looking for bucktown/wicker park recommendation

i'm new to the forum and looking for a good place to eat with friends in wicker park/bucktown. a friend suggested volo, which i know is elsewhere, but i'm not totally thrilled about it as i'm not a huge wine guy. but something in the same vein maybe. any ideas?

There are, obviously, a ton of places in these 2 areas of the city, however when I think about it, I'm not that big a fan of 95% of them. Two that come to mind as recs would be Bin Cafe and Bouchon. Scylla can be excellent. (A bit more $)

zak wrote:i'm new to the forum and looking for a good place to eat with friends in wicker park/bucktown. a friend suggested volo, which i know is elsewhere, but i'm not totally thrilled about it as i'm not a huge wine guy. but something in the same vein maybe. any ideas?

Welcome to LTHForum. Before you write off Volo because you're not into wine, I'd suggest reading up on it here. It's definitely more than just wine.

Best,
Michael

If your friends are in Wicker Park/Bucktown, why not look at restaurants in their area? There are enough that you shouldn't need to go elsewhere. Other good places there, not yet mentioned, include Meritage, Toast, Adobo Grill, Mas, and Spring.

zak wrote:but something in the same vein maybe. any ideas?

I second stewed coot's Bin Wine Cafe and Scylla recommendations.*

E.M.

* And, while he shares his fondness for Le Bouchon with many here, I, personally, loathe the place. I would instead recommend the bistro fare at Cafe Matou.

If price is an issue at Scylla, I read this from Chicago Magazine's Dish Jan 3, 2007:

Dot Dot Dot . . .
Bucktown’s seafood-focused Scylla (1952 N. Damen Ave.; 773-227-2995) is lowering its prices and revamping its menu with more land-based Mediterranean dishes such as braised pork ravioli with house smoked bacon, rapini, and pear butter ($13). . .

I am not sure when this goes into effect, but I am curious as to what these changes translate into.

Irazu is also quite nice, across the street from Matou (though they don't take reservations). Corner of Milwaukee and Oakley.

Try also

Cafe LaGuardia on Armitage
Cafe Bolero on Western
(both Cuban)

Rinconcito Sudamerica
Rios d'Sudamerica
(both Peruvian/south american, both on Armitage, each about 1/4 block off Damen one is E. one is W)

I guess Scylla had to do something-it never was nearly as busy as it should have been. The total space is not large, and the prices made it not accessible to enough people. Often Bouchon would be rockin' while Scylla looked like a graveyard. This is not to say it was overpriced value wise. Hopefully the change will improve business, and it will continue to exist-she throws down some tasty grub.

Think Cafe
Honey One
Cafe Matou

does anyone know what the new place across from cafe laguardia is (west of damen, on armitage on the north side of the street ??

i'm pretty sure it's new. looked somewhat upscale. not many ppl were inside on NYE (if anyone? i dont know it was hard to tell walking by)

it looked argentinan or something.. the name was sud america or something foreignesque (though isn't that french..hmm)

dddane wrote:does anyone know what the new place across from cafe laguardia is (west of damen, on armitage on the north side of the street ??

i'm pretty sure it's new. looked somewhat upscale. not many ppl were inside on NYE (if anyone? i dont know it was hard to tell walking by)

it looked argentinan or something.. the name was sud america or something foreignesque (though isn't that french..hmm)

Yep. I know what it is.



Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:Yep. I know what it is.

oh you're good!! (wonder if it's still byo.. hmm)!

Not BYO - nice wine list, tho.

zak wrote:volo... something in the same vein maybe

If you're thinking small plates, try People or Del Toro.
Some reviews on People and Del Toro:
People Lounge reviews on centerstage
MOD space re-opened as del Toro
GWiv and I are fed a load of Del Toro

Something French? I like Le Bouchon even though it can get quite crowded; and Cafe Matou, even though the crowd can be a bit stuffy.
Some other LTH posts on Le Bouchon & Matou:
Le Bouchon's Lyonnaise, Best Salad in Chicago
1st trip to Le Bouchon - very good.
Cafe Matou

Not a wine guy? Maybe tequila at Salud or one of the original fresh-squeezed lime juice margaritas at Mas.
Some other reviews on Salud & Mas:
Eating Cheaper 2: Mas
Mas Restaurant in Wicker Park
Dipsomaniacs Delight (Hangover Food)
Salud Tequila Lounge- Centerstage reviews

Atmosphere? Spring is not a bad way to go, very unique ambiance, being in the former Turkish/ Russian Bath House. But I'm sure there's a much newer, hip place that I haven't even heard about yet.
Some other LTH posts on Spring:
Spring or Green Zebra?
Very good anniversary dinner at Spring
Fine(r) Dining

Do a search on Metromix. Really, the possibilities are endless! Let us know what factors you're looking for and we can possibly help you narrow it down.


~GS

PS: If you're a sushi and drinks kind of guy, Bob San has never disappointed me.

I third the Bin Cafe recommendation with the addition of a trot across the street to Rodan for drinks afterwards. It's basically something I do everytime I'm home for a weekend. (But eesh. Rodan can get pricey after 4 or 5 hours at $9 a beer.)

And no one's mentioned West Town Tavern or May Street Cafe, yet? They're right nearby.

Greasy Spoon wrote:

zak wrote:volo... something in the same vein maybe

If you're thinking small plates, try People or Del Toro.

ick. the rest of the rec are great. but ^^^ = ick. check out Del Toro only if you're a student of Interior Design and want to do a comparative study of Delacosta, F212 and Del Toro, all by Suhail. Otherwise, the food is animal feed.

Jane's/Parlor/Darwin for upscale American Bistro/Bar/Gastropub? food. Rodan/bin wine cafe and Dodo for brunch. And Hot Chocolate for any nite on a whim.

if you're a gambling man, try Santullo's. They may burn their NY pies that nite, or they may churn out a decent faux-NY slice for $2 (5-6pm only?)

finally, La Bonita/Ixcapuzalco is still there.

Both sad and glad to hear the comment about Santullo's. I stopped going because they completely forgot my order one time for a whole pie. However, when I get that craving for a NY-style slice, I know a well-produced Santullo's slice is what would hit the spot.

TonyC wrote:if you're a gambling man, try Santullo's. They may burn their NY pies that nite, or they may churn out a decent faux-NY slice for $2 (5-6pm only?)

A side note about Santullo's -- they're more reliable, but still not terribly reliable, during the lunch hour. That said, the one thing that is always reliable and always very good is the spicy chicken sandwich (add giardiniera to mine, please). It's probably the best thing on their menu, even with the crappy out of season tomatoes, and it outshines any sandwich Potbelly puts out just down the street.

Pucca wrote:If price is an issue at Scylla, I read this from Chicago Magazine's Dish Jan 3, 2007:

Dot Dot Dot . . .
Bucktown’s seafood-focused Scylla (1952 N. Damen Ave.; 773-227-2995) is lowering its prices and revamping its menu with more land-based Mediterranean dishes such as braised pork ravioli with house smoked bacon, rapini, and pear butter ($13). . .

I am not sure when this goes into effect, but I am curious as to what these changes translate into.

I think it's started. I walked past there yesterday and looked at the menu. None of the main/entree courses were more than $18, with most around $15 (which puts them in competition with Le Bouchon next door) and only 2 of the 5 or 6 main courses were fish.

One problem is that it's hard to read their menu unless you are 7 feet tall! I had to climb up onto their fence and hang onto a pole to read it.

leek wrote:One problem is that it's hard to read their menu unless you are 7 feet tall! I had to climb up onto their fence and hang onto a pole to read it.

hehe thanks for endangering yourself to investigate for the team! Glad you didn't fall.