Lunch near Merchandise Mart?

Dear all,

I will be hosting two students from UNC-Chapel Hill on the 21st for lunch; for fall break every year or so, journalism/communications/PR students come to town to shadow professionals and see what it would be like to live and work here. This is always an event I look forward to, and I am searching for a decent restaurant to take them to. Before we meet, they will be at a PR firm on the fourth floor of the Merchandise Mart (that is the most exact location I can discern from the firm's website).

Where should we go for lunch?? I have searched the Forum's archive and done a Google LTH search, but nothing recent has been written (as far as I can tell) about good restaurants near there. I'm looking for a spot that would showcase Chicago to them, and that is also conversation-friendly. Also don't want to break the bank on this! I thought about Nick's, but since I don't know if these "kids" will like seafood, would prefer someplace with a broader menu.

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Sharon

Take 'em to the Lou Malnati's on Wells, kitty-corner from the Mart. Everybody will be very happy, and you won't break the bank.

439 North Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: 312.828.9800

If you want to showcase Chicago you could do a lot worse than head out of the Mart onto Wells (east side exit, under the brown line stop) & go two short blocks north to Lou Malnati's for Chicago style pizza.

That strip of Wells has a ton of other lunch options, ranging from Sushi Samba Rio, to Bull & Bear, Kinzie Chop House, Cyrano's Bistro, Pepper Canister etc. etc. Its a question of budget & cuisine preferences. You can also head onto the south side of the river & there's a ton of options there too.

You're pretty close to Xoco, and a little more upscale, Frontera Grill. Best to go to both of these at an off-hour (early or late) to avoid long waits:

http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/xoco.html

There are other good places nearby, including Coco Pazzo and Naha, as well as the places in the French Market in the train station. But if you want to offer choices that are unique to Chicago and unlike what can be found in other cities, I think Frontera Grill and Lou Malnati's are great options. So is Topolobampo.

You can try calling Frontera for a reservation; they may not have one available, but it wouldn't hurt to check. They only accept a handful of reservations and keep most of the dining room available for walk-in traffic. Otherwise, as noted above, just arrive early or late to avoid a long wait. Another option is Topolobampo, which accepts reservations on Opentable as well as over the phone. (Although Topo is rather expensive for dinner, the lunch prices are surprisingly similar to Frontera's.) And if you go to Malnati's, you can phone ahead with your pizza order so you don't have to wait 30-45 minutes while you're there for it to bake.

Enjoy!

If I were you, based on your criteria, I would take them to Malnati's. If Malnati's explodes or they are allergic to pizza, I would take them to Xoxo. If they don't like either of those...they won't want to live and work here.

Love,
John

Xoco is a fave of mine but for Friday lunch, you'll likely find it too crowded ... Deep dish doesn't quite strike me as the answer so I'd suggest Sushi Samba Rio which is rather fun for lunch, Mercadito also does well as a nearby lunch spot. I've taken job applicants in the same age range to each for lunch and they've liked them a lot. GT Fish serves lunch tho may be too pricey, Sunda is as close as Xoco and might work too. Le Madia is great for lunch too.

I would agree with Siun--Malnati's might not "impress" and queuing up to order and then sitting facing a wall at Xoco doesn't appear to be what the OP is looking for either. If you wanted to try something different, Roka Akor might be fun (and likely something they won't have experienced...). I haven't been yet but have heard the food is good. They appear to take reservations.

Roka Akor
312-477-7652
456 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654
http://rokaakor.com/chicago/

A colleague has eaten at Roka and said it was delicious - dinner looks pricey but lunch may be ok and the room looks nice.

Thank you all for the great suggestions to date! I think one thing I am going to do is try to get the contact information for the students to ascertain what kinds of food they might like. That would help narrow things down! I've also written the person they are meeting with before me (another UNC alum -- we're everywhere!) to find out exactly where in the Merchandise Mart his office is so I can time a reservation better.

Once again, thanks to everyone who has posted thus far; it's been a great help, since I just don't get downtown that often anymore. (And I swore when I moved to the suburbs that I would =not= be the kind of person who never went into the city once they left its borders. Sigh.)

Sharon

I used to work in that neighborhood and am definitely missing the lunch options there. There have been some great ideas already. There's also really good traditional sushi at Naniwa, Lebanese as Kan Zaman or Indian buffets at both India House and Klay Oven. Depending how far you want to go, Purple Pig is also a great choice.

You mentioned not finding much when you did a search. You might have better luck searching for River North instead of the Merchandise Mart.

I have to have lunch at the Merch today. Or within the immediate vicinity. What's inexpensive and not fast food that you'd recommend?

Thanks!

Pie Lady wrote:I have to have lunch at the Merch today. Or within the immediate vicinity. What's inexpensive and not fast food that you'd recommend?

Thanks!

You can try the new Wells Street Market Food hall right down the street from Merchandise Mart on the corner of Wacker and Wells.

Wells Street Market
205 W Wacker Dr
Chicago, IL 60606
https://www.yelp.com/biz/wells-street-market-chicago-2

Or if you like BBQ, BlackWood BBQ is very good in the loop and also not far from Merchandise Mart:

Blackwood BBQ
307 W Lake St
Chicago, IL 60606
b/t Wacker Dr & Franklin St
https://www.yelp.com/biz/blackwood-bbq-chicago

The Budlong Hot Chicken gets my vote.... (biased) 2nd floor right by the top of the escalator...

rubbbqco wrote:The Budlong Hot Chicken gets my vote.... (biased) 2nd floor right by the top of the escalator...

Haha . . . in case it's not entirely clear to any newcomers who might be reading this thread, you're the owner.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

rubbbqco wrote:The Budlong Hot Chicken gets my vote.... (biased) 2nd floor right by the top of the escalator...

Haha . . . in case it's not entirely clear to any newcomers who might be reading this thread, you're the owner.

=R=

The Budlong recommendation reminds me of the tagline from the Hair Club For Men commercials from the 80's.
“I'm not just the president..., I'm also a client!"

I love love LOVE GT Fish & Oyster. Three short blocks north of the Mart.

polster wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

rubbbqco wrote:The Budlong Hot Chicken gets my vote.... (biased) 2nd floor right by the top of the escalator...

Haha . . . in case it's not entirely clear to any newcomers who might be reading this thread, you're the owner.

=R=

The Budlong recommendation reminds me of the tagline from the Hair Club For Men commercials from the 80's.
“I'm not just the president..., I'm also a client!"

100% customer, client, & owner...

I’ve been spending much of my time opening the Denver market lately (The Budlong (food truck), BBQ Supply Denver, & Au Feu), but I am excited to be back in Chicago frequently for the next 6 months... if you haven’t tried Au Feu (Denver), we’re opening a stand at Soldier Field next to our Budlong, and on the club level... it’s 10000% the best (Montreal style) smoked brisket you’ll ever eat in your entire life.. don’t miss this if you go to bears games.. (also pictured - our house smoked turkey club)