Sunday lunch near Deer Park?

[wineaux]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a unique (no chains please!) place to have lunch in the Deer Park area? We're from the western suburbs & have no idea what's up in that neck of the woods.

[paulispumonti]

Bacchus Nibbles in Kildeer- Great French Bistro fare at very reasonable prices- Coq au Vin to die for

[tktchr]

I don't think Bacchus has much for a vegetarian - just one pasta dish I believe.

[nsxtasy]

If you're looking for a Sunday brunch, with a lot of breakfast type foods as well as heartier items, the Barn of Barrington does a very nice buffet brunch. All the usual breakfast items, plus heartier items like carved meats, and a huge dessert buffet too. www.barnofbarrington.com/sundaybrunch.aspx

If you'd like more of a pure breakfast experience, Deer Park is about halfway between the Walker Brothers location in Lake Zurich and the one in Arlington Heights. I'm sure you've heard of Walker Brothers, which has the very best breakfasts in the entire Chicago area. Their apple pancake is absolutely amazing, bubbling hot with cinnamony deliciousness, and their omelets are superb as well. www.walkerbrosoph.com

If you'd rather do a sit-down lunch without a breakfast component, Stoney River is a steakhouse right in Deer Park that opens at noon on Sundays, serving their regular menu. Their steaks are excellent (they have a wonderful coffee-crusted filet), their crab cakes are the best in the entire suburbs, and they do a wonderful Chilean sea bass. They also have the most incredible rolls with sweetened butter, yum! www.stoneyriver.com

[wineaux]

Thanks for the suggestions.... I guess I should've mentioned a couple of things in my original post. One is that my daughter is trying to avoid going to Walker Brothers (not that she doesn't like it, but that when she is in that area, that's where they always end up) and #2 is that she is a vegetarian, so Stoney River might not be a good choice. I think she was thinking of something low-key, ethnic & independently-owned. Thanks again!!

[nsxtasy]

Ethnic? Did you say ethnic? :) There are three ethnic restaurants I like in Arlington Heights, which isn't too terribly far from Deer Park:

AltThai (Thai) - www.altthai.com
Yanni's (Greek) - www.yannis-restaurant.com
Fuego (Mexican) - www.fuegomexgrill.com

All three have some vegetarian items on their menus, and all three open at noon on Sundays.

Only a little further (the next town over from Arlington Heights) is Mount Prospect, where you'll find:

Flamingo's (Mexican) - www.flamingosseafood.com

Flamingo's opens at 11 a.m. on Sundays (all 7 days, actually).

However, if she doesn't eat seafood, I think you'll find more non-seafood vegetarian items at the first three places than at Flamingo's. (Check the menus on their websites to get an idea.) And if she DOES eat seafood, then Stoney River is still a great choice (and it's right in Deer Park).

[tktchr]

India House in Buffalo Grove (Lake-Cook and Route 83) does a great buffet lunch every day. There are always a ton of vegetarian options. It's an easy drive east on Lake-Cook from Deer Park.

[LAWoman]

Speaking as a vegetarian who has been forced to go to Stoney River, the only advice I'd offer is DON'T. IThey are one of the most vegetarian-unfriendly restaurants I've ever encountered. Although I called in advance regarding vegetarian options, the best they could offer was a small dinner salad. Gee thanks. I ended up eating a lot of those tasty little rolls and a plate of completely bland and overcooked broccoli and way too salty mashed potatoes. Stoney River truly stands out as one of the worst meals I've eaten.

[nsxtasy]

It appears that my previous post is being misinterpreted, despite its very clear wording. To reiterate - I STRONGLY recommend Stoney River, but ONLY if the vegetarian in question EATS SEAFOOD. Stoney River has some wonderful seafood items, including the best crab cakes in the entire Chicago suburbs (full of crab meat, not much filler) and a fantastic sauteed seabass in coconut-lemongrass reduction. However, if the vegetarian does not eat seafood, then I recommend instead going to one of the other places I mentioned in my second post, right after the vegetarian requirement was first stated.

[LAWoman]

but vegetarians don't eat seafood

[nsxtasy]

I've heard the term "vegetarian" used in a couple of ways. Some people refer to themselves as vegetarians to indicate that they don't eat meat, even though they do eat seafood. Others use the term to mean that they don't eat either meat or seafood. I have friends and relatives of both types, both referring to themselves as "vegetarians".

Sufficient qualification of requirements and/or recommendations usually makes it clear enough whether or not they will be applicable regardless of how the term is being used.