OK, make it dinner for 25 or 30

If you were planning a birthday party for a 75-year-old foodie from the south side, and you had a budget, but it was a decent one, where would you go?
Any assistance would be appreciated by the birthday-guy's disorganized family members who are trying to plan this thing at almost the last minute.

We've heard about Sabatino's and the Greek Islands. What about Kendall College's dining room? Swedish places? Are there any like NY's Aquavit (but perhaps not so blood-curdlingly expensive)?

Along with several other LTH-ers I enjoyed the Julbord (Christmas smorgasbord) at Tre Kronor last year. I don't know what their summer fare is, but they might be willing to do a special smorgasbord for you if you have enough people attending. We sat upstairs, which was charming, though I don't know if they air-condition those rooms in summer. You don't say when you are hoping to celebrate this birthday. . .

Thank you so much for the Tre Kroner info. I was wondering specifically about that place. The party is at the end of this month, so air conditioning, which makes pickled herring and aquavit consumption so much more pleasant in the summer, is an issue. I'll enquire.

After spending far too much of my work day reading the forum, I now wish we could afford to buy 30 people dinner at Alinea or Tru!
oh, a question: Brasserie Jo, is it good? Not the same experience as Everest, I'm sure, but good? We're of Swedish extraction, but my dad gets stars in his eyes when he talks about Alsace.

My concern about holding a 75th birthday at Brasserie Jo (and a number of other places) would be that it tends to be very noisy. My Dad, at 76, struggles to hear with a surrounding din. I think having a private room there would be a necessity. On the other hand, Tre Kronor's intimate setting would give you a cozy atmosphere that is quiet enough for everyone to hear the inevitable recollections and toasts. I don't know if anyone in your party has mobility problems. The stairs could be an issue at Tre Kronor, and I don't believe there is an elevator, though I could be wrong. However, if you read the Julbord thread, you'll notice that Studs Terkel was at the next table that night. He managed to make it up the stairs at 90+ years!

Thank you! I did notice that Studs Terkel reference and wondered, could it really be true? I'm thrilled that it is!

It was all I could do to stay in my seat.

I haven't been to Brasserie Jo for a while, but I've always enjoyed its atmosphere, service, and basic bistro fare. Not a one-star experience but maybe a fork or two. As far as noise is concerned, they do have party rooms for larger groups. They also have Alsacian roots, with some specialties (choucroute, chicken/Riesling) still on the menu.

Here's the website:

http://www.brasseriejo.com/

I was just as Brasserie Jo last week. I would describe it as solid, not spectacular. Started with duck rilletes and then had steak tartare for my main. The girlfriend started with a soup special (tomato basil, I think) with steak frites for her main. Again, everything was solid with only minor quibbles (the steak in the steak frites was a bit oversalted). Special desserts featuring fresh blueberries were outstanding. I didn't find the room loud at all on the Friday night we went.

Thank you so much for the B.Jo detail. I've been craving steak tartare all week, but that's a different story.
Sadly, our last-minute gastronomic trip to chicago was cancelled today. But when we reschedule, I know where to get the latest dish!

I inquired about doing private dining at Brasserie Jo earlier this year with a fairly small party and I'll be honest -- they had a lot of very fussy rules and regs that I found to be rather high maintenance for a group of 6. Now, those same rules might be more applicable to a larger group but the other thing that bugged me was that they wanted me to pay for the space. Normally with most restaurants in town I've only had to pay minimums and no space cost. While I've eaten there many times and I enjoy it as a simple patron, I wouldn't really ever do a party there.

My two cents...

shannon