sunday dinner suggestions -- downtown, grandparent-friendly w/ vegetarian options?!?

[elvisina]

I'll be downtown w/ husband, mum, and grandparents next Sunday evening for dinner. Our hotel's not booked yet, but we'll be playing tourists close to Mag Mile. I'm looking for somewhere suitable to take our party of 5, which includes two vegetarians and two 80-somethings who are hard of hearing, but definitely carnivorous! Super loud, hip and trendy places are out (sadly, this means Sable is a no-go; I think it would be a bit too "cool" for my folks). We don't mind a short cab ride.

I've seen some suitable Italian places recommended (Coco Pazzo Café, Café Spiaggia, Quartino)--these are all in our price range and suitably located, BUT I was hoping to get some recommendations for "contemporary American" places too. We're European and I feel like it's easy for us to find good Italian at home, so something more distinctively "Chicago" where it's not too loud to hold a conversation would be nice... They're not crazy about Mexican food and the really high-end places (Alinea, etc) are too pricey.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[masha]

Cafe Atwood in the Burnham Hotel may suit your needs. Here is the menu. http://www.atwoodcafe.com/chicago-loo...

The noise level is moderate, not hushed. I think that if you request a table in one of the corners, it should be quiet enough. The tables in the center of the room tend to be more squashed together and hence a bit noisier.

[elvisina]

Thanks - I'll look into it.

[nsxtasy]

Atwood Cafe, mentioned above, is indeed a good recommendation, exactly what you're looking for. Note that it's in the middle of the Loop - fine if your hotel is in the Loop.

If your hotel is further north along the Mag Mile, such as near the Water Tower, then I recommend Cafe des Architectes, in the Sofitel, for contemporary American. It's very good and not overly noisy. It's also a good place for Sunday brunch.

One last recommendation for you is North Pond. North Pond uniquely represents Chicago for its setting, located in the middle of Lincoln Park (the park itself, not the adjacent neighborhood of the same name) facing its namesake pond with the city skyline looming over the opposite shore. The renovated building formerly served as the warming shelter for skaters on the frozen pond in the winter. The food is contemporary American featuring local and seasonal ingredients from James Beard Award finalist Chef Bruce Sherman, and has excellent vegetarian options. It's also not overly noisy. It's about two miles north of the Mag Mile, so you would want to get there by cab. www.northpondrestaurant.com

Incidentally, since you mention Sable, it's worth noting that Chef Heather Terhune of Sable ran Atwood Cafe for ten years before Sable opened. However, I agree that Sable is probably not a great recommendation for you, not because of being too "cool" but because it's fairly noisy there.

You may want to check back with us to let us know which hotel you get. That way we can give you an idea of distance to these places and perhaps make additional recommendations that are particularly close by.

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North Pond
2610 North Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614

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

Atwood Cafe
1 West Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602