birthday dinner in downtown Naperville

Requesting recommendations for a nice family b-day dinner in Naperville. Not in the mood for Japanese. No to Heaven on Seven. Perhaps a step up in terms of atmosphere and food from places like Lou Malnatis. Is Tango a good place? Or Raffi's on 5th? Catch 35? Thanks!

My faves in downtown N'ville would be Tango and Hugo's. Probably Tango first. It is a particularly good deal for lunch. Some like Bistro Margot. Please do not take it wrong, but there are fairly extensive discussions on most of these places in different threads if one searches.

But I do not exactly understsand why you would want to limit yourself to "downtown" N'ville, which ala Invasion of the Body Snatchers, has been taken over by chains, albeit some pretty fancy ones.

I like Raffi's okay (is this downtown, though?), but their best thing is the Middle Eastern dishes, and the price/value equation is a little out of whack for those dishes, IMO, when you can get comparable quality down the road for cheap at Cedar Grill. The room is lovely, though, and I do miss Montparnasse (whose owner was last seen managing a bistro in Oakbrook).

I have avoided Catch 35 out of sheer orneriness, but have been pleased that Pier 34 is much less crowded since it opened and go there once a month or so, quite happily.

Since you mention Lou Malnati's and are looking for a step up, the place that most fits that description (one step up or so in atmosphere, a little more expensive, and worlds better food) is Pasta Amore over at 87th and route 59. The back dining room is pretty nice when open, and the front area is comparable to Malnati's.

Capri, up on Ogden near River, is a nicer room, owned by the parents of the guy who owns Pasta Amore, and was my favorite place in N'ville for a long time, but recent meals have not been quite so wonderful. Still, it is a fun, old school Italian spot with pretty good food. Depending on the size of your party it could be a good choice - the room is not so big, so 10-12 people is a maximum.

Lastly, I have enjoyed Sizzle India up on Brookdale quite a bit in recent visits, if you are consdering Indian.

For exquisite food in very nice surroundings, I would consider Vie in Western Springs or Isabella's in Geneva, but they are a lot more than a step or two up from Malnati's in food, atmosphere and price.

For a lot more on any of these places, just search. Google can work better than the Forum search, see Useful Stuff for "how to."

Or be a little more specific as to your requirements.

Please report back on your meal.

I suggest a pizza passed through the wall between Uncle Steve's and the White Tavern, followed by further cocktails at Miss Kitty's.

I always enjoyed when a friend of mine would order their standard one-man pizza and the guy would ring the bell and shout out "Who's got the small sausage!" Ah, innuendo.

...

This is probably a terrible idea.

I also like Tango -- good skirt steak (the "world's longest steak" -- a bit hokey marketing, but good). They also have pretty good tapas-style dishes, one of which (usually calamari) we typically order for an appetizer. For entrees, stick with the red meat, IMO.

I also would add that Cafe Buonaro's (in 5th Avenue Station, by Raffi's) is a good choice for Italian -- it's a fairly small, family-run place with an emphasis on traditional red sauce Italian-American fare (not too fancy, just good). I also like Pasta Amore, but consider it to be a bit out of the way. Petey Z's (near the downtown train station) is pretty good, but tends to be pretty (perhaps too) casual.

Also, I have to respectfully disagree with dicksond on Catch 35. We've had several very good meals there -- very nice atmosphere, good service, and fresh and well-prepared fish. In fact, we were in Boston over the holiday weekend, and I commented to my wife -- after a meal at the esteemed Legal Seafoods -- that we've had better, fresher fish in a nicer atmosphere in downtown Naperville at Catch 35 (which I honestly believe to be the case).

Finally, Meson Sabika always is a favorite in the area (better make reservations). Hugo's is good too, but crowded. Bottom line -- there's a lot of places from which to choose.

p.s. just saw whiskeybent's post...an alternative plan would be drinks and appetizers at the Lantern, followed by more drinks at the White Tavern, followed by a late-night "breakfast" at Grandma Sally's on Ogden.

would be drinks and appetizers at the Lantern

You mean the free popcorn, right?
Good call.

By the way, the biscuits and gravy at Grandma Sallys are excellent.

Now back to your regularly scheduled non-slumming thread.

Well, it's about time for me to throw my $.02 in.

Hugo's has long been a family favorite, but my last experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. My girlfriend at the time (now fiance ) refuses to let me return.

I am also a fan of Tango. Though hokey, the skirt steak is one of the best renditions I've found for this cut outside of my own grill. I also am a fan of the calamari like Ron A.

After being one of the biggest supporters of Capri since the days of the other board, I have not had a good experience at any of the locations since last year. I hate to say it, but there is something missing these days.

For Italian, I have returned to my old standby Angeli's. Though nothing spectacular I find them to be a few steps above Cafe Bounaro, but like Capri they lack any seating for larger parties.

Finally, I recently returned to Raffi's and quite enjoyed the lamb chops. If you live in the area there is a 25% coupon on the front of the Clipper Magazine.

I guess with my recent move and engagement I haven't really paid attention to what I was dining on, but feel that there are many good celebratory meals to be had within the boundaries of good'ol Naperthrill.

Flip

Flip wrote:My girlfriend at the time (now fiance ) ...

Hey, Flip! Congratulations!

Congratulations, Flip. I also like Angeli's quite a bit. I'm normally not one to name-drop, but we know Tony and John fairly well as we go in there quite a bit and have had them cater several parties. They always treat us well -- however, as you mentioned, the seating is a bit limited and can be cramped. They sometimes seat larger parties in the back room, which can work out okay.

I'm curious as to why you no longer can return to Hugo's(?) We were there fairly recently and everything seemed to be par for the course. I generally like Hugo's, but occasionally can get irritated with the place depending on the crowd and how long the wait is (with reservation). Also, I've found that the service varies dramatically from one visit to the next.

Ron A. wrote:Congratulations, Flip. I also like Angeli's quite a bit. I'm normally not one to name-drop, but we know Tony and John fairly well as we go in there quite a bit and have had them cater several parties. They always treat us well -- however, as you mentioned, the seating is a bit limited and can be cramped. They sometimes seat larger parties in the back room, which can work out okay.

I'm curious as to why you no longer can return to Hugo's(?) We were there fairly recently and everything seemed to be par for the course. I generally like Hugo's, but occasionally can get irritated with the place depending on the crowd and how long the wait is (with reservation). Also, I've found that the service varies dramatically from one visit to the next.

Well, on our last trip the crabcake seemed to be mostly filler and very dry. This was new to us since my family has enjoyed the crabcakes a number of times.

Additionally, my fiance had ordered the 'stuffed cod'. Clearly the fish was not cod unless they were using a new species which resembles catfish. This piece of fish was very thin with a dark grey bloodline running the full length rolled around a crabmeat stuffing. The fiance, still leaving on the east coast during this visit immediately questioned the fish since cod is one of her favorites. It was replaced with another identical piece of fish so she went hungry for the meal.

This hasn't stopped my family from visiting, but unfortunately I don't get to go unless a certain someone is out of town.

Note: The owners / chefs of the downtown Gibson's / Hugo's family hold a special spot after there generous gifts they provided when my grandfather passed away. This is one reason I never posted about this experience.

Flip

I drove past the space formerly occupied by La Piazza in the strip mall at Gartner & Washington. It is papered over, with a sign in the window saying "Twisted Cork". Anybody have any ideas what Twisted Cork might be? I'm hoping for a wine bar. But then I'm always hoping for a wine bar.

Also had a very good dinner at Walker's Char House, also in that strip mall. Walker's is an old school chop house. I had a nice chicken picatta which had a nice crisp, light coating (3 good sized pieces). One of my friends had the London Broil, the other the parmesan-crusted lake perch, which looked really good. It was a large piece of fish with a delicate crust that was nicely golden brown. Dinners came with a salad or soup, and 1 side. With I think 5 drinks between us, the bill came to just over $60 before tip, which was not bad.

I also noticed that La Piazza was papered over. We had some decent meals there -- the food was pretty good -- but the service was always a little awkward and sometimes bordered on weird. I will be interested to see what goes into that space...A wine bar sounds good.

Walker's is pretty good. The service used to be better, when an Asian-American woman named Susan worked there (she was well-known by regulars and locals). It is a pretty good value compared to the higher-end steakhouses in town.

Ron A. wrote:Walker's is pretty good. The service used to be better, when an Asian-American woman named Susan worked there (she was well-known by regulars and locals). It is a pretty good value compared to the higher-end steakhouses in town.

Was this the Susan who was the daughter of the owners of Yen Ching (now Swagat) over on Ogden across from the Nabisco plant, and later owned the coffee shop called Susan's Place on 55th/Chicago in Lisle across from Four Lakes, which now has become a sort of polish place/coffee shop whose name escapes me?

If so, Susan was possibly the best waitress I have ever met - one of those people who, having served you once a year ago, could greet you with "Hi, want the same?" and if you replied affirmatively, she would bring exactly the same order. Amazing memory. I miss Susan and regret I have never been to Walker's, thus missing her stay there entirely.

Returning from the reminiscence, I will straddle the Hugo's discussion - I still like going, but the last couple of times I have been very disappointed with the seafood. A bit overcooked, clumsy, unbalanced sauce/seasoning. Now I pretty much will only order the steaks.

I also find the hosts goofy, and haughty. I got there early to meet the Bride for dinner, around 5 on a Friday, the place was three quarters empty, tho the bar was hopping. I asked if I could wait for her at a table, and the reply was that they would let me if I had a reservation, but since iI did not... So I went outside, started to dial, then thought better of it. It was a nice evening, and even if they were being jerks, I had no desire to call them on it, so I just waited.

But the whole transaction was silly

And I will officially retract my rec of Capri, as success seems to have spoiled the place. Pasta Amore offers some decent Italian down at 59 & 87th op long as you stick to pastas and pizza-like stuff (had some truly mediocre fish there, too), but beyond that N'ville seems to currently be without any good Italian food.

Tango carries on well, though, and Masala Yangu is a new winner.

I had a good meal at Capri about 6 months ago, but haven't been there since. I hope it hasn't gone down hill.

As for Pasta Amore, I like the place, the pastas are usually excellent. I fear they may have new competition: yes, they're chains, but small chains -- Carrabba Grill on 59th at Ogden, Francesca's in the Dominick's strip mall at 95th and 59, and the new Biaggi's at the Showplace Theater complex, also at 95th and 59.

I used to like La Sorella de Francesca in downtown N'ville, but they increasingly have fallen into the "more is better" pasta trap, loading more and more ingredients into a dish until I have no idea what I am eating. Even if you are going to essay adventurous Italian, one still should try to create a dish that comes together somehow.

The Bride and I sampled the new Francesca's at 95th and route 59 a while back (probably late fall, since we sat outside and it was not a very recent dinner). I cannot remember the exact meal, but I do recall that it had some serious issues. Nothing was cooked quite right, some stuff undercooked, other things mushy. While it did not seem to suffer from the same, "Let's throw some pine nuts, some sun-dried tomatos, a couple of pieces of sausage, some pancetta, how about some dried mushrooms, etc." approach of La Sorella, and thus gains some points for focus and simplicity, as I recall the dishes seemed to suffer from some erratic seasoning and failed to come together.

In a word, it was not a very good meal. This was still early in its history, so maybe they have their act together better now.

But I know, tcd, your point was not that Francesca's on route 59 is good, just that it and Carabba's would be fighting Pasta Amore for business. Since Francesca's is more adventurous and Amore is more traditional and family-oriented, I would think that Carabba's would be more of a direct competitor (not that I have ever been to a Carabba's, but from what I have heard). My guess is that Pasta Amore will do okay, tho, since it appears that much of their business is carry out, and bar.

The Francesca's, on the other hand, seems like a very deserving candidate for failure.

dicksond wrote:Was this the Susan who was the daughter of the owners of Yen Ching (now Swagat) over on Ogden across from the Nabisco plant, and later owned the coffee shop called Susan's Place on 55th/Chicago in Lisle across from Four Lakes, which now has become a sort of polish place/coffee shop whose name escapes me?

dickson, I'm not sure if it's the same Susan. It may not be -- she doesn't strike me as the type to ever have owned an establishment like the one you mention (coffee shop in Lisle), although I could be wrong. She was very friendly with the customers at Walker's, but I think that's about the extent of it.

At any rate, I personally like La Sorella, but I couldn't tell you the last time I ordered pasta there. They do a really nice job with pork chops or beef tenderloin/filet (one of which often is listed as a special). I also like their veal medallions, as well as their salmon. IMO, they also have some of the best calamari around. However, I realize it is what it is -- Francesca's -- and they now are a dime a dozen throughout the Chicagoland area.

For red sauce Italian, we still occasionally hit Angeli's and Buonaro's. We had a decent meal at Capri about six months ago, but haven't been back (always feel like it's a bit out of the way, although I guess it really isn't).