Well we did eat at Grand Lux Cafe, on Ontario and Michigan.

It was very good. We liked the seating, we got a nice booth overlooking the corner, above the street, and across from Cartier. Decor is gorgeos! Nice intimate tables and small booths. You don't get stuck in the families montage, like in their other room. Love that the entire place in non smoking! All of Chicago is! We got immediate seating from the concierge at our Marriott hotel, on Michigan Avenue. It was very nice of them. We went to the Auto show earlier in the day, took the 3 king drive, from our hotel there, and back. My spouse was a little worried about the bus ride. Never been on a city bus, and is from IN. I used to live in the city, and had no problems taking the green limousine and saving a buck or 2. We saved a bundle doing this. Hotel gift shop sells $5 cards for the bus, and they're good for 24 hours. Nice not having to deal with money.

We shared a bowl of tomato soup, with white beans and a tiny bit of basil oil in it. It was okay, but I thought the beans were overpowering and they should have been pureed more. My spouse had the rib eye, with fries. And I had the caramel crispy chicken pieces over rice, with shaved carrots, zucchini, red pepper in a caramel sauce. It was very good. The chicken was a little bit overdone. But not drastic enough to send back. We had molten chocolate cake for dessert and the cherry crisp. Both desserts are on the half hour to make list, so we ordered at the beginning. It was good. I had a Mai Tai. The Mai Tai, was pretty strong, and just like the 1's we had on Maui, during our honeymoon. The real deal. We had breakfast included the next day. And all the offerings were very tasty at the Marriott Mag Mile. We had a very nice lady, who came around to collect plates. She gave us a couple of the flowers off the table. The florist was there, changing them. And the orchids going back, were still very pretty. I had a drink that was pretty tasty---a combo of apple juice, cilantro, and serrano pepper bits. It was good. It was labeled as an anti-inflammatory. Loved our stay at the Marriott Mag Mile. We stayed on the 33rd floor.

Grand Lux is a guilty pleasure we like to share with out-of-town guests. Hard-core foodies may look down their noses at its Cheesecake Factory parentage, but for me, it's fun, reliable and reasonable.

Grand Lux Cafe
600 North Michigan Avenue (at Ontario)
(312) 276-2500

The Davoodas were in town for a family-friendly Easter vacation visit and we liked Grand Lux Cafe so much for dinner, we went back the next day for lunch. We liked the vibe of the place, the airy room overlooking Michigan Ave, the service was very good and the food excellent.

It's not inventive or anywhere near cutting-edge but, luckily, Grand Lux tries to be neither. Instead, patrons are treated to a widely varied menu that hits home with me and my family. Since it is difficult to find a restaurant that everyone in my family can agree on, as we are comprised of two picky eaters and two very adventurous eaters, I am really happy we tried Grand Lux.

Cheers,
Davooda