kendall culinary dining room

[gunz1]

We will be in Chicago only 1 nite this time and made reservations at the school for dinner.....thought about merlo on maple but decided on something different. Worth the trip? Thanks

[ChicagoKat]

Our company had a dinner at Kendall not too long ago. They prepared a wonderful 7 course meal for us with wine pairings. I was most impressed that they went to such lengths to please us. I can't say that all the dishes worked, or that all the pairings worked, but for me, service counts for a lot as well. While you won't be disappointed if you go there, I wouldn't necessarily spend my only night in Chicago there. Although, i wouldn't go to Merlo either. I would recommend many other spots including Schwa (if you can get in), Scylla, and many others.

[wak]

Never been to Kendall, although I agree with the above posts that it seems like more of a place you'd try on a fluke, not your #` choice for one night in Chicago. Its also a little out of the way from the heart of downtown.

I have been to Merlo a couple times and, while not bad, I've never thought it worth the price. I far prefer Coco Pazzo for higher end Italian food. In fact there are easily a couple dozen places I would recommend over Merlo in the same price range. If you have some particular cuisine in mind, let us now and we can give some recommendations.

[nsxtasy]

I've eaten there. It can be somewhat inconsistent; some dishes might be excellent, but others might not. For one night in Chicago, that's not where I would go.

[LabRat]

The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago also has a cafe open for lunch everyday and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. Lunches are 3 course and cost $15, dinners cost $25 for four courses.

[leek]

I enjoy dining at Kendall, but do be aware that the chefs and servers are students and adjust your expectations accordingly :) They have wines to sell, but are also very BYO friendly, so that's a nice option if you prefer it.