Casual suggestions near Intercontinental for dinner and/or drinks

[shelleymonster]

I apologize in advance for asking something that may have already been covered, but at the last minute I'm able to travel to Chicago with my husband, who is going for work this week.

We're staying at the Intercontinental, and I'd love some dinner suggestions for anywhere that doesn't require reservations (or we'll be able to get in to) and is ok to wear jeans. Just looking quickly, it looks like Sable is a good bet. Any other ideas?

Also, any fun bars in the area? Especially with good beer selections?

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Sable Kitchen & Bar
505 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60654

[nsxtasy]

I'd recommend making reservations if at all possible. Most of our nicer restaurants accept reservations on Opentable.com where you can see availability for all of them with a few clicks on your keyboard.

Sable is indeed a good bet. Casual attire including jeans is fine. Make a reservation if you can, as they've been getting very popular lately. (It's only going to get worse after Chef Terhune's upcoming appearance on Top Chef.) Also close to the Intercontinental and casual are Quartino (Italian small plates), Coco Pazzo Cafe (Italian), Shaw's (seafood), Heaven on Seven (cajun/creole), David Burke's Primehouse (steaks), and Uno and Due (deep-dish pizza).

The Purple Pig is also right there but they don't take reservations; waits for dinner are horrendous though. You could go for lunch or at an off hour, or you could put in your name for dinner and then go back to your hotel room or walk around for the couple of hours it will take before they can seat you. The Purple pig specializes in pork, charcuterie, cheese, and organ meats.

Another non-reservation option close by is Frontera Grill. They only accept a handful of reservations and keep most of the dining room open for walk-in traffic. Waits for lunch and dinner are lengthy, but you can avoid them by arriving shortly before they open the doors. If you sit at the bar, you can order from Frontera's menu or Topolobampo's; Topolobampo is much more expensive for dinner, comparably priced for lunch.

>> Also, any fun bars in the area? Especially with good beer selections?

Sable is good for cocktails, Bin 36 for wine, Pops for Champagne for you-know-what. For good beer selections, the Gage is about half a mile south; you can also find recommendations for good beer selections in the discussion at www.chow.com/topics/801672

Feel free to ask more questions, and enjoy your visit!

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Pizzeria Due
619 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Pizzeria Uno
29 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611

David Burke's Primehouse
616 N Rush Street, Chicago, IL 60611

Frontera Grill
445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Quartino
626 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Topolobampo
445 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610

The Gage
24 South Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603

Bin 36
339 N. Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60610

Heaven on Seven
600 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Coco Pazzo Cafe
636 N St Clair, Chicago, IL 60611

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

Sable Kitchen & Bar
505 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Purple Pig
500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Pops for Champagne
601 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654

[Shaggy]

I agree with nxstasy's recommendation for the Purple Pig which is essentially across the street. I stayed at the Intercontinental a few months ago and was able to walk in and sit at the bar without a wait. You may not find it that easy, but it worked out for my wife and I, and the food was awesome.
For beer, again, I agree that the Gage is really good. You could also take a walk to Rockbottom Brewery which despite being a little commercial, actually makes decent, and award winning, beers. If you feel like taking a cab, try the Clark St Ale House. It's one of the best beer-centric bars in the city (no food).

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The Gage
24 South Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603

Clark Street Ale House
742 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Purple Pig
500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

[nsxtasy]

>> If you feel like taking a cab, try the Clark St Ale House.

If the weather's not bad, you could also walk there from the hotel in about 15 minutes (six blocks north, five blocks west, 0.7 mile total).

[shelleymonster]

Thanks for the suggestions! I think we might try to walk into the Purple Pig for a late dinner tomorrow night. Sable still has plenty of reservations on Wednesday night too. And maybe pizza for lunch. We're looking forward to it!

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Purple Pig
500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611