5 parents, 4 older teens in Chi for one night need great food, fun spot

[Foodsessive]

We're in town from L.A. looking at Colleges and want to maximize the eating opportunity. Thinking Italian could be the way to go, though open to other ideas. Would like to keep the prices to $50 per person or lower.

[twodales]

I like Osteria Via Stato for a larger group also.

They give you the option of ordering a fixed price "family style" meal and that includes antipasti,2 pasta dishes, a main course and sides. If you opt for this plan the restaurant will choose what they bring out to your table regarding antipasti and pasta but you get to pick your entree. You can ask for more of the antipasti if you like and they will bring you more. Of course, you can also order ala carte if you wish.
Don't let the family-style option scare you. This is no Olive Garden!
Good food, service and atmosphere and right across the street from Quartino.

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Quartino
626 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Osteria Via Stato
620 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610

[Foodsessive]

Sorry I was not clear. We'll be staying in Evanston, but felt like we should get into the heart of Chicago for dinner, and we have cars. We can eat anywhere and it might be good to go somewhere where there's some stores, etc. to walk around some. I have a rez at Gibsons on Rush where I've been before and liked, though it's pretty straightforward and I'd like to find something else that has character, great food and would please a big group.

[aburkavage]

For a larger group seeking Italian, Quartino is usually a pretty good option. Most of the food is delicious and is meant to be passed around and shared - with a group of 9, you'd be able to try a ton of stuff from pizza to pasta to main dishes. It's very reasonably priced and well suited for larger groups.

If you're set on beef, I'd recommend skipping Gibsons and heading to Primehouse for, IMHO, the best steak in Chicago. For a more traditional gangster feel, Gene and Georgetti's is good and classically Chicago.

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Quartino
626 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654

[nsxtasy]

If you want to go into Chicago, by all means do so! Just be aware that there are also some great restaurants in Evanston. One of the best in Evanston, for outstanding moderately-priced Italian food, is Campagnola.

If you're going to downtown Chicago for shopping, you'll probably be walking around the "Magnificent Mile" - the stretch of North Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Oak Street, where it ends. At Michigan and Oak is Cafe Spiaggia, one of our best moderately-priced Italian restaurants. (Not to be confused with Spiaggia, its VERY expensive sister restaurant next door.) Near Michigan and Ontario towards the south end of the Mag Mile is Coco Pazzo Cafe, which is another excellent moderately-priced Italian restaurant.

There are lots of other types of restaurants. However, if you're trying to keep it under $50 per person, that will be difficult to do with the steakhouses, including Gibson's as well as David Burke's Primehouse. Some of the other moderately-priced restaurants near the Mag Mile include Sable for contemporary American, Heaven on Seven for cajun/creole food, Balsan for contemporary, Bistro 110 for French bistro fare, Shaw's Crab House for seafood, Le Colonial for Vietnamese, Nacional 27 for Latin fusion, and Quartino for small plates Italian.

All of these restaurants accept reservations over the phone, and all except Campagnola and Heaven on Seven accept reservations on Opentable.com

If you're driving to downtown Chicago, you'll find that prices for parking vary; you can easily pay $10 or $30 at garages on the same block. I've found that this website provides accurate parking rates in the downtown area and is a great way to find the places with low rates: http://chicago.bestparking.com

One more Evanston tip - if you enjoy upscale artisanal chocolates, there's a chocolate shop that's one of the best you'll find anywhere in the country. It's called Belgian Chocolatier Piron, and it's not far from Campagnola. www.belgchocpiron.com

[Foodsessive]

Thanks. I read about Quartino and it seemed like a good option, though there were some negative comments on the Zagat site re: service. How's the atmosphere at Cafe Spiaggia? Is it lively?
Sable also looks really good and intersting food-wise, and again wondering about the vibe. Looks like a lot of great choices and it's really hard to pick one place.

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Quartino
626 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Cafe Spiaggia
980 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

[chicgail]

Cafe Spiaggia is casual but not lively. The last time I was there, MIchelle Obama was entertaining next door and the Secret Service was screening everyone who went to the bathroom.
Quartino is much livelier. So is Campanola. Coco Pazzo Cafe can be quiet as well, but it skews a bit younger than CS. Osteria (below) is a nice option.
In the city you all might really like National 27 or Mercat a la Planxa.
If it were me, unless I really wanted to check out Chicago, I'd opt for Campagnola.

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Quartino
626 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Cafe Spiaggia
980 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Campagnola
815 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60202

[nsxtasy]

I like chicgail's description of Cafe Spiaggia - casual but not lively - sort of elegant bistro-ish. The last time I went to Campagnola, it was similar, but that may be because it was early and not that busy. Quartino is definitely a more lively place, and very casual. Sable too is on the lively and casual side, and can be a bit noisy as well. The vibe at Sable is casual but sophisticated and hip; you see a mix of everything from people dressed up (men in suits) to jeans. The decor is ultra-contemporary and there is an open kitchen so you can watch Chef Terhune and her staff. By comparison, Campagnola is more of a conventional bistro atmosphere, with exposed brick walls etc. Sable also has a lot of flexibility with the menu; many items are available in half portions so you can try more dishes than the usual appetizer-main-dessert. (The same is true with the small plates at Quartino.)

Campagnola and Sable are two of my favorites; both have food that is outstanding, as good as any other casual place in the city, and moderate prices. The big differences are cuisine (Italian vs contemporary American) and location (Evanston vs downtown Chicago).

Incidentally, if you are looking for something contemporary American but not too pricey in Evanston, you might consider the Stained Glass. It's a wine bar and bistro, also very casual and lively (can be noisy too), contemporary decor. The Stained Glass is in downtown Evanston, whereas Campagnola is about a mile south of downtown Ev.

With such a large group, make sure to make a reservation in advance wherever you go. You don't want to walk into a place with a group of nine without notice, especially on a weekend. And these places may fill up. All the places we're discussing accept reservations on Opentable.com as well as over the phone.

>> Looks like a lot of great choices and it's really hard to pick one place.

Welcome to Chicago! :)

[nsxtasy]

Where will you be staying? City? Suburbs? And please don't answer "downtown Chicago", because even that covers a huge area, with great moderately-priced restaurants (including great moderately-priced Italian restaurants) sprinkled throughout that area. Let us know either the name of your hotel or a nearby intersection and we can advise you on moderately-priced restaurants close by, including not only Italian restaurants but some other options as well.

[chicgail]

Chicago, like LA, covers an enormous amount of ground. There are colleges from Hyde Park up though Lake Forest and out into the western suburbs. Where will you be staying and/or what colleges will you be visiting? Will you be driving or using taxis and public transportation?