Senior Trip to Chicago. 7 Day Restaurant Help

[Cheryl01]

Spending Senior trip in Chicago with boyfriend (we're both 18), his mom, and his mom's friend (in their 40's).
We're staying at the Palmer Hotel(July 24-30), but we don't mind going out of the way. (We also have the transit pass.)

Sunday we are planning on going to the Museum of Science & Industry. and maybe visit the Sky Deck this day
Monday: Millennium Park and then a spa... still researching but I think Renew Spa [980 N. Michigan Ave, One Mag Mile Building]
Tuesday: Billy Elliot @ Ford Center
Wednesday: Navy Pier, Tall Ship Windy, and fireworks.
Thursday: Shopping at Mag Mile

I need help deciding which places are best for lunch and which are better for dinner. I'm also trying to stay cost-friendly.
6 lunches
6-7 dinners

Which Greek restaurant would you recommend? I'm new to Greek food. The Parthenon or Greek Islands (Probably will order the family style at whichever we go to)
I'm also new to French Bistros. I was thinking Bistro Campagne?
Please pick two sushi restaurants(We love sushi): Coast Sushi Bar, Indie Cafe, Bob-San, and Wakamonosushi.
Pick top two(I love seafood, especially crab, lobster, shrimp): Shaw's Crab House, Hugo's Frog Bar, or Joe's Seafood and Steak
Grand Luxe Cafe
Cafe Ba Ba Reeba
Cafe des Architectes Tuesday night in order to get the 3 courses for $29 or LE BOUCHON 3 courses for $25?
La Tache Monday night - 3 course prix fixe
Signature Room one day for Lunch and the Signature Lounge late one night for dessert
And I was thinking Cafe Spiaggio for lunch one day

I want to be able to experience Chicago's best at a reasonable price range. Suggestions and advise will be greatly appreciated. :)

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Bistro Campagne
4518 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Cafe des Architectes
20 East Chestnut Street, Chicago, IL 60611

Coast Sushi Bar
2045 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Shaw's Crab House
21 East Hubbard St., Chicago, IL 60611

[Siun]

Looks like a great trip - and lots of great advice already. A few budget friendly options that may fit your plans: Bayless' Xoco (around the corner from Frontera) is a real treat and I find myself opting for it over and over even when I could go to Frontera. Don't miss the Aztec hot chocolate and the churros but also sip an agua fresca and then just anything on the menu.

We just had a great lunch at Sable (505 N State) and they have a $15 per person lunch special with soup or salad (try the spring pea soup with asparagus - amazing fresh flavor) and any of the sandwiches (which are quite stunning) and a neat desert (we added some extra deserts for the table and loved them all) This is the new spot for chef Heather Terhune and her food is worth trying - and the staff is fun. Get a booth facing the open kitchen for added fun.

Sushi - just a touch north of where you'll be, you might like Mizu in Old Town (about 10 minutes by "el" from your hotel - take the brown line to Sedgewick) Lovely sushi, great yakitori options and really nice people. An undiscovered gem that's very good indeed. You might like to visit Lincoln Park or North Street beach then head to Wells Street near North Ave to go to the Spice House for some great flavors to bring home with you then head to Mizu for dinner - we do this often with business guests and they love it. Good sense of Chicago outside the loop but not far afield so you don't waste travel time.

Also, nonfood - consider one of the boat tours on the river - the Architecture Foundation has them all summer long and they are a wonderful way to see the city and quite fun (and not tacky touristy). I'd opt for that over a second Signature Room visit.

Tapas - if you can swing the budget for Mercat a la Planxa it really is worth it (and if you can restrain your selections, it can be quite affordable.

Shaws - a colleague of mine eats there every chance he can get and it really is lovely but a touch old school seafood. That's not a bad thing but if you want inventive new food, you might like somewhere else.

Random food bits - most folks on my team love Hannah's Bretzels for lunch and if you need a quick but tasty lunch option while shopping the Mag Mile, consider the cafe on the 4th floor at Nordstroms which has very good food at a good price and is quick enough to not crimp your shopping time.

Architecture tour
http://caf.architecture.org/Page.aspx?pid=574

Mercat a la Planxa
http://www.mercatchicago.com/

Mizu
http://www.mizurestaurant.com/

Sable
http://www.sablechicago.com/

Cafe Nordstrom
http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurants/cafe-nordstrom/menu

Spice House
http://www.thespicehouse.com/

[Querencia]

Cheryl, a few things: 1) If you plan lunch at the Signature Room (John Hancock Center) you can save money by skipping the Skydeck at Sears/Willis as the Signature Room is on the 96th floor and has glass walls--you can see the entire city and lakefront. 2) A rare bargain for lunch or dinner is Big Bowl (one of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants) that has delicious Asian-type meals for around $10-$12. There are two---one is a block west of the Mag Mile on Ohio and the other is at State & Cedar in the heart of the Gold Coast restaurant district. 3) You mentioned family style at a Greek restaurant---another family style option is Maggiano's (Italian) at Grand & Clark. 4) Google "chicago restaurant menus" and you'll go to a site that shows the actual menus of over 3000 restaurants, very useful for scoping out prices and types of food. Enjoy your visit.

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Big Bowl
60 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611

Lettuce Entertain You
2171 Northbrook Ct, Northbrook, IL 60062

[tiffeecanoe]

I'll simply answer...

Which Greek restaurant would you recommend? I'm new to Greek food. The Parthenon or Greek Islands - Greek Islands... but if you're open to other suggestions, my personal favorite is Venus. Their taramosalata is superb.

I'm also new to French Bistros. I was thinking Bistro Campagne? I'm not a huge fan of French food, gasp. But I am a big fan of L&M in Logan Square which is a bit of a hike from Palmer House ...

Please pick two sushi restaurants(We love sushi): Coast Sushi Bar, Indie Cafe, Bob-San, and Wakamonosushi. - COAST. COAST. Just do Coast. :) My favorite in the city. Otherwise I'd recommend Mirai, but I personally am not a fan of the others you list.

Pick top two(I love seafood, especially crab, lobster, shrimp): Shaw's Crab House, Hugo's Frog Bar, or Joe's Seafood and Steak
Grand Luxe Cafe
Cafe Ba Ba Reeba
Cafe des Architectes Tuesday night in order to get the 3 courses for $29 or LE BOUCHON 3 courses for $25?
La Tache Monday night - 3 course prix fixe
Signature Room one day for Lunch and the Signature Lounge late one night for dessert
And I was thinking Cafe Spiaggio for lunch one da

Pick 2 of the above? Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is a lot of fun, it really is. AND I'd go with Joe's or Shaw's...

Have a great trip. :)

[nsxtasy]

>> I'm also new to French Bistros. I was thinking Bistro Campagne? I'm not a huge fan of French food, gasp. But I am a big fan of L&M in Logan Square which is a bit of a hike from Palmer House ...

Are you referring to LM? If so, it's in Lincoln Square, not Logan Square. (In fact, it's just across the street and a few doors down from Bistro Campagne.)

[tiffeecanoe]

oh yup, typo... Lincoln Square, I live just outside Logan Sqaure, lmao. ;)

[Cheryl01]

I meant, pick two seafood restaurants :) lol
I listed the others as ideas I had from looking at reviews on other website.
What do you recommend to get at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba?

[nsxtasy]

What a great senior trip! (When I first saw the title, I thought of senior citizens, not seniors in high school!)

I'll try to help, and I'm sure others here will do so as well.

>> We're staying at the Palmer Hotel(July 24-30)

I assume you're referring to the Palmer House Hilton in the middle of the Loop. Natives refer to it as the Palmer House.

>> Which Greek restaurant would you recommend? I'm new to Greek food. The Parthenon or Greek Islands

You'll find fans of both here, as well as Santorini. There's an extended discussion of Greek restaurants in Greek Town at http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/119233 Although the posts are not that recent, Greek restaurants have changed the least of almost any kind of restaurant in town.

>> I'm also new to French Bistros. I was thinking Bistro Campagne?

We have a lot of excellent French bistros here. You can find a complete list at http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/602957

Beware, it sounds like your itinerary is loading up with French bistros, since you have mentioned Bistro Campagne, Le Bouchon, and La Tache. You might not want to have three (or even two) meals at French bistros, just for the sake of culinary diversity.

The best meals I've had at French bistros in the past year or two have been at La Sardine in the West Loop, and at Bistro Bordeaux in Evanston. It's been a bit longer since I've eaten at Brasserie Jo, Bistro 110, and Kiki's Bistro, all in River North, but all were good when I went there.

If I were you, I would not bother going all the way to Bistro Campagne (in Lincoln Square) or Bistro Bordeaux (in Evanston), since there are some excellent bistros that are a lot closer. If I had to recommend only one, taking into account that you are staying at the Palmer House, it would be La Sardine, and I recommend going on a Tuesday night, when they have three courses for $25. La Sardine is the sister restaurant to Le Bouchon; La Sardine is closer to your hotel, about a mile west of the Palmer House. Brasserie Jo is even closer, less than a mile north, but they don't have the $25 special. If you go to La Sardine, I recommend making a reservation in advance, especially if you want to go on a Tuesday. La Sardine accepts reservations over the internet, but you have to make them on their own website at www.lasardine.com (Most other nice restaurants in Chicago accept reservations at Opentable.com ).

I'll leave the sushi question to others, as that's one thing I do not eat.

>> Pick top two(I love seafood, especially crab, lobster, shrimp): Shaw's Crab House, Hugo's Frog Bar, or Joe's Seafood and Steak

All three are good. Shaw's and Joe's are closer to your hotel, both about 3/4 mile north, vs about 1 1/4 mile for Hugo's. If I had to pick one, it would be Shaw's. Also, since you're looking to save money, you might consider going there for lunch rather than dinner. They also have a Sunday brunch buffet that's very elaborate, not cheap ($35) but it's good food and all you can eat.

>> Grand Luxe Cafe

This is a chain restaurant, similar to Cheesecake Factory or TGI Friday's. It's a good place for families with small kids. But if you're looking to try restaurants with foods you can't get at home, I would not recommend it. There are SO MANY great restaurants in Chicago that are unique to this city, don't waste a meal on a national chain.

>> Cafe Ba Ba Reeba

Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is a very good place for tapas in Lincoln Park, about three miles north of the Palmer House. If you plan to be in Lincoln Park anyway, it's a good choice. However, if you don't plan to be in Lincoln Park anyway, you might want to consider Cafe Iberico instead. It's about a mile north of your hotel, and convenient to River North and the Mag Mile. They only accept reservations for groups of 6 or more, and not on Friday or Saturday nights. Another tapas restaurant worth considering is Mercat a la Planxa, which is only a few blocks south of the Palmer House, but it's a bit more expensive than Cafe Iberico.

>> Cafe des Architectes Tuesday night in order to get the 3 courses for $29 or LE BOUCHON 3 courses for $25?

As noted above, I would do La Sardine on Tuesday night for the 3 courses for $25. I would then do Cafe des Architectes on Sunday or Monday night for the 3 courses for $29.

>> La Tache Monday night - 3 course prix fixe

Again, you may not want to have more than one French bistro meal in your itinerary. Also La Tache is in Andersonville, which is quite a distance north of where you're staying, while there are many good French bistros that are closer.

>> Signature Room one day for Lunch and the Signature Lounge late one night for dessert

Keep in mind that the main attraction of the Signature Room is the view, rather than the food. If you're going there for the view during the day and at night, this makes sense.

>> And I was thinking Cafe Spiaggio for lunch one day

Cafe Spiaggia is an excellent Italian restaurant and an excellent value. It would work for lunch or for dinner.

>> I want to be able to experience Chicago's best at a reasonable price range. Suggestions and advise will be greatly appreciated. :)

You may want to take a look at this topic, which has lots of suggestions about great food at reasonable prices:

Where are the best Chicago dinner *values* - the hidden gems? - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/697829

I think you're on the right track with the places you're asking about, with lots of great food and good values too. Here are some things I would add to your food itinerary:

Fox & Obel - this is our premier gourmet food store. In addition to having lots of prepared foods and yummy baked goods, it also has a cafe in the rear where you can get anything from a cup of coffee to a complete meal cooked to order. It's right near Navy Pier so you might want to go there (eat in and/or carry out) the day you're going to Navy Pier.

French Market - We have a new French Market in one of the commuter train stations, about 1/2 mile west of your hotel. It's a great place for lunch (seating is limited) as well as snacks. It has about 30 booths, including some of our very best food suppliers, with affordable prices; I particularly recommend Pastoral for cheese and sandwiches, Vanille Patisserie for baked goods, and Canady for artisanal chocolates.

Deep-dish pizza - I'm surprised you haven't mentioned this local specialty! It's delicious AND inexpensive. Pizano's is only a block from your hotel and they do a great job. Phone ahead with your pizza order to avoid waiting 30-45 minutes while seated for your pizza to bake.

Ethnic food (Mexican) - Although your questions mention Italian and French food, it is light on other types of ethnic foods, which offer excellent value as well as delicious foods. In particular, I think our Mexican restaurants are really unusual (food you won't find back home) and worth including in your itinerary. Lunch is a cost-effective way to experience either Frontera Grill or Topolobampo, the Rick Bayless restaurants in River North, 3/4 mile from the hotel. Frontera accepts a handful of reservations over the phone but keeps most of the dining room available for walk-in traffic; Topolobampo accepts reservations on Opentable.com but books up way in advance for dinner, but lunch often has availability. Another excellent Mexican place to try is Mundial Cocina Mestiza, near the 18th Street station on the CTA Pink Line.

Ethnic food (other) - There are lots more great places for ethnic foods. Steve's Deli, in River North about 3/4 mile northwest of the hotel, is great for Jewish deli food. Opera is a Chinese and pan-Asian restaurant in the South Loop, about a mile south of your hotel, and I like it a lot. It has any 3-courses for $24.95 on Sundays and Tuesdays. If you like Szechuan food, I really like Double Li, in Chinatown near the Cermak/Chinatown stop on the CTA Red Line. I've described Double Li in a bit more detail in the "best values" topic (see link above) as well as mentioning where to go for Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian food in neighborhoods on the north side.

I hope all of these suggestions are helpful to you. Feel free to ask more questions!

Website links:
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The Parthenon - www.theparthenon.com
Greek Islands - www.greekislands.net
Santorini - www.santorinichicago.com
Bistro Campagne - www.bistrocampagne.com
Le Bouchon - www.lebouchonofchicago.com
La Tache - www.latachechicago.com
Bistro Bordeaux - www.lebistrobordeaux.com
Brasserie Jo - www.brasseriejo.com
Bistro 110 - www.bistro110restaurant.com
Kiki's Bistro - www.kikisbistro.com
La Sardine - www.lasardine.com
Shaw's Crab House - www.shawscrabhouse.com
Hugo's Frog Bar - www.hugosfrogbar.com
Joe's Seafood and Steak - www.icon.com/joes
Grand Lux Cafe - www.grandluxcafe.com
Cafe Ba Ba Reeba - www.cafebabareeba.com
Cafe Iberico - www.cafeiberico.com
Mercat a la Planxa - www.mercatchicago.com
Cafe des Architectes - www.cafedesarchitectes.com
Signature Room - www.signatureroom.com
Cafe Spiaggia - www.cafespiaggia.com
Fox & Obel - www.fox-obel.com
French Market - www.frenchmarketchicago.com
Pizano's - www.pizanoschicago.com
Frontera Grill and Topolobampo - www.rickbayless.com/restaurants
Mundial Cocina Mestiza - www.mundialcocinamestiza.com
Steve's Deli - www.stevesdeli.com
Opera - www.opera-chicago.com
Double Li - http://chicago.menupages.com/restaura...

[Cheryl01]

The Frontera Grill and Topolobampo menus left me feeling overwhelmed. Do you order several small dishes?
When ordering the 3 courses for $25 at Santorini, do you choose whatever on their menu? I hope so. I would love to have the La Bouillabaisse "La Sardine".
What do you recommend ordering at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba and Mundial Cocina Mestiza?
Also, what are your opinios of Viaggio and Chez-Joel(I know, I know, I keep getting lured in to the French Bistros!)?
Your advise has already helped me immensely and I greatly appreciate your time spent answering my questions and giving sugggestions.

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Mundial Cocina Mestiza
1640 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608

Frontera Grill
445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Topolobampo
445 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610

Santorini's Restaurant
138 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60661

[masha]

You have the full run of the menu for La Sardine's prix course special. I think La S is way better than Chez Joel, although I confess I only went to CJ once. Was underwhelmed & have not been back (and it was a couple of years ago so I cannot recall details of the meal).

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Chez Joel
1119 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607

La Sardine
111 N Carpenter St, Chicago, IL 60607

[chicgail]

Frontera and Topo -- you can order small dishes or a standard app and entree.

No contest: Le Sardine over Chez Joel.

Mundial's menu changes seasonally. I say order whatever appeals to you.

Been a long time since I've been at Cafe BBR, but it is all small dishes so even if you make a mistake, it's not disastrous.

[nsxtasy]

This is good advice from chicgail.

The last time I ate at Mundial Cocina Mestiza, everything was excellent, but the one dish that really impressed me, and I would describe as "don't miss", was an appetizer of steamed mussels slathered with chunks of bacon and poblano peppers.

Yes, the 3 courses for $25 means you can choose any three courses from their entire menu (not three entrees, of course).

[chicgail]

I've had the steamed mussels at Mundial also and I agree with nsxtasy: if it's on the menu it's worth ordering it.

[Cheryl01]

**La Sardine not Santorini

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Santorini's Restaurant
138 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60661