reception ideas for south side or downers grove area?

i'm starting to look for a place to have a christening luncheon, and i would prefer to do something different than Maggiano's, which looks like a good option right now ($25pp + drinks for family style). it would be for between 75-100 people, and i would prefer to keep it around $25 or less per person. other places i'm looking into are D's Little Italy and Buca di Beppo, but Italian food is not a prerequisite.

the church is near 95th & Torrence, so i'm thinking there aren't too many options out there, but i'm open to having my mind expanded. the other option would be in/around downers grove, since that's where i'm near. any suggestions would be appreciated!

If the church is near 95th and Torrence, why on earth would you want to have people drive 30+ miles through massive road construction projects for a lunch in Downers Grove?

I'd first contact the church and ask them where other such luncheons have been held in the recent past. If nothing pans out from those suggestions, I would call one of the group halls (VFW, Elks, Knights of Columbus, etc) and ask whether they are available that afternoon for a catered luncheon. There are many such places in the area, both in Chicago and across the border in Hammond and Whiting IN. In fact, the Whiting Elks would probably be the first place I'd call...

If you go the catered route, the Chicago Park District rents the solarium at the South Shore Cultural Center at 71st and the Lake (the Old South Shore Country Club). During the day, they will rent the room for 4 hours for half the price of an evening rental, if you finish by 3pm. I have been to events there, and it is a beautiful space right on the lake. The only problem is you have to use an "approved" caterer from their list of about 20.

Another stunning (and cheaper) park district venue is the field house at Promontory Point in Burnham Park at 55th and the lake. The lakefront location and the building itself are amazing. The point was created in the 1930s by Alfred Caldwell in the Prairie School style, and restored in the early 1990s. His intention was to create a place where the prairies meet the great lakes and the city. The field house looks like a small french castle with a tower and big windows that look out on the lakefront, a meadow and the skyline.

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/inde ... f/home.cfm

there's pretty much nothing out near the church but fast food places, and i'm looking for a decent restaurant to host the luncheon (catering is not an option). i figured i would include the location of the church in case anyone knew of any hidden gems.

as for downers, i'm in that area, and a lot of people who would be coming are familiar with that area, and i'm guessing about half the people coming to the luncheon won't be going to the church beforehand so i thought that would be a reasonable option...

d4v3 wrote:If you go the catered route, the Chicago Park District rents the solarium at the South Shore Cultural Center at 71st and the Lake (the Old South Shore Country Club). During the day, they will rent the room for 4 hours for half the price of an evening rental, if you finish by 3pm. I have been to events there, and it is a beautiful space right on the lake. The only problem is you have to use an "approved" caterer from their list of about 20.

Another stunning (and cheaper) park district venue is the field house at Promontory Point in Burnham Park at 55th and the lake. The lakefront location and the building itself are amazing. The point was created in the 1930s by Alfred Caldwell in the Prairie School style, and restored in the early 1990s. His intention was to create a place where the prairies meet the great lakes and the city. The field house looks like a small french castle with a tower and big windows that look out on the lakefront, a meadow and the skyline.

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/inde ... f/home.cfm

Those are great ideas to have an economical event in a beautiful location. I bet you can find a caterer that will do a good job, particularly if Maggiano's is used as a reference point.

Places like the Elks and Knights of Columbus have their own kitchens, so the event would not be catered unless that is what you wanted.

An option near the church is Phil Smidt's.

Another option would be something like Palermo's on 95th Street in Oak Lawn. It's probably the most convenient location for everyone because it splits the distance between the church and your location in Downers Grove and is very close to the 95th St exit of the Tri-State. It also has pretty good food as well (much better than Maggiano's IMO)...