Any Real Food Walkable from Magnificent Mile?

I've spent the last six hours reading this and the GNR boards. I've been participating on online food forums since the 1980s and I daresay that LTH is a spectacular resource. I was very unhappy when you valuable Chowhound posters fled to your own board, but there's little doubt at this point that it was the right thing to do. You have much to be proud of.

Every time I come here for help, it's always been with some horrific constraints and this is no exception. I'm coming for an academic convention and staying at the Marriott smack dab in the middle of the Magnificent Mile. I am unofficial culinary tour guide for a group ranging from 4-6, and they are a fairly adventurous. I have a list of twenty or so places I'd like to go for dinner, when we don't have time issues.

The schedule of the convention is very tight with no time for proper lunches unless you blow off some of the programming (which I am hoping to do. I was wondering if there is anything of interest (even single specialties that won't comprise a real meal, such as a great bread or sandwich or coffee) that might be walkable and preferably fast. I'm not expecting miracles.

There is actually very little specifically about the MM or Michigan Ave. here in the last five years, which makes me pessimistic, but any thoughts you have would be most appreciated.

For "real" meals right nearby, it sounds like Purple Pig and Silver Spoon are two possibilities. From glancing at the menu, it looks like SS has abandoned it's Japanese fusion ambitions. I'm hoping to enjoy at least a couple of Thai dinners, but wondered whether this might be a place to sneak off to if we do have some time for a quickish lunch.

Purple Pig is a good choice. I'd also recommend The Gage right on Michigan Ave across from Millenium Park.

Some ideas that are relatively short walks from where you will be:

For a quick breakfast, you can get very good croissants from Hendrixx Belgian Breads (100 E. Walton). They have sandwiches, salads, soups and quiches, but I've only had their croissants, which are always up for discussion in the best croissants in Chicago.

The name Da Lobsta (12 E. Cedar) might frighten you away, but the lobster rolls here are very respectable. Rather limited seating, but very fast.

I'm a big fan of the sandwiches at Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine (53 E. Lake). I seem to recall they have limited seating at this location but I can't recall. It's probably a ten minute walk from the Marriott.

Xoco (449 N. Clark), the Rick Bayless fast food concept, is terrific but I'm assuming it still gets pretty packed for lunch.

You can always find respectable sandwiches, salads and the like at Pierrot Gourmet at the Peninsula (108 E. Superior), but it's pretty expensive for lunch. Their macarons are outstanding.

I haven't been to Siliver Spoon in so long so I can't really offer any insight.

It's already been mentioned but I'll second Xoco. It's excellent and only about a half-mile from the hotel.

Cafecito is great, too and is about a mile from the hotel.

I've never been there but several folks here enjoy UB Dogs, which may provide a nice local delicacy for your fellow visitors.

Is Hannah's Bretzel still any good? It's been years since I was there but it's also only about a mile from the hotel and it used to be pretty decent.

=R=

Xoco
449 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 334-3688

Cafecito
26 E Congress Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-2233

UB Dogs
185 N Franklin St
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 251-7009

Hannah's Bretzel
180 W Washington St
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 621-1111

Wow, already way more good tips than I expected (I didn't realize Xoco was so close). Thanks and keep 'em coming!

Since your time is limited, be very careful with your timing at the Purple Pig, which doesn't accept reservations. You can encounter waits of an hour to be seated at lunchtime, and two hours is not uncommon during the dinner hours. If you can break away from your conference at non meal times - for example, during the afternoon between roughly 1:30 and 4:30 - you can find immediate seating.

There are some other excellent places nearby, which don't involve long waits. Sable, a couple of blocks from the Marriott, is one of my favorites; it offers contemporary American food in a small plates format. Also close by are Emilio's Sol y Nieve for tapas, Coco Pazzo Café for Italian (although personally for Italian I'd walk the few extra blocks to Piccolo Sogno Due), Shaw's for seafood, TRU for fine dining (dinner only), Quartino for Italian small plates, and Eataly for everything Italian. I'd also recommend Frontera Grill and Topolobampo for contemporary American; you can now make reservations for Frontera on cityeats.com. All of these are within 2-4 blocks; extend your distance to 6-8 blocks, and you can hit GT Fish & Oyster for seafood small plates, Brindille for French, Naha for finer dining, and Meli Café on Wells for breakfast. Also the original Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due, and Lou Malnati's on Wells, for our delicious deep-dish pizza. Note that Lou Malnati's lets you phone ahead with your pizza order so they'll have it ready for you when you arrive and you don't have to wait 30-45 minutes while seated for your pizza to bake, but I don't think Uno and Due offer that service.

With the exception of the pizza places, most of these others accept reservations on Opentable, and reservations may be a good idea if you're dining during the busy lunch or dinner time slots.

You may want to check distances, as some of the other recommendations already posted here are in the far end of the Loop or towards the north end of the Mag Mile, so you may be looking at a 10-20 minutes walk. Maybe that's okay, but it sounds like you want to keep it closer to the Marriott.

Other places I'd recommend which are not full restaurants include Toni Patisserie for French breads and pastries (MUCH better than Hendrickxx IMHO), Intelligentsia Coffee on Randolph for coffee, Garrett Popcorn on Michigan for caramel and cheese popcorn, and Glazed and Infused on East Hubbard, Firecakes on West Hubbard, and Do-Rite in the Loop for donuts.

Also, if you get the time, a trip to the French Market may be worthwhile, even though it's about a mile away. It's a public market which has booths for some of our very best restaurants and food stores of their kind in the city, including Pastoral for cheese and sandwiches, Fumare for Montreal-style smoked meat, Vanille Patisserie for French breads and pastries, Lillie's Q for barbecue, and Saigon Sisters for banh mi and pho.

You mention Thai restaurants. Be forewarned, the ones near the Mag Mile are nothing special. If you want good Thai cuisine, you'll want to consider taking the time to travel to the neighborhoods where you'll find places like Andy's Thai Kitchen and Rainbow Thai Cuisine. If you can't take the time, I think you'd be better off doing some of these other non-Thai places that are close by, rather than the Thai places near the Mag Mile.

I may be an outlier on this Forum liking it, but damn I do. Billy Goat Tavern is just one layer below you for a double on kaiser, all the pickles you can eat.

For good Armenian food, Sayat Nova is only a few blocks from where you will be staying. N.b., I haven't been there for a few years. Love to hear a current report on it.

Hey Dave,

Eataly is around the corner from you and is much less hectic than the ny version. You can be in and out with a very good sandwich and the best gelato around in 20 minutes or less. If you have 40 minutes, go upstairs for fantastic Neapolitan pizza. In the evening, for a quick glass if wine and excellent cheese/ charcuterie selection, go to Eno in the Intercontinental, across the street from Purple Pig. Also of note, xoco is open for breakfast and does a great job, without the lunch style crowds. As BR noted above, Hendricks is great, not just for the croissants, but the sandwiches and really anything with their terrific breads.

Kenny

Kennyz wrote:Hey Dave,

Eataly is around the corner from you and is much less hectic than the ny version. You can be in and out with a very good sandwich and the best gelato around in 20 minutes or less. If you have 40 minutes, go upstairs for fantastic Neapolitan pizza. In the evening, for a quick glass if wine and excellent cheese/ charcuterie selection, go to Eno in the Intercontinental, across the street from Purple Pig. Also of note, xoco is open for breakfast and does a great job, without the lunch style crowds. As BR noted above, Hendricks is great, not just for the croissants, but the sandwiches and really anything with their terrific breads.

Kenny

One thing at Eataly I think others may like less than me is the focaccia -- quite frankly, the texture seems more pizza bread than focaccia. Nonetheless, I think it's terrific and pretty inexpensive. If you don't mind standing and eating, it makes for a quick and great lunch. I can't believe I didn't remember Eataly when I first posted. Note that seating can be very difficult at lunch hour, but you can always take food to go or eat standing up.

Volare and Cicchetti are both in the hood.

Naf Naf Grill's Michigan Ave location would be a short walk away and you can preorder online to skip the inevitable lunch rush lines.

Naf Naf Grill
326 N. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60601

BR wrote:I can't believe I didn't remember Eataly when I first posted. Note that seating can be very difficult at lunch hour, but you can always take food to go or eat standing up.

I think it's going to take a while for many of us to think of Eataly, just because it's new and not yet part of our "regular rotation" when visiting River North. I didn't think of it right away, either, when I first wrote my lengthy post above, and added it as I was re-reading and editing my post before finishing it and walking away. Also, for many of us, going there is something we think of as a "spend several hours" type of shopping/eating experience, even though, as you and Kennyz accurately note, if time is short, you can be in and out in little more than a few minutes, with some mighty fine food to eat.

If Xoco is very crowded (or at an off-hour for a quick taste) you can always get an authentic Mexican hot chocolate and one of the best churros in town to go for a snack. Xoco, by the way, does do breakfast, and they are usually less crowded then than at lunch.

By the way, if you're looking for a quick inexpensive lunch, La Madia usually has pretty good salad/pizza deals. Their Neapolitan style pizza, while not the best in town IMO, is still quite respectable.

The OP's premise that there wouldn't be "real food" near the Mag Mile is curious. Sure, there are a few touristy spots, but it's the Gold Coast, there are tons of great spots in the vicinity.

If you get the chance, walk over to the new Lou Malnati's Gold Coast location at 1120 North State Street. It's truly a beautiful location in every sense of the word, and their classic Chicago deep dish pizza with sausage is as old school Chicago as you can get. When the weather is nice, they have outdoor seating, too. And get the buttercrust for the extra .75 cents with some of their housemade creamy lemon garlic dressing to dip the pizza into. This is Chicago pizza as good as it gets.

And you can never go wrong with the classic simple cheese and sausage deep dish at the original Pizzeria Uno or their sister location, Pizzeria Due down the block. And for thin crust, go to Pizano's at 61 E. Madison for their cheese and sausage thin buttercrust. Good stuff.

spinynorman99 wrote:The OP's premise that there wouldn't be "real food" near the Mag Mile is curious. Sure, there are a few touristy spots, but it's the Gold Coast, there are tons of great spots in the vicinity.

I think some folks who don't live here in Chicago just automatically (and erroneously) assume that any neighborhood full of big luxury hotels will be full of restaurants that cater to tourists and are overpriced and not very creative, presumably also erroneously assuming no locals actually live in or visit such neighborhoods. Those of us who live here know that this is not an accurate picture; many locals do live in the Gold Coast, River North, and Streeterville, and many other locals who live elsewhere often visit these areas because some of our best, most creative restaurants, at all price points, are located there.

If you're strapped for time at lunch, Xoco does a good "pre-order online for carryout at a specific time" service - you can find the details here http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/xoco/

(They also do carryout any time if you show up, useful if you show up & they are strapped for space to sit, but you'll have to wait for them to fill your order, unlike the online system where they'll have your order ready when you specify).

I AM ignorant about the MM, and made assumptions based on seeing so few posts about the area. I've never stayed on Michigan Ave. and can only remember eating at the Bayless places in the past. If only for selfish reasons, I'm happy to be wrong! Thanks so much for all of your ideas -- exactly what I was looking for.

Tempo corner of chestnut and state for breakfast. Cash only. Ham from the bone, OJ to order. Exc home fries.

MUST go to Aroy, an easy shot via red and brown line or by taxi with an EL stop and plentiful taxis across the street. A do not miss. Promise me. Byob btw.

Xoco is vg, very crowded and a bit pricey for what you get.

If you have a budget for cab fare Psistaria. It's a bit far however. Else Greek Islands.

Avec in the west loop. As noisy and loud as the food is good. And the food is quite good indeed.

Aroy. Aroy. Aroy.

You will eat well.

Steve,

You don't need to convince me about Aroy. It was the highlight of my last trip to Chicago.

I'm in Chicago now, and had a late lunch/early dinner at Xoco. Loved the Ahogada torta, and I am immensely proud to have left Xoco with no visible traces on my shirt or hands. The sikil pak, a pumpkin seed dip with sour orange, roasted tomatoes, and habanero chilies, was good, especially with the jicama (it also comes with cucumber slices and tortilla chips), but I eventually got a little tired of it, and found myself dipping the tortilla chips in the remnants of the broth from the torta.

spinynorman99 wrote:The OP's premise that there wouldn't be "real food" near the Mag Mile is curious. Sure, there are a few touristy spots, but it's the Gold Coast, there are tons of great spots in the vicinity.

As a resident of the Gold Coast, you took the words right out of my mouth. There's tons of good food that's walkable to the Mag Mile. People don't realize that between the Loop and River North, Gold Coast, and Streeterville there's close to or over 100,000 residents in the area, not to mention the South or West Loops which would probably bring that total up to something like 125,000 residents downtown. Residents who usually need real restaurants to go to.

Another one I haven't seen mentioned is Le Colonial. The food is pretty good and the upstairs lounge is great if you're into chill, dark lounges that make you feel like you're in SE Asia. Definitely a great, hidden spot in Chicago that's great if you want to just relax and have a drink or some good food. Purple Pig is of course great and I honestly prefer it to Girl & The Goat by a little bit - that is IF you can get in. There's also places like Gilt Bar and Bavette's in River North.

Another one might be Nico in the Gold Coast. I haven't had it yet, somehow, but it was rated one of the best new restaurants in America by GQ. Plus, Paul Kahan who co-won the James Beard Chef of the Year for the US owns it. Same with Cicchetti - I hear it's awesome. I can speak for Volare as it is pretty solid Italian food.

Tons more - tons of good and real food downtown

Ok, nsxstasy ninja'd most of what I was going to say, but I'd add Bar Toma, and Cafe Des Architectes (in the Sofitel hotel) to the list.

I haven't been to Bavette's yet, but have heard good things about it.