jun 07 14:04:52 -0700 2006 653666 0 Darren 1 653668 Even though it is regarded as a "blow-a-wad-so-you-can-say-you've-been-there" sort of place, Avenues has four price ranges of tasting menus, starting at 3 courses for $75 per person. That doesn't include wine, but it allows you to sample a great chef's food without going broke. One really nice special menu we once had was at Roy's, which though a chain, is a high-quality one with great food. Our waiter offered to give us a price on a menu of our choosing - in other words, we told him what items on the menu we wanted to try, and he came up with a per-person price that included wine pairings. The entree serving portion was smaller than the a la carte portion, but then, it was cheaper. I think it came out to $52 per person, and it was delicious and a lot of fun. I don't believe they do this routinely, though - you'd have to ask. Wed Jun 07 14:34:09 -0700 2006 653663 0 Akatonbo 1 653690 One of the better values in the Chicago-area, I think is Chef Station's tasting menu at $50 ($70 with wine pairings). Check my recent post below Link: http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=7368&start=30 Wed Jun 07 18:15:04 -0700 2006 653663 0 jbw 1 653694 we recently had a great tasting menu at Red Light. There was no menu, the chef just brought increadible stuff. The service was fantastic. I like it as much as Trotters. I wanted to order Vueve Cliquot 90 a bottle, but the Manager persuaded us to order a 30 bottle that was fantastic. We thought it was great. Wed Jun 07 23:06:19 -0700 2006 653663 0 David