'nice' lunch in evanston

help, please. i dont have time to browse lth today, and i need to pick a place for lunch tomorrow. a family friend always treats me to a birthday lunch this time of year. she lives in wilmette, can't walk far (uses a cane) and we usually go somewhere in evanston. her standby is the pine yard inn, but it doesnt interest me. so, i need a place with easy parking for her. someplace ethnic is fine. i'm really out of touch with the newer places in evanston. i vaguely remember there is a newish deli - is it any good? that might be an option. any help would be appreciated, as my time is very limited right now and i have to make plans with her this afternoon. thanks, justjoan

The deli you're thinking of is probably Omaggio, and we're having an Evanston Lunch Group™ event there Wednesday at 12:30 - feel free to join us. You could easily drop off your friend in front, then drive about a block and park behind the library, if you can't find closer street parking.

Omaggio
1639 Orrington Ave.
Evanston
(847) 570-0500

thanks tom, i never would have connected the name omaggio with a deli! my friend and i, if we go, probably won't join you, as we don't see each other very often and we need to catch up, but thanks for the invite. jj

Ruby of Siam is located in a short-walk friendly strip mall and serves some quality Thai food to boot. Here's a nice thread from Ronnie about the Skokie location, but I've always thought the Evanston one was just as good, if not better.


Ruby of Siam
1125 Emerson
Evanston
847-492-1008

Quick summary of what follows:

Best food - Thai Sookdee, Walker Brothers, Lupita's, Prairie Moon
Nicest atmosphere - Thai Sookdee, Trattoria DOC
Most convenient for parking and access - Prairie Moon, Guan, Walker Brothers

The deli you're trying to remember the name of is Bat 17. I've eaten there for lunch. They specialize in Jewish deli sandwiches but I had a salad and I thought it was just fine. (Omaggio is a sandwich/Italian place, not what I would consider a deli.)

At most places in downtown Evanston, your best bet is to pull up, escort your friend inside (either to get seated or at least situated somewhere), and then go park your car, either in a meter place or in a parking garage. That applies to Bat 17.

If you are interested in going to Evanston's best Thai restaurant, Thai Sookdee is open for lunch (and IMHO it's much better than Ruby of Siam). They have a small parking lot in the rear, right off the alley that runs east-west on their block, enter at either end, and they have a rear door at that lot. The lot is often full during dinner hours, but probably not during lunchtime. I strongly recommend their tom kha gai (soup), best in the Chicago area.

I like Lupita's on Main Street for Mexican food. I particularly recommend their daily specials, rather than their regular menu. You can usually park on the street within 1/4 block of the restaurant in a meter space (it's easier to the south than on Main Street itself).

Trattoria D.O.C. is on the same block (although it's in the middle of the block; Lupita's is on the corner) and has individual-sized pizzas as well as Italian entrees.

Prairie Moon is a good place for American food, and they have their own parking alongside the restaurant. This may be the most parking-friendly place of any mentioned here. Another parking-friendly place is the Bombay Kabab House, at Dodge and Howard, for Indian food including an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, although sometimes their lot fills up at lunchtime. One final place is Guan Restaurant in the shopping center with Sam's Club and Food-for-Not-Any-Less, for which you can park right outside the front door; see LTH topic here.

I can also recommend two good places for lunch in Wilmette. One is Walker Brothers, which has its own parking lot. In addition to their pancake specialties (apple pancake, yum!), they also have great omelets. Another is Convito Cafe and Market, in the Plaza del Lago strip mall on Sheridan Road. Good Italian food.

I believe all these places are open for lunch.

Jilly's is very good cute lunch spot. good for a special occasion. and I believe they have a parking lot, though I'm not certain.
2614 Green Bay Rd

La Petit Amelia is a french bistro that serves lunch, though I've never been
618 Church St

Noyes St. Cafe is a nice upscale diner with a parking lot not far from it
828 Noyes St

Tapas Barcelona is a pretty good Tapas place. I don't believe they have parking, though they are next door to the North Shore Retirement hotel, so maybe they can help you out with accessibility.
1615 Chicago Ave

Annam Cafe is one of my favorite Vietnamese spots outside of Argyle area, but again not sure about parking.
724 Clark St.

I also second Lupitas, and love Prairie Joe's, though not sure I'd go there for a birthday lunch.

nsxtasy wrote:The deli you're trying to remember the name of is Bat 17.

I'd forgotten about Bat 17 - maybe because JJ was asking about a "newish" deli, and Bat 17 has been open about a year, and I've always thought of it as more a pub (good beer specials last time I was there) with a touch of diner thrown in. It seems to be the kind of place that tries to be all things to all people, and does a respectable job, but it doesn't really remind me of any Jewish delis I saw when I lived in New York. Could be a good lunch destination, though.

rlguffman wrote:Annam Cafe is one of my favorite Vietnamese spots outside of Argyle area, but again not sure about parking.
724 Clark St.

Annam Café has been replaced by a Thai spot, whose food was, to my mind, as utterly forgettable as its name.

nsxtasy wrote:If you are interested in going to Evanston's best Thai restaurant, Thai Sookdee is open for lunch (and IMHO it's much better than Ruby of Siam).

Somehow, humility and italics are incongruent to me. I've read your assessment of Thai Sookdee before and I just haven't had the same experience as you have--their food always seems lifeless and safe to me. But I haven't been in a couple years so maybe it's time to recalibrate.

rlguffman wrote:Jilly's is very good cute lunch spot. good for a special occasion. and I believe they have a parking lot, though I'm not certain.
2614 Green Bay Rd

Jilly's is a very nice place. Call to ask about parking; it's on a very busy stretch of Green Bay Road, so if they don't have their own lot, access may be a problem.

rlguffman wrote:La Petit Amelia is a french bistro that serves lunch, though I've never been
618 Church St

See above regarding parking in downtown Evanston.

rlguffman wrote:Noyes St. Cafe is a nice upscale diner with a parking lot not far from it

I ate at Noyes St. Cafe for dinner a couple of years ago and it was dreadful, my very worst meal of the entire year.

rlguffman wrote:Tapas Barcelona is a pretty good Tapas place. I don't believe they have parking, though they are next door to the North Shore Retirement hotel, so maybe they can help you out with accessibility.

That's an idea. What the North Shore has is a turnaround where you can drop people off. I'm sure it would be okay to use it to drop off your friend at the restaurant. Don't leave your car unattended for more than a minute or so.

rlguffman wrote:I also second Lupitas, and love Prairie Joe's, though not sure I'd go there for a birthday lunch.

I'm not sure whether this is in reference to my recommendation above, but it was for Prairie Moon, the American restaurant and sports bar on Sherman Avenue across from the Best Western, not Prairie Joe's, the casual place on Central Street.

tapler wrote:Somehow, humility and italics are incongruent to me. I've read your assessment of Thai Sookdee before and I just haven't had the same experience as you have--their food always seems lifeless and safe to me. But I haven't been in a couple years so maybe it's time to recalibrate.

Okay, IMNSHO. Is that better?

Some years ago, I didn't used to feel as strongly about Thai Sookdee as I do now. But they have gotten to be much, MUCH more consistent with their quality. The previously-mentioned tom kha gai is just outstanding, time after time. It comes out nicely spicy if you don't specify a level of spiciness (which is the opposite of what I consider "safe"). Equally excellent are dishes like their panang, satay, and mango with sticky rice for dessert. We've been to Ruby of Siam numerous times, too, and it's been inconsistent - sometimes very good, sometimes too spicy or not spicy enough, and sometimes too greasy. When it's good, it's been pretty darn good, almost as good as Thai Sookdee, but it hasn't been consistently so. The only downside to Thai Sookdee is that word has gotten around, and it has gotten to be very popular. They do a big business, even during the week, often serving several large groups simultaneously as well as all the smaller parties. Fortunately their current location is quite spacious (as well as a very nice space) and they seem to be handling the volume very well. Try it again.

you guys are great- though i'm not surprised at the enthusiastic responses. bat 17 IS the deli i was trying to remember. i know jilly's cafe and walker brothers. the tapas place sounds really interesting, as does la petite amalia. thanks all. i'll let my friend know what the options are and then she can choose (since she's treating). i'll report back. justjoan

Places in Evanston where I can eat without gagging:

Tapas Barcelona (doesn't really bear any resemblance to actual Spanish food, but pretty decent on its own terms)

Cozy Noodles (doesn't really bear any resemblance to actual Thai food, but pretty decent on its own terms -- try the Noodles Panang)

Addis Abeba (doesn't really blah blah blah, whatever)

That Little Mexican Cafe

Mt. Everest

There's other stuff, too (WaSC, of course), but as far as sit-down lunch places downtown, these would be my top picks. La Petite Amelia is pretty good, but I've only been there a couple of times. Bat 17 is pretty much in "meh" territory these days.

Is Va Pensiero open for lunch? That's awfully nice...
Le peep is good too, but parking isn't easy-
I love Tapas Barcelona as well, and could easily eat their bacon wrapped date by the dozen....
Another great Evanston place is the veggie restaurant on Dempster just east of Chicago that I am blanking on the name of....

irisarbor wrote:Another great Evanston place is the veggie restaurant on Dempster just east of Chicago that I am blanking on the name of....

That would be the Blind Faith Cafe.

Blind Faith Cafe
525 Dempster St, Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-6875
www.blindfaithcafe.com/

irisarbor wrote:Another great Evanston place is the veggie restaurant on Dempster just east of Chicago that I am blanking on the name of....

I believe the restaurant in question is the Blind Faith Cafe, which, in my humble opinion, is best missed if you are an omnivore.

irisarbor wrote:Is Va Pensiero open for lunch? That's awfully nice...

No, it's not open for lunch. Too bad, too, since it's excellent, the best Italian place in Evanston.

in case there is even one of you curious to see what advice i took from the many suggestions made on the board- the answer is we went to the Thai Pavilion in Skokie. my friend was coming from someplace near by, and it really wasn't going to be about the food, but rather 2 old friends catching up. the place was pleasant, but i didn't order anything challenging. i had eggplant/coconut milk curry which was perfectly adequate. my friend had tom kha (coconut milk soup) which, had, i thought, too much coconut milk. not a destination spot for someone like me who lives in chicago. and i certainly didnt try enough dishes to judge the place. it was pretty empty today at lunchtime. the service was quick and friendly. thanks again for all the evanston suggestions which i will hang on to. justjoan

justjoan wrote:we went to the Thai Pavilion in Skokie.

That was a good choice from the standpoint of being located in a strip mall, with easy access for your friend.

I've been there twice. The first time we ordered off the menu for dinner and we thought it was quite good. The second time we had the buffet lunch and we thought it was just so-so (even after taking into account the fact that steam table food is never as good as food made to order).

No, it's not open for lunch. Too bad, too, since it's excellent, the best Italian place in Evanston.

Campagnola would like to have a word with you.

sundevilpeg wrote:

No, it's not open for lunch. Too bad, too, since it's excellent, the best Italian place in Evanston.

Campagnola would like to have a word with you.

I've been to Campagnola numerous times (and the same for Va Pensiero). Often it's pretty good, sometimes it's just okay, but it's never been truly excellent. The last time I went there, it seemed like every single dish on the menu had beans in it. Feh. But overall, Campagnola is decent. (Unlike a couple of mediocre Italian places on the same block of Chicago Avenue about a mile north of Campagnola.)

OTOH, every meal I've had at Va Pensiero has been simply outstanding. IOW, every meal I've had at Va Pensiero has been far better in every way than any meal I've had at Campagnola.

I've been to Campagnola numerous times (and the same for Va Pensiero). Often it's pretty good, sometimes it's just okay, but it's never been truly excellent. The last time I went there, it seemed like every single dish on the menu had beans in it. Feh. But overall, Campagnola is decent. (Unlike a couple of mediocre Italian places on the same block of Chicago Avenue about a mile north of Campagnola.)

OTOH, every meal I've had at Va Pensiero has been simply outstanding. IOW, every meal I've had at Va Pensiero has been far better in every way than any meal I've had at Campagnola.

How interesting. I feel exactly the opposite.

Umm, Dave's Italian Kitchen? That place rocks your face.

Scotty2Hotty wrote:Umm, Dave's Italian Kitchen? That place rocks your face.

I didn't think Dave's was open for lunch. Have the hours there changed?

Scotty2Hotty wrote:Umm, Dave's Italian Kitchen? That place rocks your face.

I'm not sure if that's a good thing, or a bad thing. What I am sure of is that the meal I ate at Dave's Italian Kitchen was the absolutely worst meal I had all last year. And I explained why in this topic, discussing Gio as well as Dave's:

nsxtasy wrote:The last two dinners I've had, the food at both has been terrible, meaning "unpleasant; disagreeable". I already described my bad food at Gio above. While my expectations for Dave's were lower, due to the low price, I expected edible, but that would be a highly generous and undeserved characterization of the food there. We had two dishes. One was veal in lemon sauce, which consisted of a few slices of veal with no breading and no taste, served over rotini in a liquid that I can only guess was the water in which the pasta was boiled. The dish had absolutely no lemon taste whatsoever. The other was a special, grilled chicken and provolone ravioli, in which the ravioli (including filling) had absolutely no taste, and were submerged in a tomato sauce that might have come from a jar at the supermarket (and from the cheap brand, too). Also, from the Department of Ewwww, I'd also like to know what the green-colored liquid in the olive oil dispensers on the tables is, because it sure doesn't taste like olive oil (although the serving of undistinguished bread without butter would lead one to expect it to be real olive oil).

I don't eat at expensive restaurants every time I eat out, and I don't expect the same thing when I'm paying $10 or $14 for an entree (the veal at Dave's is $13.95) as when I'm paying $20-30 or more. But I expect it to be better than, say, what I find in the frozen food department of my local supermarket. At both these meals, it wasn't; it was worse.

Those two meals, at Gio and Dave's, were the worst meals I had in 2007, by far. And there's no need for inexpensive Italian food to be that bad, with Panino's as a ready counterexample in Evanston.

nr706 wrote:I didn't think Dave's was open for lunch. Have the hours there changed?

The hours posted on their website say that they're only open for dinner.

rlguffman wrote:La Petit Amelia is a french bistro that serves lunch, though I've never been
618 Church St

La Petite Amelia no longer serves lunch. According to the person I spoke with at the restaurant, the owner made the decision to close LPA for lunch in order to devote resources to getting Omaggio up and running successfully.

I think Dave's is great... yeh its not real Italian, but the prices are cheap and the quality of food good.

Gio isn't that bad, and I've had a few good meals there.

EvanstonFoodGuy wrote:I think Dave's is great... yeh its not real Italian, but the prices are cheap and the quality of food good.

Gio isn't that bad, and I've had a few good meals there.

I like Dave's, but as noted above, I think that 4 pm might be a little late for a nice lunch.

Dave's Italian Kitchen wrote:Sunday through Thursday
4:00-10:00 PM

Friday & Saturday
4:00-11:00 PM

I've also never been a fan of Gio - I think Giovanni Garelli's other restaurant in the same block, Tapas Barcelona, is a much better lunch option (nobody goes there for dinner any more - it's too crowded).

Tapas Barcelona
1615 Chicago Ave.
Evanston
(847) 866-9900

nr706 wrote:

EvanstonFoodGuy wrote:I think Dave's is great... yeh its not real Italian, but the prices are cheap and the quality of food good.

Gio isn't that bad, and I've had a few good meals there.

I like Dave's, but as noted above, I think that 4 pm might be a little late for a nice lunch.

Dave's Italian Kitchen wrote:Sunday through Thursday
4:00-10:00 PM

Friday & Saturday
4:00-11:00 PM

I've also never been a fan of Gio - I think Giovanni Garelli's other restaurant in the same block, Tapas Barcelona, is a much better lunch option (nobody goes there for dinner any more - it's too crowded).

Tapas Barcelona
1615 Chicago Ave.
Evanston
(847) 866-9900

Yes I know I was just putting in my 2 cents on Dave's and Gio is okay not great but I wouldn't call it awful like the poster above.