Wanted: a few good eaters

LTHers and lurkers –

I’m interested in forming a smallish sized group of people for regular dining out. My assorted go-to food buddies have unfortunately moved away in recent years, and my remaining Chicago-based friends are not really up for the type, or frequency, of restauranting I sometimes try to impose on them.

I know that if I wanted to eat at a particular restaurant, I could post in the Events board to the effect of: “I’m eating at x on this day and this time, please join me if you’re interested.” But that’s not what I have in mind. What I’m hoping to put together is a dedicated band of people who want to eat at LTHforum-type places roughly once every few weeks -- and we figure out the places (and the exact days and times) as we go.

While I’ve eaten at a decent number of board favorites, I still have a list of 100+ places I either want to try for the first time or re-visit. Most are probably old hat to long-time LTHers (e.g., Lao Sze Chuan.) So maybe this can be thought of as a kind of junior varsity LTHforum squad of some sort?

I live on the north side, I work in downtown. I’m car-less but could access a car for occasional outings if need be. So logistically my own preference would be mostly city-focused dining that is reasonably accessible by public transit. I’m interested in low-end to high-end, all food types, and am also a fan of booze, if that matters.

I’m not looking for blood oath commitments, but I’m also definitely looking for something beyond “I might be interested in this once in a while” or “this is something I would like to know about in case something caught my eye and I had nothing better to do.” I’m hoping to put together a reasonably-sized band of regular eating compatriots that can generally be counted on to participate.

If you’re interested, please respond to this thread or PM me if you prefer. If dozens of people write back, it will probably not be feasible (or might require forming multiple JV squads.) But I’m hoping it’s a more manageable small group that is up for this sort of thing, and is at roughly the same level of “LTHforum novice” and “enthusiastic foodie” that I am.

Moderators -- I wasn’t sure where to post this, so of course feel free to move it if you want to. And I hope it was okay to make such a post in the first place. If this is in bad form, please just delete the message.

Thanks.

-Mike

What a nice idea. Makes me wish I lived or worked a little closer to downtown Chicago. Hope someone takes you up on your idea!

We've had some success with an "Oak Park" group. Maybe a neighborhood-themed group would gather enough interest.

Mike,

Have you attended any LTH get together? If not, why not? I think the group of friends you want to dine with will be found by participating in some of the board announced events.

Regards,

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I've got some PM leads so hopefully this will work out. Plus it's early yet, so I might still hear from others interested.

Good idea. The question is where will the restaurants be? Are you primarily looking to explore city places or looking to go to a variety of places over time?

I have some of the same problems. Many of my friends don't go out to eat too often and they don't have the cash to do at this point. Some are very wary of dietary restrictions or not very adventurous.

Fabulous idea, Mike. I've run into the same problem and I'd love to be part of your group!

I have a car and could volunteer driving if there is a need - which I do on a regular basis for good food anyway.

I just moved to the North side after living by Midway for 3 years, and I'm always interested in finding new places. I know where to get awesome Mexican, Polish, & Lithuanian food on the South side, and am not opposed to visit those places again if the group ever determines they want to venture to the South side.

I have a list of restaurants I want to try, but sometimes I find myself returning to a regular rotation of restaurants that I know are good because when I branch out to a new place and have a bad meal it makes me angry!

I like all types of cuisine and enjoy holes in the wall as well as fine dining.

Please let me know when the group will get together for their maiden voyage.

I too have a car and live near you (I think) so definitely keep us posted! I liked our impromptu first gathering at the Drawing Room. Maybe you should pick a place you've been wanting to try (or a cuisine you want to explore) and post it for participants to respond to--seems like the best way to get things moving forward. If the date works, count me in!

Toria -- the focus would probably be city places, although not exclusively over time.

Cabrito and Boudreaulicious/Jen -- great to have you aboard! I think I'll give this a few more days and then PM the group we have interested and we can take it from there. So far it's definitely small enough that we should be able to make something work for everyone's schedule on a case-by-case basis.

I'd be interested more in places that are low-price, but count me in too!

Yeah, I'd say do it as a scheduled event, then whoever is there pick a regular night, and open it up each month to those of us who can make it. I can't guarantee every month (who can) but we did that with the meal exchanges, and they've all seemed to go pretty well. Thirsty Thursdays anyone?

Leek -- I appreciate the idea, but that's not what I'm looking for. If what I have in mind doesn't bear out (though it already looks like it will), I'll consider giving the regularly scheduled monthly event a whirl.

Pie Lady -- wonderful! There's plenty of lower-end places to check out.

You might want to do a search on Evanston Lunch Group, as a model for what you're seeking. We've been meeting on a regular basis for over five years.

AnotherMike wrote:LTHers and lurkers –

I’m interested in forming a smallish sized group of people for regular dining out. My assorted go-to food buddies have unfortunately moved away in recent years, and my remaining Chicago-based friends are not really up for the type, or frequency, of restauranting I sometimes try to impose on them.

I know that if I wanted to eat at a particular restaurant, I could post in the Events board to the effect of: “I’m eating at x on this day and this time, please join me if you’re interested.” But that’s not what I have in mind. What I’m hoping to put together is a dedicated band of people who want to eat at LTHforum-type places roughly once every few weeks -- and we figure out the places (and the exact days and times) as we go.

You may also want to set up some ground rules (i.e., approximate cost of the meal, how drinks will be handled, etc.) to avoid any misunderstandings.