rdstoll wrote:
Did you have a link on that?? I work right there and that would be huge, not that I got to Spinners all that much!

Not directly, other than to ChgoMike's link above to Golden Budha http://www.goldenbudhachicago.com/

That link states they lost their link because the whole block was coming down.

I know people in the Potbellys building, and the Travel agent, and both said they are not allowed to renew their leases.

Didnt notice if the "For Lease" signs in the former Shutan Camera (which have been there for about 5 years) are down.

So its a bit more than hearsay, but I'm hearing it from a number of sources.

Golden Budha has closed, which may have been mentioned someplace along the way in the various discussions; the building has been torn down. Now, Giordano's and Harry's (on the corner of Randolph/Franklin) are in jeopardy; a city park is planned for the property, to compliment the new hi-rise office building which consumed the space Potbelly occupied on the corner of Wacker/Randolph. The Chicago Sun-Times is featuring a story on Harry's: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/425292,CST-NWS-harry13.article

Sdritz was right - 65 (Sixty Five) is the place for the most Chinatown / Seven Treasures-like smell-the-Beijing-alley-carts Chinese food. That chicken and eggplant rocks my world. If you get there early enough, they have many dim sum items including an excellent BBQ pork bun.

http://www.65restaurant.com, 201 W. Madison

And if you absolutely have to:

http://www.dragonflymandarin.com/

Oversweet, inauthentic, but very liberally served and freshly prepared. Mangoes and cherries everywhere, but really excellent appetizers and huge, reasonable lunch specials in a funky, impressive room. Dragonfly is like Penang meets Lettuce Entertain You in a good way.

One of my colleagues came into my office earlier this week looking for a recommendation for loop Chinese. I told her not to be silly. Walk to the red line, ride 7 minutes to Chinatown, go to LTH.

In a tribute to my persuasive powers, she did just that, asking another colleague to phone in an order for her while she was en route. She was back in 40 minutes tops with food for the next three days and very happy.

Ann Fisher wrote:One of my colleagues came into my office earlier this week looking for a recommendation for loop Chinese. I told her not to be silly. Walk to the red line, ride 7 minutes to Chinatown, go to LTH.

My method is to call Lao Sze Chuan or LTH or Spring World etc...etc...as soon as the train comes out from underground. By the time I get to my destination my takeout is ready and I'm back at my desk in 30-40 minutes.

Every now and again, I stop in at 65 for some BBQ pork and sticky rice in lotus leaves, the two things that they serve that I find to be of the best quality there.

Best,
Michael

The "go to Chinatown" on the "el" option isn't realistic for most of us who work in the Loop, Downtown or nearby - unless we're near the Roosevelt Road CTA station (which I'm not). For many, maybe most people ("Downtown") - such an excursion will take an hour or more and that puts it out of the ballpark for consideration. For those of you who are close enough to Chinatown for this option to work once and a while, I'm envious.

Bill wrote:The "go to Chinatown" on the "el" option isn't realistic for most of us who work in the Loop, Downtown or nearby - unless we're near the Roosevelt Road CTA station (which I'm not). For many, maybe most people ("Downtown") - such an excursion will take an hour or more and that puts it out of the ballpark for consideration. For those of you who are close enough to Chinatown for this option to work once and a while, I'm envious.

I work near the Jackson stop and can do the round trip in 40 mins.

To walk from the office to the subway, wait for the train, take the train to Chinatown, walk to the restaurant, place the order, wait for the order and then to follow the steps necessary to return to the office - in 40 minutes time, is an mighty fete. At that speed, there's no need to wonder what kind of appetite you had!

Bill wrote:To walk from the office to the subway, wait for the train, take the train to Chinatown, walk to the restaurant, place the order, wait for the order and then to follow the steps necessary to return to the office - in 40 minutes time, is an mighty fete. At that speed, there's no need to wonder what kind of appetite you had!

Read my post above and you'll see that I shave time off by ordering ahead.

I live by the Merchandise Mart and used to order from Golden Buddha all the time. While not the best, it certainly worked for a lazy Sunday night dinner. There are a ton of places in the Loop area, but it looks like most of them live by the lunch trade on Monday - Friday. With Golden Buddha closed, does anyone have a recommendation for the weekends? It doesn't have to be the most authentic place, just close.