Recent Photos: Katy's, Greek Islands

Well, I'm gearing up for our nearly annual anniversary trip to Chicago. Being Iowan's and about 4 hours away, we look forward to some decent food we can't get here.

Is K's Dumplings still tops on peoples lists for noodles & dumplings? Our last visit (and only visit so far) was good. My wife loved it, I found it a tad bland but good.

We're also looking for some new places to try. We're more interested in the type of places like K's, Hot Dougs, etc. Maybe one or two nicer places would be OK too.

Any suggestions?

Also, any suggestions for staying on the North Shore? We've driven up Lake Shore in the spring and loved it toward the North end. Thought maybe we'd stay that direction instead of Schaumburg area where we typically stay.

EDIT: Follow-up

Well just finished processing some of my shots from our recent Chicago trip.

We timed our travel to arrive just in time for a late lunch at Katy's Naperville location, not much to look at but for those of you who haven't been:



First up, the ubiquitous Dan Dan noodles. I have to say I was looking forward to a dryer version from the original Katy's but in our opinion this was bit too dry. Still very good and the noodles are stupendous.



Our first time trying chicken Crack. This stuff is very unusual in that it is tasty but not great. The unusual bit is that you can't stop eating it! I suspect it's horribly bad for you.



By far my favorite were the Chengdu Dumplings. Just what I wanted.





Our next stop, the next day, was Greek Islands. This place is really top notch as far as Greek food is concerned. I'm Mediterranean (not Greek) so this food appeals to me naturally but my wife (mostly German) can't come to Chicago without a visit. We took a close Greek friend here a couple years ago who grew up in Greece, he commented that it was better than most the better Greek places he knew of in Greece.

First, Octopus salad, cold, served in a olive oil lemon dressing. Always excellent and a must have.



The old standby, Saganaki. Not fried well enough this time but still tasty.



Loukanico (orange flavored sausage) & Keftedes (meatballs). The Loukanico was not to my liking, the orange was overpowering and the sausage too dry. The Keftedes were very good and tasty.



Chicken Riganati. This is an Americanized dish, more akin to something Italian. Still, it;s hard to beat the expert roasting they do at GI, the meat is always succulent and the sauce is fantastic. Don't ever skip the rice and potatoes, they are one of the staples.




That's it for pictures. On a side note, we ordered some chips from the Uncle Julio's next to our hotel one night. I have to say that the chips they have (I called, they are made somewhere in Chicago for Uncle Julio's) are the best I've ever had. They are obscenely thin and light, you can't quit eating them!

Two interesting places to stay on the North Shore, both old, historic, and with a lot of personality - Margarita Inn (also home to a nice Italian restaurant, Va Pensiero), and The Homestead (also home to another very good restaurant, Quince).

Both are easy walking distance to two great places that have a bit of Hot Doug's vibe to them - Edzo's and Wiener and Still Champion (I'm an especially big fan of the latter).

Just a start on suggestions, but I'm a fan of Evanston.

Have a look at the Deerpath Inn in Lake Forest...
http://www.dpihotel.com/

We're still trying to book a room for a culinary 3 days 2 nights in Chi. I've stayed in a Hyatt Place before and found it quite nice for the money (other suggestions appreciated though!).

These are the areas available. We initially thought of somewhere on the North shore but couldn't find any hotels that looked updated and affordable.

I realize this isn't a food question but this is my Go To forum for Chicago help.

EDIT: Judging by the replies, I REALLY dropped the ball here. I should have prefaced everything by saying:

- we come to Chicago 2-3 times a year
- we know our way around fairly well
- we typically stay in the burbs because we don't mind driving in to eat and it's much cheaper typically
- we know fairly well where we want to eat: Katy's, LSC, Greek Islands (Halsted) and some kind of authentic Mexican if we can find something. Location for eats is a minor issue, we don't mind driving as it's the primary reason for our visit (eating!).

What I was really looking for was any personal opinions of somewhere to stay in any of these areas. Also, if there is anything worth seeing in these burbs.

Sorry for the poor OP.

If I were doing a culinary trip to the Chicago area, I would be going into the city (or, at least, driving some distance to other suburbs) no matter which of those locations I were staying at. I'm not saying there's no good food in the suburbs; there is some, although the quality and variety are both generally greater in the city itself. However, big hotels have a tendency to be built in areas when they are developing rapidly, and those areas tend to be home to chain restaurants rather than the unique places that result from an individual entrepreneur's vision. When you look at the best restaurants in the suburbs - upscale places such as Tallgrass (Lockport), Michael (Winnetka), or Vie (Western Springs), or casual places such as La Casa de Samuel (Highwood) or Xni-Pec (Cicero) - they're not located in the "suburban strip" developments off the highway where large hotels are located.

Another option would be to stay in the city, which could save you money by skipping a rental car; you can get some awesome room rates on Hotwire and Priceline, as long as you don't mind the downsides of those "opaque" sites (inability to change dates or cancel for a refund, inability to specify a precise hotel rather than a star level and general location).

This is one of those "Who's the tallest midget?" types of questions. Can you vote none of the above?

nsxtasy wrote:Another option would be to stay in the city, which could save you money by skipping a rental car; you can get some awesome room rates on Hotwire and Priceline, as long as you don't mind the downsides of those "opaque" sites (inability to change dates or cancel for a refund, inability to specify a precise hotel rather than a star level and general location).

I just typed some dates in a few weeks into Hotwire's website, and here are the room rates they're showing per night for two people in downtown areas. They classify hotels by star rating; examples include:

4.5 stars - Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred
4 stars - Intercontinental, Hyatt, Omni
3.5 stars - Hilton, Crowne Plaza
3 stars - Radisson, Doubletree, Holiday Inn

"Magnificent Mile - Streeterville" (what us locals would call River North):
4.5 star $92
4 star $66
3.5 star $63
3 star $48

"North Michigan Avenue - Water Tower - Gold Coast":
4.5 star $122
4 star $76
3.5 star $66
3 star $69

"Loop":
4 star $79
3.5 star $69
3 star $85

I've found that you can often bid rates on Priceline that are $5-10 lower than Hotwire and get accepted.

Any of these areas would put you within walking distance of a huge variety of our better restaurants, as well as near public transportation for traveling to outlying city neighborhoods, suburban towns, and both airports. (For public transportation information within the city, see the CTA website; for the suburbs, Metra provides commuter trains and Pace has suburban bus service. The Goroo website covers all agencies but their directions function isn't always accurate.)

Abouna wrote:We're still trying to book a room for a culinary 3 days 2 nights in Chi. I've stayed in a Hyatt Place before and found it quite nice for the money (other suggestions appreciated though!).

These are the areas available. We initially thought of somewhere on the North shore but couldn't find any hotels that looked updated and affordable.

I realize this isn't a food question but this is my Go To forum for Chicago help.

If you do not mind driving into the city, one of the better deals on Hotwire and Priceline has been the Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's Headquarters which is generally available at $35-45/ night. Request one of their King rooms as they are one of the better rooms around.

Right now, you will be able to get a 3* in the Schaumburg or the Hoffman Estate areas for around $35 + taxes and fees on Priceline. In general, I bid a minimum of 25% off of the Hotwire price in large cities and I am usually successful.

For information on Priceline bidding (using the "Name your own price" dunction), see Biddingfortravel.com.

Abouna wrote:We initially thought of somewhere on the North shore but couldn't find any hotels that looked updated and affordable.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. New construction/ruling out well-maintained vintage hotels? You probably won't find a lot of new construction on the North Shore (and be aware, the North Shore Westin isn't on the North Shore). The Hilton Garden Inn in Evanston is about the only thing I can think of.

For me, though, I'd choose proximity to your culinary destinations over hotel amenities. When I'm in a great city, I want to spend my time out exploring; I don't want to be holed up in a hotel room, no matter how posh.

nsxtasy wrote:I've found that you can often bid rates on Priceline that are $5-10 lower than Hotwire and get accepted.

I was referring to the "name your own price" function on Priceline.

jlawrence01 wrote:In general, I bid a minimum of 25% off of the Hotwire price in large cities and I am usually successful.

For information on Priceline bidding (using the "Name your own price" dunction), see Biddingfortravel.com.

Yup. I suspect that the biggest mistake people make on Priceline is bidding too high (i.e. higher than needed to get a bid accepted), rather than too low. What isn't all that well known is that, if your bid is rejected, you can re-bid a higher price after waiting 24 hours. So the best strategy (as long as you have the time and the patience) is to start out by bidding a ridiculously low price. When it's rejected, wait 24 hours and bid a price a few bucks higher. Keep doing this until your bid is accepted, or until your bid price is as high as Hotwire - in which case it makes more sense to make the reservation on Hotwire. However, I almost always get a lower bid accepted on Priceline before reaching that point. (When following this strategy, you need to ignore any warnings on Priceline that your bid is so low that there's only a small chance it will be accepted.)

All of the above is usually true for just about any location, whether it's Chicago suburbs, downtown Chicago, or just about anywhere else in the country (and I've done it in Canada, too). It also works for 1- and 2-star hotels, if that's what you prefer, although with those you can often find deals on hotels' own websites that are just as good as Hotwire/Priceline.

nsxtasy wrote:All of the above is usually true for just about any location, whether it's Chicago suburbs, downtown Chicago, or just about anywhere else in the country (and I've done it in Canada, too). It also works for 1- and 2-star hotels, if that's what you prefer, although with those you can often find deals on hotels' own websites that are just as good as Hotwire/Priceline.

When I am in a real jam (usually when I am on the road), I will find out what the local Motel 6 is charging and bid that on a 3* and generally get it.

Priceline has really worked for me in MOST markets - except for Las Vegas and Reno which are generally cheaper using the property's own websites.

If the OP is looking for the cheapest deals, look at the 2* properties in Oak Brook and Lombard. You can generally get one of the two Homestead or Extended Stay properties on Pasquinelli Rd. or Technology Rd. for around $25. The properties are NOT to be confused with a Marriott or a Hilton BUT they offer decent, basic, and clean accommodation.

The deals are PHENOMENAL in markets like Detroit (Embassy Suites for $35) and not as great in some of the smaller cities, where you may be lucky to save more than $10-15.

As always, check around to see what rates are available BEFORE going to Priceline and Hotwire.

A few months ago when I had dinner at A Tavola I got a room on Priceline for sixty dollars at the Embassy suites on State St. in River North. It was a short drive to the restaurant and and also many other places to eat. I'd certainly stay in the city.

jlawrence01 wrote:If the OP is looking for the cheapest deals, look at the 2* properties in Oak Brook and Lombard. You can generally get one of the two Homestead or Extended Stay properties on Pasquinelli Rd. or Technology Rd. for around $25. The properties are NOT to be confused with a Marriott or a Hilton BUT they offer decent, basic, and clean accommodation.

Just to add a comment to what jlawrence01 has said here... I've gotten exactly the same kind of rates at those chains in other cities through Priceline. I've told this to people who don't have Priceline experience, and they look at me like I'm recommending some kind of dump, because that's the only kind of place they can envision for $25. That's not the case with the two chains named. Their rooms are usually suites, sometimes with a separate bedroom from living room, usually with a small kitchenette in them, complete with smallish refrigerator, range, and a limited supply of dishware and cookware. (Think new appliances and construction.) They are modern and clean. Why are they so inexpensive? They don't have costly amenities of luxury hotels like a swimming pool, concierge, valet, bellmen/bellwomen, on-site restaurant (or even ice and vending machines), that sort of thing. They are often located in less prominent locations than the luxury hotels right on/off the main highway. My understanding is that those suites hotels are often used by folks working out of town on business, and they often have excess capacity on weekends. Priceline is a way for them to get some revenue from their excess weekend capacity without publicizing low room rates for everyone to take advantage of.

No suggestions on the hotel, but might I suggest, instead of Greek Islands, that you give Mythos a try? It blows all of the Greektown places I've been to, including Greek Islands, out of the water in terms of authenticity, freshness, and flavor. A friend of mine lived in Greece for several years, and when she first moved here, I took her to Greek Islands because I know she's a huge fan of Greek food. She was completely underwhelmed. When Mythos opened, we gave it a try, expecting it to be more of the same. Boy, were we wrong--it's phenomenal. We've since become regulars there, and it's among my favorite places in the city.

Abouna wrote:Is K's Dumplings still tops on peoples lists for noodles & dumplings? Our last visit (and only visit so far) was good. My wife loved it, I found it a tad bland but good.

We're also looking for some new places to try. We're more interested in the type of places like K's, Hot Dougs, etc. Maybe one or two nicer places would be OK too.

Any suggestions?

Since you enjoy Chinese food but you found the dumpling place a bit bland, I recommend going to Chinatown. Two Szechuan restaurants there receive a lot of praise here. Although both have excellent food, I've found that I prefer Double Li over Lao Sze Chuan. Ben Li, the owner of Double Li, is usually in the dining room and is happy to make helpful suggestions when ordering; this is a huge advantage over Lao Sze Chuan, where the waitstaff is generally not much help at all.

I also recommend that you try some of our creative provincial Mexican cuisine, something not often found elsewhere around the country. Prime places include Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in River North (downtown), Mundial Cocina Mestiza in Pilsen (a few miles southwest of downtown), and Mixteco Grill on the North Side.

If you've never had authentic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, it's delicious and worth trying while you're here, for either lunch or dinner. Some of the best places to have it include Uno and Due (downtown locations only) and Lou Malnati's for single-crust deep-dish "pizza in the pan", and Giordano's for double-crust "stuffed pizza", with multiple locations around town. Wherever you get it, you can phone ahead with your pizza order to avoid waiting 30-45 minutes while seated for your pizza to bake.

For a nicer meal, there are so many many places that it's hard to narrow it down to just a few, especially since you haven't really figured out where you're staying. If I had to name just a few, though, and assuming you don't want to go to the high-end expensive splurge places - (if you do, go to Alinea) - I'd recommend these:

Cafe des Architectes - Contemporary American, Chicago/Magnificent Mile
North Pond - Contemporary American, Chicago/Lincoln Park
Michael - Contemporary American, north suburban Winnetka
Vie - Contemporary American, west suburban Western Springs
David Burke's Primehouse - Steakhouse (great Sunday brunch), Chicago/River North

Here are four more that are also nice, but a bit less expensive than the previous group:

Cafe Spiaggia - Italian, Chicago/Magnificent Mile
Shaw's - Seafood, Chicago/River North and Schaumburg
La Sardine - French Bistro, West Loop
Mercat a la Planxa - Tapas, South Loop

There are lots more places all over the place, of course; these are among the best around town. Once you decide where you're staying, there may be some places we could recommend that are close to where you're staying. And if there are particular types of food you're interested in, we can recommend specific places along those lines too.

Updated Original Post!

Nice photos! Thanks for following up.