Need help narrowing this list...
I am still working on our dining plans for our trip to Chicago. We are a family of 6 with 4 kids ages ranging from 11-17. (We will save Alinea, Everest, L20, etc. for our next trip without the kids.)
Thanks to the wonderful expertise on this board, I have narrowed lunch down to Lou Malnati's for pizza, Portillo's for hot dogs and David Burke's for steak.
Now on to dinner...
I want something that will be an "experience" as well as good food. This is what I have so far and I need to narrow it down to three. Please add any more of your favorites.
Sable, Quatino and Sol y Nieve--for small plates or sharing (We did this here in San Antonio the other night and had a blast!)
Cite--for the view (Hubby and I have had brunch at the Signature Room and dinner at North Pond on a previous trip, so we wanted a different experience)
Gyu-Kaku (Japanese barbecue looks like something the kids would have fun with--they love teppanyaki style steakhouses)
Cafe Spiaggia--Is Chicago known for Italian? (I know that there is great Mexican, but, again, we had that last time at one of Rick Bayless' restaurants.)
-
How about Terzo Piano in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute? It overlooks Millenium Park/Michigan Ave. I think it would be a unique experience and the Modern Wing is wonderful as is the rest of the museum. (Which you do NOT have to pay admission for if you are just eating at the restaurant) http://www.terzopianochicago.com/inde...
NOTE: I've only been there for lunch but it was quite good.-----
Terzo Piano
159 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603›3 Replies -
Gyu-kaku is not teppanyaki. It's more like table-top grilling. That said, it's solid, authentic food. Fun and affordable. Do go!
Chicago has great Italian selections. What kind of Italian food are you looking for? Haute cuisine or rustic family style? Whether or not it's worth spending a meal on Italian also depends on where you're from. My answer might vary if you're from NYC instead of, say, San Francisco.
›1 Reply -
nsxtasy
Feb 7, 2011 10:17 AM
>> Sable, Quatino and Sol y Nieve--for small plates or sharing
All three of these places offer small plate experiences. (For tapas, Sol y Nieve is very good, and I would also be considering Mercat a la Planxa and Cafe Iberico.) What all of these have in common is a very festive (i.e. rather noisy) atmosphere where a significant portion of the customers are there as much to drink as to dine. The big differentiator is the food - the contemporary American cuisine of Sable, the Italian and small plates of Quartino, and the Spanish food of the tapas places. Which one to choose? One factor to consider may be the rest of your itinerary; IOW if you are already having one Italian meal elsewhere, you may want to choose something other than Quartino.
If you asked me, which of these three have food that is so good it will BLOW YOU AWAY, my choice would be Sable. I really really really love Sable's food. Don't miss the sweet corn creme brulee! I also like the atmosphere - not just the super contemporary decor, but also the ability to see into the open kitchen (when I was there I enjoyed watching Chef Terhune doing much of the food prep from my seat in the dining room).
>> Cafe Spiaggia--Is Chicago known for Italian? (I know that there is great Mexican, but, again, we had that last time at one of Rick Bayless' restaurants.)
It depends on what you mean by your question. Chicago has had great Italian food for many years, including longtime favorites like Spiaggia/Cafe Spiaggia and Italian Village, as well as recent additions like Cibo Matto, the Florentine, and Piccolo Sogno. However, unlike our Mexican cuisine, I wouldn't say that Chicago is "known for" our Italian food being any better than, or different from, elsewhere. By that, I don't mean to show any disrespect for Chicago's Italian food offerings, but rather, is more an indication of the availability of interesting, creative Italian food in almost any major city in the United States. It's similar to our steakhouses - we have many great ones, but so do most other cities. Hope that makes sense.
I think Sable and Cafe Spiaggia are both terrific restaurants and worthy of your quest for interesting food experiences. I have not been to Cite or Gyu-Kaku.
You've asked about other favorites. I might consider something a bit more "ethnic" than what you've already listed. I know you feel your "Mexican quota" has been sated by your previous Bayless visit, but I would suggest considering Mexique. Mexique serves Mexican cuisine from a chef with classic French training so he is able to incorporate techniques and ingredients from both cuisines into his menu. Here are more ethnic ideas. Le Colonial serves Vietnamese cuisine in a former Gold Coast mansion. Vermilion is a fusion of cuisines from India and Latin America. Carnivale serves Latin fusion cuisine. Red Light serves pan-Asian cuisine. Any of these would add a bit more international flavor to your itinerary.
›4 Replies-
re: nsxtasy
Thank you for your thoughts! I think I will look into some of the other ethnic restaurants you mentioned. Being from San Antonio, I always shy away from Mexican when we travel. Yes, I know it is different from Tex-mex, but we have very good Mexican here as well. But, I love French, so Mexique really appeals to me.
I think you are right about Italian, and I forgot we are taking the kids to Italy this summer, so I think I will wait. That opens it up for some more adventurous eating.
-----
Mexique
1529 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622-
re: bestmomtofour
chicgail
Feb 8, 2011 12:02 PM
I am certain that you have excellent Mexican in San Antonio (in fact I've eaten it there), but most people from the Southwest are amazed by the culinary heights and variety of Mexican food in Chicago. I love Mexique and have blogged about it (http://foodbeest.com/2011/01/11/etiquette-matters/), but it would be worth your time to also consider one of Rick Bayless' more upscale offerings in Chicago: Topolobampo or Frontera Grill. Topo takes reservations, Frontera, mostly not. You can check on www.opentable.com).
-----
Frontera Grill
445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654Topolobampo
445 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610Mexique
1529 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622-
re: chicgail
Thank you for the link to your blog about Mexique. I am also interested in the food in Italy that you enjoyed...maybe if I do a search on your blog? My original post indicated that we ate at one of Rick Bayless' restaurants (Frontera Grill) last time we were in town, so we were looking for something different. And you are right, it was AMAZING! No Mexican is just my usual rule when we travel--just so we can be sure and try many different things, of course I can always make an exception! :)
-----
Mexique
1529 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622-
re: bestmomtofour
chicgail
Feb 8, 2011 01:42 PM
Search away, bestmmtofour. It's still a baby-blog: only about 3 months old. No too much from Italy on it: only Milan. Would love to compare notes with you in another forum.
Sorry I missed that you said you had eaten at one of the Bayless places. I had read it and then forgot.
Portillos on Ontario is convenient and a great place for a decent Chicago hot dog lunch or Italian Beef (get it wet with sweet and hot peppers) and it's great with kids. Burkes becomes affordable at lunch and Malnoti's is also a good choice. I didn't see where you were staying, but also consider Uno's and Due's (kitty-corner from each other) - they started the deep dish thing back in the 40s and also Pizzano's. They might be more convenient for you.
-
-
-
-
