633278 Wed Jul 01 18:06:45 -0700 2009 3 7 Chicago Area 0 4822900 Hi all -- DH and I have just returned from a brief trip to Chicago and I thought I would share our experiences. First, I'd like to say that we had many positive experiences with the people of Chicago. Both in restaurants and elsewhere. Everyone was so nice, welcoming and helpful. What a wonderful city you have! This was my first visit to Chicago and we decided not to over plan. So I researched on this board then we sort of winged it when we got there. Saturday night - Cafe des Architectes This was a wonderful introduction into Chicago's food scene. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous and the service was phenomenal. We opted to do the prix fix menu. DH had the shrimp with octopus as a starter and then the pike for his entree. Dessert was the panna cotta. He was quite happy with this meal. I started with the scallop with english peas. I was in love!! The scallop was sweet and the flavour of the peas worked so well. What was also a really nice touch was that the Manager offered to bring me a sample of a white wine that would pair very well with the scallop (I had only planned on having a glass of red with my entree). He gave me a very generous pour! My entree was the beef tenderloin that also had the english peas. I was a perfectly cooked steak that melted in my mouth. I finished off my meal with the chocolate pistachio dome. Absolutely heaven. Sunday Brunch - Bongo Room We headed down to Bucktown to explore this great area. Our first stop was the Bongo Room which already had a wait at 9 a.m.! Once seated, I ordered the French Toast of the day which featured a sauce of blueberries and creme anglais. It was nice, however there was way to much sauce for me to enjoy it. DH had the egg burrito. I had food envy. This dish was very large (too large) with the burrito filled with yummy scrambled eggs, avocado and other great stuff. I especially loved the spicy sauce that was served on the side. There was also a large portion of potatoes. You definitely get your money's worth here. Sadly, I was so full that I wasn't able to have lunch and I really wanted to try the other great places in the area (ie Hot Chocolate, Milk & Honey, etc.). I guess this will be the next visit. Lunch - Taste of Chicago We spent the late afternoon lingering at the Taste of Chicago. I can't really say we did a lot of tasting since we were still full from breakfast. We listed to some music and munched on popcorn from Garrett. Carmel and Cheese. It was okay. We can get similar popcorn at home, so I'm glad I didn't wait in the long lines at their store fronts. We also had the corn that was dipped in butter. And it was exactly that. No extra flavourings or seasonings. I can honestly say that nothing really called me at Taste. And while I'm glad I checked it out, I wouldn't come back to Chicago specifically for that. We actually ended up giving away a row of tickets. Snack - Pub in Hilton Given that we didn't have lunch and weren't planning to eat dinner until later, we ended up at the pub at the Hilton across the road from our Hotel and Grant Park. I wanted to go to Mercat in our hotel but it was closed for renos. I don't recommend this pub. The food was bland and greasy. Dinner - Buddy Guy's Legends We wanted to check out some Blues so we headed here and decided the eat during the show. The show was great - food not so much. Fried and bland is all I can say. Service was terrific. Monday Lunch - Uno Due I really wasn't looking forward to eating deep dish pizza since I love a nice thin crust. DH and each had an individual size and we shared. We had the Four Cheese with pesto and the Spinoccoli. To my surprise, I quite enjoyed the pizza! The flavours were wonderful and the crust so buttery. YUMMY! Dinner - Blackbird We had originally planned to visit Perennial for dinner but changed our minds and went to Blackbird. We lucked out and got reservations. We ended up selecting the Tasting menu with pairings. It was eleven courses paired with ten wines and 1 beer. The menu is currently posted on their website. This was a fabulous experience and I would recommend it to anyone. The restaurant was busy and the tables are practically communal, but it was so much fun. We ended up getting to know the people sitting right beside us who were also having the tasting menu. Staff were knowledgeable and friendly. No pomp here. The food. I'm not sure how to describe this meal. It was out of this world and I loved every course. The tasting was a selection of items that were on menu. This was great since I was having difficulty deciding what to have. However, I must admit that I became a little foggy around course 7. I think I would have preferred a 9 course with pairings since I am not a strong drinker. So the 3 desserts at the end got a little lost. All in all, this was one of the best meals that I have had. Tuesday Lunch - Thai Spoon Pad Thai lunch special - it was okay. Thanks to everyone on Chow for all their posts. It really helped me put together a list of restaurants to choose from. I can't wait to go back and try more! Wed Jul 01 18:06:45 -0700 2009 25850 RYP 1 4823831 "Tuesday Lunch - Thai Spoon" Thanks very much for your report. Always revealing to have a fresh opinion of an out-of-town diner. Based on the report, I suspect that the above-mentioned Thai Spoon is the one on Wabash downtown? This is not the Thai Spoon that often tops many of the "Best of . . . " lists on this and other sites. Thu Jul 02 06:07:50 -0700 2009 4822900 10261 jbw 2 4824793 Yes this is the one on Wabash. Is there more than one? The reason I went there was beacause I had read positive things on this board about Thai Spoon. Good to note. Thanks! Thu Jul 02 11:01:38 -0700 2009 4823831 25850 RYP 3 4825321 For future reference: http://www.spoonthai.com/ Be sure to request the translated Thai menu. Thu Jul 02 13:58:34 -0700 2009 4824793 10261 jbw