Where would you propose?

In July I'll be in Chicago with my girlfriend (our plans got moved from May to July so I have to make all new reservations). I'm thinking of working with a restaurant to do something pretty spectacular and unique to propose to her. I'm thinking Alinea, but I'm open to other options What say you?

Criteria: Must have champagne on hand (ok, that's everywhere with a wine list)
Must be willing to work with me to do something special for the moment (don't mind paying or tipping extra) but I want this to be as unique as possible

Homaru Cantu at Moto is an LTH friend, and I'll bet he could come up with something especially spectacular.

I love Alinea, but romantic isn't exactly a word that comes to mind. Even less so for Moto.

Sorry, I don't mean to be a killjoy without a better alternative

Dmnkly wrote:I love Alinea, but romantic isn't exactly a word that comes to mind. Even less so for Moto.

Sorry, I don't mean to be a killjoy without a better alternative

That was my feeling too, but they are both "special" places and so qualify as possibly appropriate venues in that sense. I guess my tendency would be to go more for Italian or French, but that's just me.

For romance, there's always Geja's, but I don't know if the chef would do anything special.

The most special restaurants have a level of service above and beyond what you find elsewhere. I bet any of the very top places (Alinea, Avenues, Everest, Trotter's, Tru, etc) would be happy to arrange a truly special surprise - a ring served under a dome for dessert, a cake with a WYMM plaque on top, etc.

My money? Everest. While the food and service are outstanding at any of these, only Everest combines them with the spectacular view from the top of the Chicago Stock Exchange building.

The most popular restaurant in the city for this is the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the Hancock. The food is just ok, high end hotel food. The view is amazing and I recall seeing something that they average a proposal a night, so they should be willing to work with you. If you want to do a nicer restaurant and then use their view - they have a great lounge on the 96th floor - overpriced drinks with a magnificent view.

The Signature Room At the 95th
www.signatureroom.com
875 N Michigan Ave # 15
Chicago
(312) 787-9596

That's exactly why I was thinking Everest. Like the Signature Room except with far better food and service.

I agree with the above - do one of the nicer lower-tier restaurants. You want the meal to be good, but not compete with the moment

Any restaurant should be able to work with you on this, particularly given your long lead time. What kind of food do you two like best?

we've actually eaten at Moto 2 times now and she loves it, hence why I was thinking Alinea- just something a bit different. Though I'd love for Cantu to do something, but for the love of god if the man transmogrifies this ring into a tasting dish I'll go nuts.

jpschust wrote:we've actually eaten at Moto 2 times now and she loves it, hence why I was thinking Alinea- just something a bit different. Though I'd love for Cantu to do something, but for the love of god if the man transmogrifies this ring into a tasting dish I'll go nuts.

Nuts in a good way, I hope, because I was thinking you'd have a guaranteed Yes if the ring were to be placed in a carrot (or even beet) juice globe, quick frozen in liquid nitrogen. As a show of commitment, how about a shared "tattoo" delivered via a Class 4 laser?

Love is, indeed, strange.

David "One who knows" Hammond

North Pond.

I second North Pond. They are very good about this sort of thing...

Don't get her expectations too high. White Castle.

I agree. In July, I would first spend an afternoon walking around Lincoln Park. I would visit the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Lincoln Park Conservatory and maybe the Historical Society, then end up at North Pond around dusk.

I know someone who got engaged at Trotters and the restaurant did work with him to make it a memorable experience. But I'd also suggest that it depends on how you want to remember your engagement. Do you want something that's intimate between the two of you, or would you prefer to have something a little splashy and memorable, but that might be overseen by other people? (Or something in between.) You could have a great dinner at Alinea and have the hotel sprinkle rose petals throughout your room (with a bottle of champagne waiting), so you surprise her with a proposal when you get back to the hotel...then you don't have to share your special moment with other diners.

in front of a Vietnamese shopping center. short of that, in front of a plate of banh cuon. short of that, in front Tank Noodles.

seriously. Signature is so friggin cliched. and no, i'm not Vietnamese. but I am fully supportive of any culture that is willing to resize engagement rings for $50 right in front of you in less than 25 minutes.

Wouldn't Spiaggia be a great place for something like this? NoMi has a great view as well. I suspect both would be able to handle this with great aplomb.

My reaction to the Signature Room is "eh." If it's a clear night, it can be a great view. But as someone who works in the Hancock, a foggy evening could ruin the view part of the equation.

d4v3 wrote:I agree. In July, I would first spend an afternoon walking around Lincoln Park. I would visit the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Lincoln Park Conservatory and maybe the Historical Society, then end up at North Pond around dusk.

What's with the walk in the park prior to proposal? I know more people who were engaged after a walk in the park.

A monday night carillon concert at the Botanical Gardens (http://www.chicagobotanic.org). Bring your own fancy picnic (maybe from Carlos or the more casual Cafe Central, both of which are nearby) and champagne. They do a lot of weddings at the Botanical Gardens so I bet they'd help you put something surprising and romantic together if you asked. It's just beautiful there, especially in the summer.

I think Avenues would be lovely and would meet the criteria for excellent, innovative food in a less harsh setting. And with how wonderful that the staff is, I'm sure they would more than work with you. Besides, I think they have a tiny private room off the main dining area that could make it a little more romantic and private. IMO, Chef GEB is really doing some good stuff there that is completely innovative, but actually tastes good .

Plus, you have the beautiful Peninsula Hotel right there if you want a nice hotel room.

greygardens wrote:I think Avenues would be lovely and would meet the criteria for excellent, innovative food in a less harsh setting. And with how wonderful that the staff is, I'm sure they would more than work with you. Besides, I think they have a tiny private room off the main dining area that could make it a little more romantic and private. IMO, Chef GEB is really doing some good stuff there that is completely innovative, but actually tastes good .

Plus, you have the beautiful Peninsula Hotel right there if you want a nice hotel room.

Based on the dinner I had there a couple of weeks ago, I agree 100 percent (although they don't have the view of Everest). There's a certain service characteristic of Avenues - also true of Everest, but something you won't find at, say, Alinea or Moto - where the entire meal consists of extraordinary food and service, but it comes across as more low-key and effortless - not a lot of "showmanship", not a huge service staff, yet everything just comes off perfectly.

However, a tiny private room might tip off the fact that "something's up".

I realize it's not the newest place or as upscale as Everest, but if you had an interest in privacy, Vivo's loft booth would be perfect for such an occasion.

My wife loved that place so we would go there for many of our special occasions. We now live in the suburbs and don't get down there as much as we used to.

www.vivo-chicago.com

I proposed at North Pond last January. Couldn't have asked for a better experience. Have the label from the wine on their letterhead. Great memories.

Avenues or North Pond.

Everest is nice but it seems a bit more corporate to me. It is a place that I would feel comfortable taking a major client. The LaSalle Street location is part of it.

The food at Avenues is spectacular (it reminds me of Charlie Trotter's attention to the appearance of the plate and the combination of tastes and textures, with Alinea's more innovative stuff). Also, the tables are widely spaced which is nice for that day.

Whatever you do, I would pass on the Signature Room. Way too many people propose there, and for views, I actually prefer NoMi anyway.

NoMI. Stunning! SPIAGGIA. Who WOULDN'T say yes after a dinner there? NORTH POND! Truly lovely. You've got to really devote time and energy at ALINEA...it's about as romantic to me as 2001: A Space Odyssey. Interesting? Yes. Tasty? You bet. Romantic? Eh. I like the idea of AVENUES...Graham Eliot Bowles (sp?) is really getting great press right now and it's a nice room.

Then again...me? I'm a Hot Doug's kinda gal. Throw the ring in with some aligator sausage and I'm yours. Just as soon as I finish the duck-fat fries.

I'd like to introduce another aspect of the proposal experience: being congratulated. Why propose in a public place and then miss out on the chance to be congratulated by everyone around you? If you choose a small enough place and the right time of night, you could actually buy a round of drinks for the house.

My husband proposed to me in a little bar in Granada, Spain, and then bought a round for the house (about 15 people). Everybody got a free drink, asked the bartender what was going on, and, once they heard the news, came over to give us their best wishes. It was a beautiful way to create a little celebration among strangers!

Just my two cents.

A monday night carillon concert at the Botanical Gardens (www.chicagobotanic.org). Bring your own fancy picnic (maybe from Carlos or the more casual Cafe Central, both of which are nearby) and champagne. They do a lot of weddings at the Botanical Gardens so I bet they'd help you put something surprising and romantic together if you asked. It's just beautiful there, especially in the summer.

That's a sweet idea, but you can't picnic inside the park, and I really don't think the tables in the area between the visitor's center and parking lots 1 & 2 are very romantic. And you sure as heck can't bring alcoholic beverages in - they will toss you out quite swiftly.

BTW, I am speaking as a long-time member of and volunteer at the Botanic Garden. We get literally thousands of visitors on summer weekends, ergo letting people picnic or drink would be a nightmare to police. This ain't Ravinia!

leek wrote:I agree with the above - do one of the nicer lower-tier restaurants. You want the meal to be good, but not compete with the moment

Any restaurant should be able to work with you on this, particularly given your long lead time. What kind of food do you two like best?

I agree with Leek, and honestly was thinking that Think Cafe would be a great place to do it. It is small, usually candle-lit and romantic with great food to boot. Plus it is BYOB so you could bring your own bottle of champagne and I am sure they work with you to make it special, as the owners always seem quite involved.

I found a very romantic spot to propose last June: It was on the sidewalk about 5 buildings west of Damen on Moffat, just outside of Lemming's at the spot of my first kiss with my now soon to be wife This was followed by meeting up with all our friends at Cleo's to celebrate. Couldn't have asked for a better memory!
Jamie

I would go Geja's. Dimly lit, semi-private, and since it's fondue, you can feed each other nibbles of food.

Also, check out the following article from the Trib - especially N9ne and Vivo:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... dining-hed