Atmosphere: Da Luciano vs. Adobo Grill

My wife and I are going out to dinner with a great old friend I have recently reconnected with and his partner this Saturday night. He needs gluten free dining, so I want to go to either Da Luciano or Adobo Grill, both know for gluten-free dining. I have not been to either place.

Ambience and comfort will be important. I would like to be in a setting that is both comfortable and somewhat elegant. Atmosphere would be nice.

The photo I found of Da Luciano only shows a rather 'storefront' looking place. Adobo grill looks fairly 'ambient'...

Can anyone help me a little?

I've never been to Da Luciano but live near Adobo on Wells and have been there often. It's a pretty cheery room - and I've always had a good time there. It's quite lively - and can get a bit busy/noisy when really jumping but it's a friendly busy and I've never been bothered by it. I've often taken work colleagues there for a big group dinner and it's been a hit at a sensible price.

Food is solid - and everyone enjoys the guacamole table service. I'm quite partial to their tamarind chicken.

You've probably already made up your mind at this point, but maybe not. DaLuciano's is a dream experience for anyone with Celiac Disease. We have tons of options and can get a complete meal and by complete meal I can get garlic bread to go with my entree or salad and can have a real dessert, like cannoli, not just a scoop of boring ice cream. Having said that, there are a couple of downsides to DaLuciano's. The ambiance is or rather was a little lacking as it's very brightly lit and it is indeed in a storefront, but then again if your aim is the GF food then the ambiance is second to the food experience. I was last there about a year ago and the expansion wasn't completed so I'm not sure how it is now, but it's a generally bustling busy place in tight quarters that could be loud. Lastly and probably most importantly, do NOT even attempt to go there without a reservation. They seat anyone with a reservation before those without, regardless of how long one has been waiting.

I've been to Adobo Grill a couple of times and have never been wowed by it. While they do have a pretty good GF menu, they don't offer GF corn or tortilla chips to go along with their signature guacamole and that baffles me. I wish they would just go buy a bag of chips and keep them for people with CD. Sadly, the chip issue is a reason I don't go there.

Of the options you presented, I would choose DaLuciano's despite the ambiance issues.

Fattoush is another restaurant that has a great gluten-free menu and even offers a GF pita bread. However, their Check Please episode recently aired and it might be a little crowded.

Fattoush
2652 N. Halsted
Chicago
773-327-2652
http://www.fattoushrestaurant.com/