Near Park West

Going to the Park west for a show next week with a not super adventurous friend. Looking for places within walking distance that are not too "out there" , I guess no Korean, Thai, etc. Won't have more than about 45-60 minutes of eating time pre-show, so that is a factor.

Thoughts?

Stanley's? Good fried chicken.

www.rjgruntschicago.com‎

On a slightly more upscale note, Perennial is quite close. I have not eaten there, but I have heard good things about it.

Perennial
1800 N Lincoln Ave,
Chicago, Illinois 60614
(312) 981-7070
http://www.perennialchicago.com

Original Pancake House is in the high-rise on the corner. Don't laugh. Great omelets and crepes, and their huge apple pancake.

Other decent places close by include Terragusto and Riccardo Trattoria.

It may be difficult to eat in 45-60 minutes at most places. Especially if they're not in the immediate vicinity and you have to add in walking time to and from. You may want to call ahead and discuss your time constraints with any place you're considering, to see if they will be able to meet them.

Two other threads on the same subject:

Dinner Before a Show at the Park West?

Dinner near Park West

Some places that are within walking distance/bus/taxi:

Cafe Iberico - Always decent fun eats and sangria:
737 N Lasalle Blvd
Chicago, IL 60654-5044
(312) 573-1510
http://www.cafeiberico.com/

Ponzu - Prepared and serviced by an all Japanese chef and staff. BYOB will small corkage fee, or they serve beer/wine/sake at reasonable prices:
2407 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614-2717
(773) 549-8890
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=19492&hilit=ponzu

Green Tea - Very casual and small BYOB. Service was very fast if you dine before the rush and let them know of your time constraint, true with any of the restaurants on this list.
2206 N Clark st
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 883-8812

Of course, if you wish to go upscale, there are always:
Mon Ami Gabi
http://www.monamigabi.com/chicago
2300 N. Lincoln Park West
Chicago, IL 60614

Those are all great suggestions. If it were me, my choice would probably be Riccardo Trattoria. It's practically around the corner and is my current favorite trattoria in Chicago. Riccardo is turning out some wonderful dishes these days.

Riccardo Trattoria
2119 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 549-0038

stevez wrote:Those are all great suggestions. If it were me, my choice would probably be Riccardo Trattoria. It's practically around the corner and is my current favorite trattoria in Chicago. Riccardo is turning out some wonderful dishes these days.

Riccardo Trattoria
2119 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 549-0038

This would be a no-brainer for me. Just adding link to their menu for your consideration:
http://www.riccardotrattoria.com/menu.htm

petite_gourmande wrote:Cafe Iberico

Cafe Iberico isn't all that close to Park West. All the other places mentioned here are within a half mile, but Cafe Iberico is three times that distance. Plus the fact that they don't take reservations makes it riskier if you have a time constraint.

nsxtasy wrote:

petite_gourmande wrote:Cafe Iberico

Cafe Iberico isn't all that close to Park West. All the other places mentioned here are within a half mile, but Cafe Iberico is three times that distance.

A girl that is measurement challenged? How long is it again? That much?

I can't remember why, but my friends and I used to always meet up at the Rannalli's Pizza on Lincoln before going to the Park West. This was more than a couple of decades ago, so our choice was probably more influenced by the beer list than the food (As I recall, the "double decker" stuffed pizza was actually not too bad. It was quite filling and made a cost effective beer-sponge for a bunch of broke 20-somethings ). The old location had outdoor seating along Lincoln Ave, which was perfect for a gaggle of drunken and obnoxious leather-jacketed rowdies headed out for a night on the town. I don't know if the new location has outdoor tables (I haven't been there in 20 years).

The drinks at PW were crappy and expensive (and still are), so we used to get a buzz on before we went. It also seems to be SOP at The Park West these days, to open the doors long before the first act takes the stage, to allow plenty of time to hawk overpriced watery* beverages in plastic cups to the bored crowd. According to Rannalli's web site, they serve Bell's two-hearted ale on tap, which clinches the deal for me. They also claim to have "doubled" their craft beer selection making them "the best beer bar in Lincoln Park!" On closer inspection of the menu, however, it seems that they doubled the only 2 "craft beers" offered to 4, that is, unless you count Stella and Blue Moon as "craft" beers (I guess the beer bar bar is kinda low in Lincoln Park). Still, any place with 2-hearted ale on tap can't totally suck.

*I call the drinks watery, because they get warm and the ice melts before they reach your table. I am not implying that Park West dilutes their booze.

Rocco Ranalli's
Cafe & Pizzeria
1925 North Lincoln Avenue
CHICAGO, IL 60614

PS. Why is the place now called "Rocco" Ranalli's?