Lunch recs near Gleacher Center / 400 N. Michigan

I've been asked to put together a little menu of current lunch options in and around the University of Chicago's Gleacher Center and 400 N. Michigan office space, which are connected underground. The pre-provided starters (not mine) for the list are:

400 N. Michigan Food Court - features salad, panini, appetizer, carvery, grill, and entree stations

Midway Club at Gleacher - a Wolfgang Puck catering kitchen provides lunch 11 AM - 2 PM weekdays in a room with a view overlooking the river (reservations usually required)

Fox and Obel provides gourmet lunch and picnic supplies and ready-made sandwiches

I know that there are more interesting options within walking distance of this very corporate / hotel zone (I can name a few in the hotels and other 'mall' buildings up and down Michigan). Kennyz even mentioned some good carts that park on the lower level during the summer.

I've searched through old threads for Gleacher, Water Tower, etc., and would love current recommendations / reminders on good places to eat for lunch in the area at all pricepoints. Non-American fare is particularly appreciated. Many thanks for your insights!

As food court sushi goes, the sushi place in the food court at NorthBridge isn't that bad. Not so great that I remember the name of it but I have been there a few times and it was serviceable.

Edit, found it:

Cafe Typhoon
520 N Michigan
312-222-9030

One place I like, that's very un-Michigan Avenue-y is Sayat Nova for Armenian food. References here, here, here, as well as other threads. Poke around those threads and you'll find other ideas, too.

Sayat Nova
157 E. Ohio St., Chicago
(312) 644-9159.

Midway Club is also members only.

West Egg is nearby (on Fairbanks at Ohio IIRC) as is Kamehachi (at 240 East Ontario).

Fronterra and Topolobampo aren't that far from there, and I think Naha and NoMi serve lunch, too. Bin 36 is also close by, and I've always found them to be reliable if not surprising. Keefer's, too, has a cafe open for lunch.

Pricing it a bit lower, I'm always happy to eat at Big Bowl, off Ohio. I think they've tried to hit the organic/local vibe recently, and their pad see ew with tofu and spinach is remarkably tasty.

I've also heard passable things about the cafe in Nordstrom's (the restaurant in the actual store, rather than what you'll find in the food court on the same level -- that being said, though, that food court is decent, as is the food court in the mall with Saks, further up Michigan). Also, let's not forget Hannah's Bretzel in the Illinois Center, or even Pastoral, off Lake, if you're in the mood for a great sandwhich.

Boston Blackie's for burgers. Not Kuma's, but considering the location and the price, a deal:

Boston Blackie's
164 E. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611 312-938-8700

Volare is a nice little Italian café just a block north of Gleacher at Grand and St. Clair. It's a little lower-priced than Coco Pazzo Café, which is another couple of blocks north at Ontario and St. Clair. Both are popular lunch spots and both quite good.

Volare
201 E Grand Ave
312-410-9900

Coco Pazzo Café
636 N St Clair St
312-664-2777

Every day the Bolat truck serves good African grub to dozens of taxi drivers lined up outside the Sheraton. The truck is there from 11-3. I don't know what the street is called, but it's one block east of Columbus on the 400 block - directly across from the NBC Tower. The street only exists for this one block in Chicago.

Santander wrote:Fox and Obel provides gourmet lunch and picnic supplies and ready-made sandwiches

The above description is incomplete, as it sounds like the only option there is carry-out. I would add a sentence noting that there's also a cafe in the rear of the store which offers made-to-order meals for dining in, all day long.

I second Hannah's Bretzel, Boston Blackie's, Volare, and especially Pastoral.

Here's a few more:
Silver Spoon
710 N Rush

India House (ok enough buffet)
59 W Grand

Ginza Fish House
irashaimase!
19 E Ohio

Eppy's Deli
Always fun to watch Eppy kick out clueless Subway patrons in the outside seating area.
224 E Ontario

Equitable Cafeteria
Always a crowd pleaser for some reason.
401 N Michigan

And there's the second Hannah's Bretzel location:

THE ILLINOIS CENTER CONCOURSE
233 N. Michigan Avenue

Edited to say oops, I didn't see the previous mention of Hannah's

You guys rock as always. I appreciate the fresh suggestions and Tom's link to the most recent Mag Mile thread (I neglected to try that abbreviated version in my search).

I had a wonderful lunch yesterday at Keefer's Restaurant 20 W. Kinzie. They have incredible homemade tater tots which for some reason are called "potato croquettes." Don't miss them.

yah, and Keefer's Kaffe for a more quick serve lunch, featuring the only Beef on Weck in town.

....right across the street, in the bottom of the NBC building... there's Amira Mediterranean Cuisine (it used to be an italian restaurant)... there's a sit down restaurant, but also in the same area as the host they have a more quick serve place... they sell sandwiches and wood fire pizzas for $5 or so. they're pretty good pizzas, and a bargain at that price.

best sushi in the area has to be from Ginza, which someone else already mentioned..

and best burger has to be Boston Blackies, which someone also already mentioned (and it's fairly inexpensive... $6ish for a sit down burger)

I second the rec for CoCo Pazzo Cafe
Its one of my absolute faves-
makes me feel like I've had a mini-Tuscan vacation every time!

make sure to add bandera to the list for rotisserie chicken and great cornbread.

dddane wrote:....right across the street, in the bottom of the NBC building... there's Amira Mediterranean Cuisine (it used to be an italian restaurant)... there's a sit down restaurant, but also in the same area as the host they have a more quick serve place... they sell sandwiches and wood fire pizzas for $5 or so. they're pretty good pizzas, and a bargain at that price.

I work in this building, and while I wish Amira were decent, I haven't tasted a thing there that's better than mediocre. The sandwiches use cheap deli meat and not-so-fresh bread, and the pizzas (which are from a live-fire gas oven that has no wood) tend to be soggy and overloaded with Sysco mozzerella product. They are enormous, however -so one might find them to be a decent deal for this area. For better (but also not great) food in the same building, I'd suggest Boardman's which is near the east entrance.

One of my absolute favorite places to eat when I work in the area is the Nordstrom Cafe. Reasonably priced [for the area] food, good soup/sandwich/pannini/pasta choices, nice airy room [on the top level of the store]. Pizzas are fired to order [I think it's a really hot rotating gas oven; don't remember seeing live coals in it], salads made to order. Great deserts, good coffee. Anyone I've ever taken there has been enthusiastic about the place.

Giovanna

Giovanna wrote:One of my absolute favorite places to eat when I work in the area is the Nordstrom Cafe. Reasonably priced [for the area] food, good soup/sandwich/pannini/pasta choices, nice airy room [on the top level of the store]. Pizzas are fired to order [I think it's a really hot rotating gas oven; don't remember seeing live coals in it], salads made to order. Great deserts, good coffee. Anyone I've ever taken there has been enthusiastic about the place.

Giovanna

Norstrom Nicsoisse salad is a favorite of mine.

My dirty culinary secret is 65 Chinese on Michigan just south of the river (336 North Michigan). By no means is it great Chinese food, but it's good Chinese food, it's cheap, the portions are large, and they make pedestrian American-Chinese style dishes with a homemade touch. And lots and lots of grease.

Try Mary's, a little diner on Grand. It's a nice place where you can order a sandwich or breakfast and read.

Mary's Cafe.
215 E Grand Ave
Chicago, IL

I can't believe I forgot to mention this place right away...
For a very un-Mag-Mile experience, I'd strongly encourage you to check out CND Gyros & Lounge. It's basically a dive bar, but upfront there's a small kitchen and takeout window serving some darn good gyros with fresh, warm pita. There's also pretty good broasted chicken and a decent greek salad. All of it is cooked and served by a friendly Greek family that's been in the spot for decades. This used to be a strictly takeout joint for me, but with the smoking ban in effect I've been grabbing my food at the counter and taking it back to a bar stool or table. The room is dark, eclectically decorated with old Chicago maps, labor union paraphernalia, and celebrity memorabilia. The whole setting conjures up images of gruff, old-time Tribune reporters puffing away, drinking Old Style, and talking about the day's efforts to beat out the Sun Times.

CND Gyros & Lounge
205 E Grand Ave
(312) 467-4195

CND Gyros is great. Get the Gyros Melt. You won't regret it.

Bandera's very masculine-clubby, but very nice and good food for all that, with a wonderful setting overlooking Boule Mich.

If it's for an out-of-town crowd who want the full Chicago experience, you really can't leave off the Billy Goat on lower Michigan. Taking out of towners to lower Michigan is worth it, regardless of the food.

Also, the food at Lucky Strike in the AMC River East theater complex is actually really good. Their burgers are excellent, their chicken tenders are some of the best I've ever had, their female employees wear impressively skimpy clothing...the food is actually really good, as American bar food goes. It's a good choice for unadventurous eaters.