Birthday dinner Trotter's, Arun's, or Topo?

After reading the recent Arun's reviews, I am not sure if that is the best spot to choose. My husband is turning 30 and I want to surprise him with dinner (this is his account on the site so let's hope he does not read this) We have never been to any of these places and they have been on our list for some time...

If someone was surprising you with dinner on a Tuesday night would you choose Trotter's, Arun's, or Topo? My husband is much more into Chicago dining than I am so I appreciate any other suggestions as well.

Much thanks!

Keri

If I had to choose one of the 3, I would take Trotter's. Arun's is nothing special, Topo is overrated (in my opinion). You'll see some negative reviews of Trotter's, but it's still very good food. Maybe not the most creative anymore, but still very good.

Now, if I could go beyond your 3 choices, for a special dinner I would recommend Alinea. If you can't get a reservation there, I would go for Avenues.

I'm going to use this as an excuse to link to a bunch of high-high end places in one post...

Alinea.
Arun's attacked, and defended.
Avenues.
Blackbird.
Charlie Trotter.
Moto.
Topolobampo.
Tru pro, and ennh.

Me, I'd go to Avenues, as you can actually get into it on reasonable notice without having to pledge a kidney for a reservation and it is outstanding.

Definitely not Topo! My wish would be Alinea or Avenues.

Another vote for Avenues. My new favorite high-end dining spot. And the room is lovely and romantic.

Last time I tried, Trotter's required reservations at least two months ahead. I would guess the situation would be similar at Alinea.

s4shon wrote:Definitely not Topo! My wish would be Alinea or Avenues.

I agree. Pass on Topo.

Well, since many people are saying "no" to Topolobampo without giving much of a reason why, I thought I'd step in and defend it as a very good choice.

In all of my experiences at Topo, I've encountered some of the highest quality ingredients and preparations that I've seen in this city at that price point. The service has always been impecable and the wine pairings are impressive.

No, a dinner at Topo is not going to leave you disoriented with glee from a 20-course degustation, nor will it offer you a superior taste of Mexican authenticity. But, I have always experienced Topo as a place that takes serious care in it's preparations. I'm consistently impressed that Topo is still holding up over time.

It's destination-dining for visitors to Chicago from all over, and it's a place we can be proud of.

Not that awards should be a sole reason for visiting, but I'd also point out that they were nominated for their service by the James Beard Foundation last year, and for "Outstanding Restaurant" in 2002. They're doing something right.

We've only done Trotter's once, and I hate to judge based on one experience, but we also went for a special occasion, and were slightly let down. Excellent, to be sure, but not the transcendent experience it was made out to be by others. Of course, the fact that we had just been to Jean-Georges earlier in the month might have skewed our standards a bit, so take that with a grain of salt (Dear god, if I lived in NYC, I'd find a way to afford eating there once a month). In any case, as special occasion dining goes, it's certainly a lot of fun and very good. But based on admittedly limited experience, I'm just not convinced that it's all that.

Arun's, I also have to weigh in with the anti crowd. It's not a bad meal. It just isn't what it should be considering what you're paying for it. You can do much better elsewhere for much less.

Of the special occasion restaurants listed by Mike G, Blackbird and Tru are the only two where I can say I've had a truly great meal, though I have not been to Alinea, Avenues or Topo.

I noticed that Tru was not on the list. That definitely deserves consideration.

I really like Charlie Trotter's, but I think his best days are behind him. He may need to take more time off and get back to whatever it was that inspired him in the past. I just did not think his cooking lived up to the reputation on my last visit. It was very good, but there are a lot of places that are very good. I expected more from Charlie Trotter's.

I agree that Avenues is outstanding. I celebrated 40 there. They do birthdays well.

I am in the minority on thinking that Topo is well worth it. I found the cooking to be outstanding and creative. Moreover, you simply do not have that many great Mexican restaurants. During the winter it is a fun place because it definitely has a summer feel.

I have not been to Arun's so I cannot comment.

Of course Alinea is now the best restaurant anywhere, so that would top the list.

I would also consider Moto. The food is creative, and somewhat similar in style to Alinea (although not as successful). If I was still 30 (rather than 40), I suspect I would prefer that place to Avenues. It seems to be a bit "younger" of a place. The other factor: You know Moto is going to be around and over time will get better. I like the idea of going someplace at 30 and then seeing how it has grown in 10 years. He will get a very good meal at 30, but he should get an incredible meal at 40.

I too would say Tru--the room is striking in a rock star kind of way and the presentation and service is outstanding. Also, NOMI is great, especially if you get a table overlooking Michigan ave.

I've also enjoyed Arun. I think I'm the only one who wasn't bowled over by Avenues--while top notch, I found it to be the typical high level (but boring) dining experience.