Help me pick places to eat for my next trip to Chicago

[mollyomormon]

I'm an LA chowhound, but have visited Chicago several times since my brother and his family moved to Lincoln Park a year and a half ago. On all my visits, we've eaten very, very well and I'd like to continue the tradition. We've eaten at: Bongo Room, Hot Dougs, Hot Chocolate, the Publican, Smoque, Mado, Avec, Ethiopian food (although I'm blanking on the name) and Burt's Place. There are a few others in there, but none were particularly memorable. I'm looking for meals that are either at a similar price point as the nicer retaurants on this list or less. Definitely nothing more upscale than that. LA has excellent Mexican, Thai and Chinese, so I'd like to steer away from those and focus on things I might not be able to get here. Oh, and we're willing to drive. Thanks in advance.

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Hot Doug's
3324 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Avec Restaurant
615 W Randolph St Ste A, Chicago, IL 60661

Bongo Room
1152 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

Hot Chocolate
1747 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Mado Restaurant
1647 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Burt's Place
8541 N Ferris Ave, Morton Grove, IL

[luisa dos]

i second the choice of Sola - it's always excellent
also Nightwood in pilsen - by the folks who run lula cafe
Boka in lincoln park
i know you said no to mexican, but Chilim Bilim in lakeview is new and excellent, byob, but no reservations

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Boka
1729 North Halsted, Chicago, IL 60614

[chicgail]

Based on where you've been, I have a few suggestions:
Lula's in Logan Square
Sola on Lincoln Avenue
Perennial, also on Lincoln Avenue across street from Lincoln Park
The Bristol on Damen Ave in Bucktown

[Pete Oldtown]

One place off the beaten track that I've returned to several times is Han 202. It offers five courses (small but not ridiculously so) for $20. The menu is here.

http://www.han202restaurant.com/cours...

Also, it's BYO with no corkage fee. The room is terrific, very simple but pleasant. The service is terrific. The first time we went, for my daughter's birthday, the waitress chased us a block down the street because she had forgotten her book (and her cash-filled birthday card) .

I would recommend reservations unless you get there early. The place fills up fast and a line forms.

Since you have a car, it's easy to get to. Go south on Halstead, take a left on 31st St. and it will be about three blocks down on your right.

For your salad course, I highly recommend the beef/lemongrass salad. It's the same as the green apple salad, with the addition of delicious shredded beef.