Blue 13 or Cafe Spiaggia?

[durhamois]

My foodie friends and I have a few days in Chicago. Looking for a mix of casual and high end dining, and an interesting vibe. Good people-watching is a plus. Here's what we are planning:

Sat dinner: either: Blue 13 or Cafe Spiaggia?
Sun dinner: Alinea (confirmed)
Mon dinner: Elysian or Tru? Or possble walk-in/bar early dinner at Girl and the Goat?
Tues Lunch: Topolobampo (confirmed)

What would you recommend for Sat and Mon? Would you choose these or something else?

Any recommendations for light lunches? Exceptional salads, or really great soups, for example? Don't want to ruin our dinners, but don't want to be hungry all day.

Also, is the French Market worthwhile as a destination?

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Alinea
1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

Cafe Spiaggia
980 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Topolobampo
445 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610

Blue 13
416 W. Ontario Street, Chicago, IL 60610

[nsxtasy]

>> Sat dinner: either: Blue 13 or Cafe Spiaggia?

I haven't eaten at Blue 13. It's been a while since I've been to Cafe Spiaggia, but it's been very good. Since then I've eaten at, and been very impressed by, several of our newer Italian restaurants, especially Piccolo Sogno and Cibo Matto.

>> Mon dinner: Elysian or Tru? Or possble walk-in/bar early dinner at Girl and the Goat?

By "Elysian", are you referring to one of the restaurants at the Elysian Hotel, and if so, which one, Balsan or Ria? Balsan is a much more casual, less expensive restaurant. Ria aspires to be a high-end place but my meal there was a disaster. If you want high end, I'd pick TRU over Ria. If you want something more casual, I'd pick Sable over Balsan or Girl and the Goat.

>> What would you recommend for Sat and Mon? Would you choose these or something else?

For Saturday, you might want to consider one of our creative Mexican restaurants, such as Mexique. Provincial Mexican food is something Chicago does particularly well and it's not widely available in most of the United States.

>> Any recommendations for light lunches? Exceptional salads, or really great soups, for example? Don't want to ruin our dinners, but don't want to be hungry all day.

For lunches, I would be more inclined to recommend something that is conveniently near wherever you're spending the day, which you don't mention. If you know where you'll be, we can make specific suggestions.

>> Also, is the French Market worthwhile as a destination?

Maybe. There are several dozen stalls there. Some are convenient "if you happen to be there" type places. IMHO there are a few "destination" booths that may make the trip worthwhile: Vanille (one of our very best bakeries for breads and pastries), Pastoral (our top purveyor of cheeses), and Canady (one of our best artisanal chocolatiers). If those sound good enough to you to make a trip there, then it's worthwhile as a destination.