Chicago suggestions

Come on Eathan,
Don't tell me your not going to Alinea ! You have to at least get some serveware from there.
http://www.alinea-restaurant.com


Also, I second the Shedd, Art institute, and Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park!

Have fun.

Come on Eathan,
Don't tell me your not going to Alinea ! You have to at least get some serveware from there.
http://www.alinea-restaurant.com


Also, I second the Shedd, Art institute, and Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park!

Have fun.

As much as i'd love to eat at Alinea, a month out from our reservation seems like it'd be a tough to make.

I've been a huge follow of both Rick Tramanto and Gale Gand's work, and Tru has always been the "have to go" place for me, long before Alinea opened.

Ethan: I am interested to see what you think of TRU. We went back in the fall.

Ethan- if it is warmish and you are an architecture fan I recommend the 3-4 hour architecture boat tour- there is a lecture (soet of) involved and I got to see a lot of places I would have never got to on my own. I hadn't been back to Chicago in 20 years and it was a wonderful re-intro.
If you go to the Bayless' restaurants here's a great trick: If you sit at the bar at Frontera you can order from both it's menu and that of the upscale Topolobampo. That way you can enjoy their wonderful seviches as well as the amazing truffled duck enchilada.
Have fun.

Ethan: I am interested to see what you think of TRU. We went back in the fall.

How was your experience, Ron?



I realize this isn't exactly the restaurant to do it, but we're still trying to be somewhat price conscious (we can definitely afford over $500, but not approaching $1000); so we can spread our money and enjoy other dining venues.

Researching some of our top Chicago restaurants options i found a weird influx in price with wine pairings.

Alinea's 12 course tasting runs $135 + $100 for wine pairings.
Avenues runs even higher than that. (i've emailed Chef Graham Elliot Bowles, and he's gone in March, opening his eponymous restaurant in May - we'll be there in early April - and missing a chance to try his cuisine.)
Moto's 5, 10 and 18 course tasting menu's have prices that are comparable to Alinea's (food to wine pairing), and i am in pretty good contact with their pastry chef (so that may help)
Blackbird was considerable lower than the others.

I couldn't find much info on TRU's wine pairing price-points.
so the final price area is a bit in the dark for us.

Truth be told, looking at the current menus online, i'm more interesting in what's offered on the prix fixe menu, rather than the tasting menus at TRU.

I just realized Otom is open, so that may be anotehr small plates option for us as well. (in lieu of Moto)

Anoosh reminded me of another favorite --De la costa . Next to navy pier. Very cool place --south american/ peruvian style. Wish we were there now.

Anoosh reminded me of another favorite --De la costa . Next to navy pier. Very cool place --south american/ peruvian style. Wish we were there now.

oYes, One of Douglas Rodriguez's places...
I've looked into it...


but as said in the initial post:

I'm not looking for dining suggestions, unless they are more of the type of place we can nosh at the bar over cocktails, or super-casual low-cost options (ie. Hot Doug's)

A must try for breakfast is Lou Mitchells its a hoot!! Its a bit touristy but my wife and I ended our 25th wedding anniversary with a late night visit to the top of the Hancock building. Snagged a table by the window and enjoyed the heartstopping view and a nice split of Veuve Clicquot. There was a thunderstorm coming in off of the lake it was beautiful. Check out the lobby of the Palmer House.

Since you can't walk a block without passing a handful of restaurants with bars (more or less), you won't have any problem finding a place with a bar to drink and nosh.

I'd second the recommendation to pick up a copy of the Reader (the free Chicago weekly) which you should be able to find lying around practically everywhere you turn. But they're online as well: http://www.chicagoreader.com/

It occurred to me too.... Chicago has a couple of great movie venues (old films, foreign films, independent films).... One, the very beautiful old, restored Music Box Theatre with a sort of Spanish/Italianate thing going on, a wonderful deep blue ceiling with twinkling stars and floating clouds ("...the architectural style is an eclectic melange of Italian, Spanish and Pardon-My-Fantasy put together with passion") and a big pipe organ that one of the owners used to play now and again between shows or what have you. I love the place. http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/index.html. And also Facets Multimedia which is a sort of mishmash of a place with videos and also a theatre (from what I remember, it wasn't very comfortable, but things may have changed) http://www.facets.org/asticat.

Anyway, take a look at the Reader.

Lou Mitchell's is a good place despite having a popular reputation. If you want arenn's "Definitive Guide to Chicago Breakfast" just let me know.

Avec is the perfect drink and nosh place.

For those who put Alinea up there, I've eaten at it and must say I was very disappointed. Firstly, expect to pay $600 minimum for two people to get out of there. Our waiter reminded us of Dr. Evil. In fact, the most entertaining part of the evening was that we couldn't stop saying "freshly shorn scrotum" to each other. The food it gimmicky. "Yes, here's a piece of breaded chicken that our chef is serving skewered on a charred twig from the tree out back" or "this dish is served on a pillow of sassafras air". It is ridiculously easy to drop hundreds of dollars in Chicago and not get a good meal. Incidentally, I also think Charlie Trotters has turned into a chop shop operation. The original poster is going to Tru, which right now is my top choice for fine dining in the city. (The best Chicago area restaurant all around IMO continues to be Carlos' in Highwood).

Ethan,
did not expect you to get a reservation now, just stating surprise that it was not a choice.

I am curious what Gale Gand does for her "dessert duet"? I have been trying to find something on the web but it seems that her desserts are a bit of a mystery.

Ethan: I am interested to see what you think of TRU. We went back in the fall.

How was your experience, Ron?

It was super expensive (over $500 for two) and mediocre. Were you aware that Tramonto and Gand aren't really there anymore? They are devoted full time to opening Cenitare and Osteria d Tramonto. It's not the same restaurant it once was. My meals at the Seelbach and 610 Magnolia blew it away.

If you can't swing a reservation at Alinea, and you want some cutting edge cuisine, go to Avenues in the Penninsula.

Personally, I can't think of anyplace I'd rather eat in Chicago than Avec. If I want something slightly more upscale, I like Blackbird which is right next door and has same owners.

Check out the lobby of the Palmer House.

While there dont forget to go down to the basement and pop in to Trader Vics for a drink. The last of the old school tiki bars around up there. Its the tiki bar your parents would have gone to in he fifties.

I have to agree with Lou Mitchell's! It's very inexpensive, wonderful breakfasts, true Chicago tradition. Eggs are double-yolked, butter is 3-score, only cream used, all homemade, even beef ground on premises for burgers, water triple filtered for coffee, you sit at long tables (with others surrounding you) - tho there are some booths/smaller tables.

Problem is there is too much to do. If you go to NYTimes on-line and hit the travel section for Chicago, you'll find a dozen articles "36 hours in Chicago", each concentrating on a different neighborhood, area, and/or theme!

Most center on ethnicities (name it, and there's a neighborhood with restaurants, stores, museums, et al), so without knowing what your tastes are it's a scattershot to make recommendations. I would definitely tell you to go to Oak Park and take the walking tour (self-guided is fine) of Wright homes, and also take the tour of his home/studio (assuming you are interested in architecture).

While others are recommending the lake-front, don't know that I would, and this is ONLY because of the weather; you can't really enjoy the beaches, water, and scenery until June.

In Spring - if the weather is nice - the Botanical Gardens (far Northern suburb - Highland Park right off of the Edens Expressway) can take a half day to wander around.

Good luck!