Dining near the Sofitel

We're planning a weekend at the Sofitel on Chestnut for a 50th birthday - friends and family, including parents in their 70s. Need something upscale, but very close to hotel (although will consider a short cab ride)

Can you provide us with more information, please? "Upscale" is too vague. What is the price range? How many guests? When? If you've got 50 people and are trying to get in somewhere on a Sat., that might be an issue. Do you want a private room?

This sounds like it might be an occasion for Avenues.

Avenues website:
http://chicago.peninsula.com/pch/dining_01.html

Recent discussions of Avenues on lth:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=8329

They have a private room for up to 12 people. Is this the kind of place you had in mind, KB?

Sorry so vague; the party will be for around 15 people. It's for my sister, and my brother-in-law was thinking Japonais, but I'm not sure that my 78-year-old parents would find the menu appealing. I mentioned in the post about keeping it near the hotel because my Dad has trouble walking. I know the Sofitel has a restaurant (Cafe Des Architectes) inside, but I haven't heard much about that. Again, a short cab ride might be doable.

Near the Sofitel... a lot depends on price range and whether you need a private room.

Mike Ditka's is a few blocks away on Chestnut.

Spiaggia and Cafe Spiaggia are within walking distance on Michigan Ave.

NoMi in the Park Hyatt is a few blocks away.

Bistro 110 is on Pearson.

If you go north, then you have Gibson's and Original Morton's. On Huron a few blocks south and to the east, you have TRU.

Japonais is trendy... very Vegas like. If that's the scene you want...

What about Spiaggia? They have a private room as well, and it's Italian, so I don't think the menu will be that shocking to your parents. The views going out onto Michigan Avenue are nice as well. There is a more casual counterpart, "Cafe Spiaggia," as well.

Spiaggia
980 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago
312-280-2750

What about the Pump Room? It's a classic setting, perfect for an occasion and has recently been written about very possitively on this thread

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5850

The Pump Room
1301 N. State
312-266-0360

Have you considered Merlo on Maple? It's in a lovely old brownstone just a couple of blocks from the Sofitel. They have delicious, upscale Italian food with wonderful wines and elegant service. It's certainly in the upper range, but nowhere near as expensive as Spiaggia, Avenues, et al.

Merlo on Maple
16 W. Maple Street
312.335.8200
http://www.merlochicago.com/

I've been at the Cafe inside the Sofitel for lunch and enjoyed it very much.

I just ate at Bistro 110 last Sunday night, pass! Over prced for what they deliver.

I had a good meal at Cafe Des Architectes when I was there, but I think there are better options. You can never go wrong with Spiaggia and it is very close, but very pricey. I love Merlo on Maple too -- I've spoken very highly of it in previous posts.

But I think your best choice would be Pane Caldo. The food is excellent, they can accommodate large parties, it's very upscale and it's a little less expensive than Spiaggia. It's also only a couple of blocks from the hotel. I also think that it's the perfect place to take your parents. The cuisine is largely Italian, some French.

Thanks to all who posted so far - many good ideas! Some would be a great balance for all ages/tastes, and others would be perfect for future dining excursions (I hope to try them all eventually). Ironically, my sister will be at the Peninsula/Avenues the weekend before for another function, so that wouldn't work. The males in my family would love Gibson's, Morton's, or Ditka's, but I think the birthday girl would prefer something on the order of Spiaggia, Merlo on Maple, or Pane Caldo. I love this board!

leek wrote:I've been at the Cafe inside the Sofitel for lunch and enjoyed it very much.

I did the same a few months back. Not exactly notable but a nice spot to kill an hour or two between check-out and a late afternoon flight. I really like the Sofitel in general. The Frenchiness is great.

Spiaggia is balls expensive. I was there tonight and, with the exception of but a couple French restaurants in this country, it was among the most expensive a la carte menus I've experienced. I thought it was quite good but not necessarily worth the price. I'll post a full report--along with others from North Pond, Primehouse, and Alinea--shortly. Although some of these may be a bit further away than what you're looking for they might still be applicable.

You could also consider Le Colonial - very good French Vietnamese about a 5 minute walk from the Sofitiel.

http://www.lecolonialchicago.com/

KB wrote:I love this board!

Please let us know where you decide to go, and tell us how it was. And if you can, take some pics of the food. Here's a thread about how to add photos to your post:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4944

For those who gave such great advice for my sister's 50th birthday, and who wanted a post-party report, I apologize for the delay and for not providing photos. Although my initial request was for something near the hotel, my dad needed a cab no matter what, so we went (not far) to Crofton on Wells. My brother-in-law called and spoke to Suzy Crofton herself, who was very accommodating. The atmosphere was intimate, the staff gave us a long corner table downstairs where we were able to display photos of my sister through the years, and Suzy Crofton made a delicious birthday cake (three chocolate layers with chocolate mousse filling and a thin chocolate frosting - not too rich, believe it or not).

I can't recall every single dish, but I do know that those who had the signature pork tenderloin loved it; my 11-year-old niece really liked the other signature entree, Amish Chicken, but I don't know how well-developed her palate is (kidding - I'm sure it was great). Two friends had wonderful Diver Scallops. My Dad and I had a braised Kobe Beef; I'm not much of a red meat person, but it was truly the best I've ever had. Dad, who is a huge red meat guy, said it was way up there for him as well. Opinions on a venison were mixed: two friends really liked it, but my husband thought that, although cooked perfectly, the sauce was a little sweet for his taste (it was made with apricot jam; venison usually needs a little sweetness to counteract the gaminess). Another friend said the halibut was very good.

Those who had salads said they were delicious (even Dad, who is rarely impressed by salad). I got a mini Lobster Roll appetizer that was good, but not worth the cost ($12). Speaking of cost, it was quite high, but no more so than some high-end places here in the suburbs with inferior food.

For breakfast the next morning we ate at the hotel restaurant, Cafe Des Architectes. Great croissants (it is a French hotel), and I loved my entree, a Benedict with a mini crab cake and perfect Hollandaise. The coffee and fresh-squeezed o.j. were continuously refilled, the basket of croissants was huge, and that was just for my husband and myself. The tab wasn't bad, either - just under $30 for two.

Again, thank you to all here; although we didn't eat right by the Sofitel after all, I am planning on going back to some of the places you suggested. I'm sure that my brother-in-law's original pick, Japonais, is good, but he made the best decision to go with Crofton on Wells, which had better choices for everyone.

I have only been to Crofton on Wells once (although I have eaten her food elsewhere) and I do not think you could have done much better. Sounds like a great choice and glad it worked out. In hindsight, that would have been a great recommendation since it's really a pretty short cab ride from the hotel.