Feeling somewhat screwed! Dinner for 10 ppl this Friday, July 27th!

[illy]

Hi all!
I hate people like me when they post these kind of requests for Toronto, so you've gotta know I'm feeling a bit desperate! But here it goes...
10 of us arriving on Friday, in need of a reservation/suggestion! We are staying in the Loop area.

Most of the group aren't too adventurous, (except for me), and I'm also the only vegetarian (no fish, cheese ok). But all I ask for is at least one (or 2!) veggie options for me.

I think somewhere like Frontera Grill would be perfect, but I'm thinking we'd have to be there at 4pm to get in. Right?
Could not get a reso at Blackbird either (I know, a bit late to say the least!). Been to both of these places before and liked them both. Blackbird is a *touch* on the pricey side.

We're going to be drinking a lot too!

Publican sounds like a good option for them--thinking they could put together something for me.

But any other suggestions would be appreciated! Walking or short-ish cab ride would be best.
And ideally getting a reso.

Thanks so much for any info!

[kathryn]

Perhaps give Sable a call?

[illy]

Just tried Sable, Frontera and Publican--no luck for Friday. boo hoo! Will still try Atwood. We have a large Greek area in Toronto, so it's not so exciting for us. Thanks, though.

Any other suggestions?

[lbs]

http://bit.ly/SStn2B

Opentable list of restaurants that have available spots for ten.

I recomemend The Flortine, Kan Zaman (BYO), Sunda, Vermillion. I actually really like Vermillion and have been there a couple times with large groups for business.

[ferret]

Quartino is a good spot that may be able to handle a last-minute group of 10.

[illy]

When I was in Chicago last time, we had a small dinner on the patio of Quartino.

I just made a reservation at Girl and the Goat for 10pm on Friday!! Feeling pretty excited.
No prices on the online menu (annoying!), but I'm guessing mains are $30 + ?

[lbs]

Shut. The. Front. Door!!! Exremely jealous that you got reservations especially on such late notice!! Did you call them directly?

Sample memu with prices. This is why it is so hard to get into. Completely affordable

http://chicago.menupages.com/menuproc...

[illy]

I was pretty surprized myself, since it seems like this place is hard to get into!

I called about an hour ago, and at first, thought at the 10pm reso would be too late. Then I thought, better make it anyway, so I called back and it was still available.

Looking forward to it...and the bonus is that I thought it would be way more expensive. Thanks for the price list!!

[kathryn]

Wow, what a stroke of luck. I'm jealous, and we were just at GATG last week!

Don't miss the grilled broccoli with blue cheese, I believe that dish is vegetarian, as is the parmesan-sesame-miso pan fried shishito peppers. You probably will need to get multiple orders of both. Especially the broccoli. One for yourself, and two or three for the rest of your group!

[illy]

Thanks for the tip! It's nice to see so many interesting veggie options on the menu!

[illy]

Since the reservation is at 10pm, if we get to the Girl and the Goat area early, I'm assuming there are bars near by (walking distance)--right? Any suggestions would be great! We'd probably be into a more casual bar/pub. Again, 10 ppl is a pretty big crowd...especially if the bars are on the small-side.

[camusman]

Maude's Liquor Bar is just a few doors down, though on a Friday night it might be pretty busy. Getting ten people into a bar comfortably in that area at that hour is a challenge.

[kathryn]

If you decide you want something on the fancier site/more of a lounge, The Aviary is a few blocks away, and could definitely accommodate 10 people since they take reservations. It's the opposite of a dive bar/pub though.

[mcgeary]

Haymarket Pub & Brewery is mere steps away, huge, and casual. I wouldn't recommend it for the food but if your crowd is into craft beer it would be a good stop.

[illy]

Got the confirmation call last night re: GATG reso--it wasn't just a dream! :)
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! Looking forward to the weekend, and especially Friday night!!

[masha]

You might consider the Atwood Cafe in the Hotel Burnham: http://www.atwoodcafe.com/chicago-loo...
It's in the Loop, has a range of choices, including vegetarian, that appeal to both adventurous and those who are not, with a good atmosphere and not too pricey.

[camusman]

A good last resort is usually Greek Islands, especially when unadventurous eaters are involved. On a Friday night, try to get a table off in a corner so you that you have a chance of hearing each other talk.

[weinstein5]

WOth a party of ten you might be able to get a reservation at Frontera Grill -