Designer / Trendy hotspots near River North

[darla1977]

Hey Chicago Chowhounds, I need some advice!

I'm coming in from out of town and have to take a bunch of clients out for dinner in June. They are the "trendy/artsy" type so I'm looking for whatever the latest hotspot is around River North. Fun food, artsy/trendy vibe, not a steakhouse or sushi, good food is positive, though with this group style outweighs substance.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[jbw]

If you interested in "designer/trendy" as in haute couture, particularly a la milanese, check out La Follia here:

http://www.folliachicago.com/

Food is traditional Northern Italian, but good.

[jn2001]

I would strongly recommend De La Costa - I think it's a great scene for those who are interested in such things! The menu describes the food as "inspired Coastal Latin Cuisine."

http://delacostachicago.com/index2.php

[ems]

Brasserie Ruhlmann, Japonais and De La Costa are good choices. I'd add 16, which recently opened in the new Trump hotel/condos on Wabash.

[missado]

I would second De La Costa largely because of the decor and location. I've only had drinks there so I can't vouch for the food. The decor reminds me of a Latin twist on a Tim Burton movie. The location is in the River East Art Center, which is a beautiful, trendy space to walk around before dinner. http://www.rivereastartcenter.com/

[mike_d]

I'm probably too old at this point to be reliable about trendy : )

But based on the suggestions of many on this board, I made my first trip to Quartino for a dinner during my last trip to town on some business. (Thanks to everyone, it was good.)

The small plate thing might be fun for a larger group. There's plenty of room for a bigger group. Plenty of buzz in the room (it can be loud), kitchen is open later, pretty stylish, at least to my eye. Here's the link.

http://www.quartinochicago.com/

[chicgail]

You might consider Thalia Spice on Chicago Ave. It's trendy and pan-Asian. That being said, what they do well is Thai. They do have sushi, but I wouldn't bother with it.

[urigio]

In River North, maybe Brasserie Ruhlmann, Japonais (i know you said no sushi but they also offer good non-sushi options), Nacional 27 or Zealous?
The last two are not recent hotspots but I think they have a great balance of good food and decor/atmosphere.