Dining ideas post-Turkey Day
I will be in town from St. Louis the Friday after T-giving until late Sat. afternoon. Since a big meal will have happened the day before, thinking about strategy (and getting a res. in if needed) for some dining choices. Staying at the Blackstone but will have access to Zipcar, so not limited to South Loop, Loop, etc.
I was thinking about hitting some storied places that I have never been to (traveled to Chicago many times and used to live in North Shore), including Mr. Beef, Twin Anchors, Gene and Georgetti (I know that gruff service is a theme there).
Other new places or new to me that look promising:
Lillie Q
Telegraph
Great Lakes Pizza
Bistro Voltaire
Perennial Virant
Grange Hall Burger Bar
Any thoughts hounds?
(Happy to help with St. Louis, while not Chicago caliber, things are improving steadily and one can eat quite well here these days...)
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Perennial Virant
1800 N Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60614
Mr. Beef
666 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654
Great Lake
1477 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
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nsxtasy
Nov 8, 2011 10:56 AM
I haven't been to some of the places you mention. Overall, it sounds like you're looking at many places in the "cheap eats" category (which is fine), but with a few others thrown in. And that's what's confusing me. Along with those cheap eats, you mention one steakhouse and no others. Are you looking for gruff service, or for a great steak? If you're looking for a great steak, you'd be better off considering other places like David Burke's Primehouse or Chicago Cut Steakhouse. Same thing with Perennial Virant, another mention that confuses me. Perennial Virant is excellent, but I would expect someone who's interested in an excellent contemporary American restaurant to be considering not only Perennial Virant, but also Boka, North Pond, Naha, Graham Elliot, etc. Same thing with Bistro Voltaire, without mentioning other (better-known and possibly better) French bistros, like La Sardine and Kiki's Bistro. It's almost like choosing the names of a dozen restaurants at random, based on nothing in particular (and not even necessarily the best in their respective categories).
If you're open to other suggestions, you would need to provide more information about what you're looking for. But there's one place I think deserves consideration based on what you've already posted, and that's Mercat a la Planxa, and specifically for your one dinner here. It's perhaps our best tapas restaurant, from famous restauranteur and native Chicagoan Jose Garces (who has numerous restaurants in Philadelphia). It's located right in your hotel (the Blackstone) which is another reason why it's such a logical recommendation.
Really, you're going to have one dinner here, and it's up to YOU to decide what kind of place YOU want to go - a steakhouse, an upscale tapas restaurant, a contemporary American restaurant, a French bistro, a barbecue house, a sandwich shop, etc. (Some of those places might work for another meal during your visit, like lunch, while others won't.)
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Boka
1729 North Halsted, Chicago, IL 60614Kiki's Bistro
900 N. Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60610La Sardine
111 N Carpenter St, Chicago, IL 60607David Burke's Primehouse
616 N Rush Street, Chicago, IL 60611North Pond
2610 North Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614Mercat a la Planxa
638 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605Perennial Virant
1800 N Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60614Naha
500 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610Graham Elliot
217 W. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60654Chicago Cut Steakhouse
300 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60654Bistro Voltaire
226 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60610›2 Replies-
re: nsxtasy
Have been to Mercat several times. The motivating theme behind my choices is twofold: Chicago "old school places" as a genre, and the other theme is new places within multiple types of cuisine. Of course, I am looking for fine food above all, regardless of price point, but the aforementioned is the method to my madness.
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