[quote="aschie30
Now I'm confused. Kick it up, but how? If you want kicked up food, then go Alinea or Avenues, but you're reticent about Alinea, but not Avenues (which granted, isn't as "weird," but still close). Do you want to kick it up in terms of atmosphere and service, but not necessarily the food? Then go with Everest (view), or Tru (service, Warhols, cute little ottoman for your wife's purse). If you want to play it safe food-wise, but still go with a tasting menu and eat somewhere you wouldn't likely eat more than once a year, then go with Trotters. That's my two cents, but I think we're going in circles here. [/quote]

I guess kick it up wasn't the best wording. I want it to be more than the restaurants we have tried. More elegant, exceptional service, food that is delicious and maybe out of our comfort zone, something we can do and say, that was unbelievable.
It's easy to go in circles. I want to have the best experience possible, coupled with this being a big ticket item, makes me contemplate a little too much. A character flaw I suppose.

Mike G wrote:You had the right answer at Avenues. Otherwise, believe me, you could contemplate the choices forever.

Thanks Mike and everyone!
I don't want to drag this out forever and keep posting the SOS so since you were the first response, maybe it makes sense for you to be the last.-Avenues it is!

Re: Avenues. I will also be going there for the first time in a couple weeks. On a non-food related note, the web site says 'Jacket recommended.' Now I hate wearing jackets, to say nothing of ties. I spent a long time getting myself into a job where I never need to dress up and putting on a jacket for dinner always seems excessive - makes me feel like I'm going to a job interview. Will I be OK there in business causal?

wak wrote:Re: Avenues. I will also be going there for the first time in a couple weeks. On a non-food related note, the web site says 'Jacket recommended.' Now I hate wearing jackets, to say nothing of ties. I spent a long time getting myself into a job where I never need to dress up and putting on a jacket for dinner always seems excessive - makes me feel like I'm going to a job interview. Will I be OK there in business causal?

I thought business casual was a sport coat. That was the point -- lose the tie but still dress for business.

They are talking about a sport coat -- not white tie.

The staff is very nice there and will probably accomodate you.

However, if you are going someplace like that, a sport coat is pretty reasonable. If you want a casual place, go to a casual place. If you want high end dining, then wear a sport coat.

Edited above slightly and to add:

Ultimately it is up to you. However, and I don't mean this sarcastically, but if sport coats are uncomfortable for you, you might want to find a decent tailor. I always have mine altered and I have no problems wearing one throughout the day. It really shouldn't be an issue if it fits properly. I also note that my wife usually brings something to toss over her shoulders for comfort.

DML wrote:I thought business casual was a sport coat.

No. In the business world, where dress policies are often explicitly defined, "business casual" has a very specific connotation for male attire: a shirt with a collar (which rules out t shirts and sweatshirts, but includes dress shirts, polo shirts, etc), long pants that are not blue jeans (most commonly "Dockers" type pants of not-flashy color such as beige, navy, black, etc), and shoes that are not overtly athletic in nature (no sandals, no thongs, no flashy basketball sneakers). It also means NO sportjacket, NO tie. However, Avenues is not "business casual".

I ate at Avenues recently, and it was full. Every gentleman in the dining room (customers and waitstaff alike) wore a sportjacket and a tie, no exceptions. Unless you want to be conspicuous for your attire, I do not recommend dining there without at least a jacket.

There are many, many of our finer dining restaurants, where business casual attire (sans jacket) is the norm, and some where casual attire (e.g. blue jeans, t shirt) is acceptable. There aren't a lot of restaurants in the Chicago area where you would be out of place without at least a jacket - maybe a dozen or so in total - but Avenues is definitely one of them.

Incidentally, one tip I would give to anyone going to Avenues. The staff is really, really eager to please, and they have a lot of flexibility, so don't be reluctant to take advantage of that. For example, if you would like to do the tasting menu but you would prefer a substitution - maybe you don't like something on the tasting menu, or there is something on the a la carte side that appeals to you - or maybe you would like them to not serve the identical items to every member of your party, because you're accustomed to sharing tastes - just ask, and I'm sure they will accommodate.

DML wrote:I thought business casual was a sport coat. That was the point -- lose the tie but still dress for business.

They are talking about a sport coat -- not white tie.?


The staff is very nice there and will probably accomodate you.

However, if you are going someplace like that, a sport coat is pretty reasonable. If you want a casual place, go to a casual place. If you want high end dining, then dress like a grown-up.

The web site actually says 'jacket recommended.' Business Casual was my term, and in my 20 years of corporate life I've never known it to mean a jacket - in fact the opposite, as nxtasy wrote. Maybe in a different industry it has other conotations.

At my last 'jacket recommended' experience (Trotters) there were several men in the room with no jacket, so I figured I'd ask ahead about this place.

That said, I'll bring one along just to play nice.

Thanks for the input.

Everytime I've been to Avenues I've worn a jacket either with or without a tie. I've felt comfortable both ways.

You know, Avenues says Jacket Recommended on the web site, but they say "Jacket Required" if you make a reservation on Open Table.

I'd say Jacket and Slacks at minimum for Avenues.

ab wrote:You know, Avenues says Jacket Recommended on the web site, but they say "Jacket Required" if you make a reservation on Open Table.

I'd say Jacket and Slacks at minimum for Avenues.

Here is what OpenTable provides when you make a reservation at Avenues:

"Please note that jackets are required for men. Jeans and sports attire are not allowed."