Dinner with 10 of your very best lady friends....

I'm back with another happy dilema...
Here I am again...

I am looking for a festive, somewhat reasonably-priced, restaurant that would be a good place to host a party...perhaps BYOB....

thought of National 27, Chilichpango (Spelling), Sulga (Korean), Opera,

Many of those joining me do not venture Northward...we are in Beverly/Morgan Park, but having lived in Andersonville for 10 years I can appreciate diversity...hoping to turn some of them on to a new adventure...


Boy, am I gonna miss Chicago......This Forum has been so helpful....

Thanks to all...

Buffalo Gal

There has been a lot of mixed talk about Fonda Del Mar on this board, but I thought it was great. It would be a fun place for a party. With BYOB, even the most expensive thing on the menu (chef's taste) would only be $300 total-- a pretty cheap party. Several years ago, when Iztapuzalco first opened, I threw a party for my husband there... I really think that "type" of food lends itself to festivity, being interesting, beautiful to look at, delicious, and affordable. (Of course, part of the charm was that we eneded up doing Karaoke and tequila shots with Chef Bahena, but it would have been fun even without that bonus.)

If you are in Andersonville, a nearby place that you might not have tried is Speakeasy Supper Club on Devon at Glenwood. I think it has lots of the ingredients for a successful party place. The place has a cool vibe, and you can move from the bar into the next dining room where there is a stage and a piano there for ad-hoc entertainment, toasts, etc. The menu reflects classics with some interesting twists. Not adventure in dining, but very good, with quality ingredients. They also have half-entree plates if you are there with a bunch of light eaters, or would prefer to try a range of offerings. Last year, I gave a birthday party there for my best friend and things could not have gone more smoothly. The manager and indeed all the staff we dealt with were gracious, extremely helpful, and flexible. They do BYOB, which keeps the cost at reasonable levels. In the case of our party, we even had the wine delivered the day before the party, and the manager called the following day to remind us that we still had some wine left over! Rarest of all, they have off-street parking in their own lot.

KiKi's bistro is a contender for a nice dinner for 10 ladies...I love the atmosphere and food...

thank you everyone for your suggestions, keep them coming

Buffalo Gal

I visited the Speakeasy once at the beginning of 2005. I loved the food, experience, BYOB, and prices. It was a great meal and a great night.

I was anxious to go back but haven't because one of my friends, who was a huge Speakeasy fan, went there a couple times subsequently and had some bad experiences. So, while based on my own experience, I think it would be a wonderful place for what you're looking for, I throw some caution out there. Maybe others can chime in on very recent visits there.

I forgot to chime in on Opera. While I feel that Opera has a neatly decorated dining room and interesting vibe, the food on my visit there ranged from super awesome to just okay. I'm particular about Asian food, as my hubby is originally from Singapore; however, knowing the concept, I was not expecting unauthentic food. I just felt that some of the dishes were pricey for seemingly everyday Chinese. At the same time, I would have paid top dollar for the lobster bisque soup. It's still at the forefront of my memory from 1 year ago!

I heard from someone yesterday that Speakeasy has closed.

I would not recommend Fonda Del Mar for a large group from the suburbs. It's too small, for one thing, is BYOB,and the menu is quite limited.

I would recommend the newly opened Carnivale (in the space that used to house the Drink nightclub) It has a very festive atmosphere, the food is great, it has a zillion tables, and it is in a good location if you want to go out afterwards--easy access to the expressway too!

Have Fun!

Carnivale
702 W. Fulton Market
312-850-5005