Restaurants Near Sheraton Hotel and Towers (East North Water St)

[nativeNYer]

NY Chowhound here requesting suggestions for good food near East North Water St (Sheraton Hotel). I'll be attending a painfully, boring meeting in early April and food will be my only solace [sniffle] for a Thursday and Friday lunch and dinner. I'm not looking for anything fancy as I'll be by myself. I love all types of Asian food (Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Korean), Mexican, Italian for really great pasta, American (pure junk food: burgers, fries, onion rings, mac and cheese), Turkish, Greek. etc. Anyplace with good bread is a plus. I also love hole-in-the-wall places. You know, the great neighborhood secrets. I'd also love to hear about late-night dining options nearby.

This will be my third time in Chicago but I haven't had too many opportunities to get around as much as I would have liked. I'm a runner and can certainly walk for good food so I'm not limited to something within 5 blocks but closer may be better purely for the sake of time. Yup, I tried the deep dish pizza last time at the popular pizza place with the longest line but it didn't appeal to me as much as I had hoped. Also, during my last visit, I strolled over (perhaps a mile from East North Water St) to a very quaint, tree-lined neighborhood with lots of sidewalk restaurants. I didn't have too much time to play there but I saw some good places. I am remotely remembering a breakfast place that may have been all white, I think. It stood out somehow perhaps by a name, the color or a theme (chicken, cow, i dunno!). But it was packed on a Sunday and looked really cute. I think it was purely a waffle or pancake place. Not sure. Anyone have any guesses on where I was? Thanks!!!

[nsxtasy]

The Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers is in a newly-developed area called River East, on the north side of the river near Navy Pier. Here are some recommendations in the immediate vicinity.

Fox and Obel is an upscale gourmet grocery store, just a wonderful place to shop for prepared foods as well as basic ingredients. They also have a cafe in the rear that's open all day for a meal or a snack. Think of Balducci's but with a cafe where they'll prepare food for you. www.fox-obel.com

For burgers, two recommendations. Boston Blackie's is very good and the location on Grand is very close. www.bostonblackies.com And the Billy Goat on the lower level of Michigan Avenue, where Saturday Night Live originated ""Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!?" www.billygoattavern.com

For Armenian, Sayat Nova is nearby. www.sayatnovachicago.com

All of the above are within a few blocks of the Sheraton.

For Mexican, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo are a bit further, maybe a half mile or so west. ( www.rickbayless.com/restaurants ) It's about the same distance to Vong's Thai Kitchen ( www.vongsthaikitchen.com ) for Thai food.

I don't normally advise people from New York to have Italian food while they're here, but Coco Pazzo Cafe isn't far from the hotel. www.cocopazzocafe.com

Same thing with Chinese - you have better at home - but if you insist, you can take a cab to our small Chinatown for Lao Sze Chuan ( www.laoszechuan.com ) or you can go very upscale at Shanghai Terrace in the Peninsula, not far from the Sheraton.

It's a short cab ride to Greek Town ( www.chowhound.com/topics/119233 ).

The breakfast restaurant you describe could be the Original Pancake House at 22 East Bellevue Place. The cow could be from the "Cows in Chicago" exhibit all over the city some years ago; many of the cows are still present at various spots around the city.

[nativeNYer]

i am very grateful for all of these fabulous suggestions!! i've been reviewing these websites and checking reviews on menupages. btw, i stumbled across fox and obel during my last trip and spent quite a bit of time strolling their aisles. very nice!!! anyway, i'll be sure to report back. countless thanks... from a fellow dog owner!

[msazadi]

We enjoyed Sayat Nova and Frontera on our last visit - Oct 2006. Frontera was a great brunch for us and I'd like to go back for a dinner/lunch. Fox and Obel could have been a whole day, week, lifetime. ;-)

I also recall a clump of interesting places up by the intersection of Rush and Michigan, tho we never ate in any. We were/are staying on Walton and will let you know if we find any new ones to rec.

[nsxtasy]

Rush doesn't intersect Michigan; they are parallel, north-south streets. ;)

Walton is almost a mile north of the Sheraton; they're at opposite ends of the "Magnificent Mile". With the concentration of restaurants in the entire Michigan Avenue area, there are plenty of choices at both ends, and everywhere in between.