Birthday girl in need of restaurant ideas!

Hi everyone,

My birthday is on Tuesday and I have yet to find a place to go with my family to celebrate. I'm open to any suggestions but I would really love if anyone knew of a place that has a nostalgic, diner type feel to it. Anything will help!

We're in the Northwest suburbs but don't mind traveling a bit just nothing too ridiculously far.

Thanks!!

I would suggest Le Titi de Paris 1015 W. Dundee Road in Arlington Heights 847-506-0222.
It is an elegant and comfortable but not pretentious French restaurant with a very classic but still creative menu, with venison in season...
Great desserts.
Or, in a more affordable bistro style, the charming Barrington Country Bistro, 718 W, Northwest Highway in Barrington. 847-842-1300.
It is a blend of traditional French comfort bistro food, and more contemporary French-American cuisine.
Since Tuesday is usually a relatively slow day, You should not have any problem to get a reservation.

I'll second both of those suggestions (Le Titi de Paris and Barrington Country Bistro). They don't meet the "nostalgic diner" criterion, but it's your birthday - live a little!

Note that Le Titi de Paris has a coupon on their website for $20 off dinner.

Also note that both restaurants are open for a very nice lunch, in case you want to combine one with someplace else for dinner. (I've been to both for lunch during the past year, as well as Le Titi for dinner, and both were excellent.)

If you'd like to do something other than French, other possibilities include Yanni's in Arlington Heights for Greek, Shaw's in Schaumburg for seafood, and Seasons 52 in Schaumburg for healthy American. These, too, are all open for lunch as well as dinner.

Thank you both very much!! It was a sign that I would get French restaurant suggestions because I have a borderline ridiculous obsession with French culture so I did some research and have seemed to have found a great place: Mon Ami Gabi in Oak Brook. Hopefully it will live up to my expectations. Thanks again!!

I've been to Mon Ami Gabi in Oak Brook. It's pretty good; however, the food is more along the lines of traditional French bistro fare, and is not as creative as you'll find at Le Titi de Paris or BCB. And of course, Oak Brook is not in the northwest suburbs. Assuming you've looked at all the menus on their websites and Mon Ami Gabi sounds best to you, it's a fine place for a birthday dinner, especially with your interest in French cuisine.

Incidentally, Mon Ami Gabi is quite well known, even if it doesn't get many posts here on LTH. It was started in Lincoln Park on Chicago's north side by Gabino Sotelino, and was across the lobby of the Belden-Stratford from Ambria, his high-end restaurant. Ambria opened in 1980; the following year Sotelino opened Un Grand Cafe, which morphed into Mon Ami Gabi in 1998. The original location of Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park is still open; L2O is across the lobby in the space where Ambria was. The location of Mon Ami Gabi in Oak Brook opened in 2000 and they have three additional locations in other cities. In addition to Mon Ami Gabi, Sotelino is also chef-owner for Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in Lincoln Park and several other concepts in other U.S. cities. These are all part of Lettuce Entertain You.