Quick recs for tonight, Loop-ish. Incl. elderly and picky.

Tried for Sable and Gage and both were booked.
Curry House might work, but 1 person maybe doesn't like that region. (It would be my personal first choice.)
Party of 5 incl. somewhat frail, elderly mom-in-law, and somewhat picky child.
Looking for nice, but relaxed. (All eths. OK, except Indian/Nepal, apparently.)
I don't dine in that area much, so not up to date on options.
Thanks.

would Nightwood be too far away?

How about Petterinos?
steak house-y but they have smaller portions too-
they took wonderful care of my super picky parents post theatre one time-
waiters could not have been nicer.

http://www.petterinos.com/
Petterino's
150 N. Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 422-0150


Also had a great experience at Rosebud prime-
similar steak and seafood kind of menu-
fabulous service -
awesome food
one of the best ceaser salads I've had- nice quiet ambience also you could have a conversation
sometimes that is nice for elders.

http://rosebudrestaurants.com/rest10.php
Rosebud Prime
1 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60603
Tel: 312-384-1900

I'll throw out The Florentine. Well executed, non-complicated Italian and right in the loop. The restaurant is up a flight of stairs but I believe there is also elevator access.

The Florentine (inside the JW Marriott)
151 West Adams Street
Chicago, IL 60603

I'm thinking Miller's Pub would be good. Its really old school and at the same time there are things on the menu a youngster might like.

Berghoff may have the atmosphere you are looking for? Have not been there for dinner in ages, so unsure of the current appeal there.

Sweetwater Tavern on Michigan is a little more lively (maybe too much so), but on a Monday night may be able to get in ok. Have found there bar food to be above average, but slightly pricey.

Florentine mentioned above was excellent when I have dined there in the past, they just changed chefs and have not been back since the change; but I did enjoy the atmosphere.

The loop is pretty tough to find interesting ethnic dinner options in my opinion (tough to find anything other than falafel lunch spots at all anymore), but Siam Rice is serviceable for standard American Thai fare.

Mercat?

I agree that the Florentine is a great option but may be a tough ticket (they can get busy). While The Berghoff may be a shell of its former self it may meet your needs.

spinynorman99 wrote:I agree that the Florentine is a great option but may be a tough ticket (they can get busy). While The Berghoff may be a shell of its former self it may meet your needs.

Table for 5 at The Florentine available on Opentable at 5, 5:45, 6, 6:30, 8, and 9.

City tavern has been getting good reviews.

Balsan has an opening at 6 and the menu is varied enough that you should be able to find something for everyone in your group.

Amata wrote:would Nightwood be too far away?

A great recommendation but they are closed on Mondays.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Amata wrote:would Nightwood be too far away?

A great recommendation but they are closed on Mondays.

=R=

Not according to their website. They are also showing availability on Open Table.

Amata wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Amata wrote:would Nightwood be too far away?

A great recommendation but they are closed on Mondays.

=R=

Not according to their website. They are also showing availability on Open Table.

Cool. That's great to know. I'd only checked Google, which shows them as being closed on Mondays. A call to the restaurant confirms that they are, in fact, open.

Thanks,

=R=

Ended up, after all that, at Chicago Curry House when the rumored prohibition proved to be false. Had a very nice dinner, which for 3 adults and an 11 yr. old came to about $112 before tip, including 3 beers, 2 desserts, and massala tea with leftovers to take away, which I thought was pretty good value for near the loop.
They asked about heat preferences and when we offered the not-very-helpful "moderate," what they produced seemed to me just that. A bit of burn, but nothing to overwhelm or unbalance the rest of the dish. Chicken momos were very pretty and very tasty. Lamb biryani was a very generous portion and flavorful. Three different nan were chewy, with just enough char, and very tasty.
Service was friendly and accommodating, but pacing stretched the definition of "leisurely" almost to the breaking point. Happily, it was a non-rushed evening with a beloved uncle in town on business, so we had plenty of time to relax.
Chicken kahdai and a vegetarian dish with potato and green beans were good but not utterly memorable.
All in all, I would definitely go back to dig deeper into the very large menu.

I didn't know about The Florentine at all prior to posting this query, so something else gained as well.

We ate at the Chicago Curry House recently, as well. We got there at 6:00 and were finished not long after 7:00, so we actually had a fairly swift meal for 4.
As for spice level, we also said moderate and I would ask for more next time. I'm not huge fan of heat, but very little was detectable in what we got.
Even with little heat, however, the food was rich with good depth of flavor. I also agree that the breads (we had naan and roti) were excellent. Great char.

Jonah

Along with the breads, I find that they do best with the Nepalese specialties. A bit too much cumin for me in the spinach--palungo ko saag--last night but others might feel differently about that; however, the chicken wings and the goat--khasi ko maasu--were again standouts for me. (They could probably turn up the heat, too, but that might require some arm-twisting; most of what I've had here has always been pretty mild.)