dinner rec for Park Ridge please

I am meeting with two friends for dinner tomorrow in Park Ridge. None of us have gone there before. (We're meeting there b/c it's the midway point for the three of us.) Suggestions for dinner? One friend has conservative taste buds so no Japanese, Mexican, Greek, Chinese, etc for her. She prefers American or Italian. Even chains like Maggianos would be fine. Thanks!

Maybe Walter's?

Walter's Restaurant
28 Main St.
Park Ridge
847-825-2240

Thanks so much for the rec! Do you happen to know the price range and appropriate attire?

Just down Oakton Street from Park Ridge is the Black Ram. (Technically, it's in Des Plaines, but it's just on the other side of the forest preserve from Park Ridge.) It's a steakhouse type of restaurant. All of the food there is absolutely GREAT - the steaks, the seafood, the desserts (including light desserts like the banana bavarian cream, and the best rice pudding anywhere), everything. Attire is casual to business casual. You can view prices on the menus on their website. It doesn't get a lot of press, but it gets a lot of repeat business. The proprietor greets lots of arriving guests by name. If you would enjoy a great steakhouse (and seafood) restaurant that nobody ever heard of, this is it.

Black Ram Steak House
1414 Oakton St.
Des Plaines, IL 60019
847.824.1227
www.blackramsteakhouse.com

I had a very nice, casual dinner with a business colleague last night at MJ2 in the same strip shopping center as Morningfiled's on Devon. My colleague had a huge grilled pork chop, beautifully carmelized that he pronounced as excellent. I had their creative and delicious cajun pasta.

It's a nice place that doesn't get enough praise in my book.

My wife and I love Piano Piano. Great, authentic Italian food at decent prices. It's not inexpensive, but not over the top, either. Pasta is very good, steaks are good, too. Good ambience, easy parking, good service.

Piano Piano Ristorante
626 Busse Hwy
Park Ridge
(847)692-1900

There's a few decent places in Edison Park - not too far from Park Ridge.

Zia's is pretty solid Italian food. Keep in mind the place is a bit of a "scene" and can get pretty loud. That stuff doesn't really bother me, but I catch bickerings of loudness from other reports sometimes.

Zia's Trattoria
6699 N. Northwest Hwy.
Chicago

The problem with Zia's is not so much that it is loud as that you are almost sitting on top of your neighboring tables as the tables are so close together. Our last meal there was uncomfortable as my wife and I could not have a normal conversation as the "two top" next to us was four inches away from our table.

The food is very good.

We also like Nonno Pino across the street and the pizza place across from the train tracks has a nice terrace to sit out on warm evenings.

I'm a fan of Zia's, oddly in part because of the noise and bustle--which I usually avoid. It's the kind of place that makes pretty good food and has a lively, friendly bar. We go to Zia's when we want to have a couple drinks with friends, have some good food and not feel like we're sitting in a mausoleum. Essentially, it's the kind of place that feels like a "night on the town" but you're staying in a quiet neighborhood. It's, by far, my favorite place on that stretch of NW Hwy. restaurants.

I don't think it's a great place for dinner for two, but if you've got a group of four, you can be just as loud as the group next to you. Have a drink, some pasta, raise your voice, and have fun--that's what Zia's is for.

Best,
Michael

nsxtasy wrote:Just down Oakton Street from Park Ridge is the Black Ram. (Technically, it's in Des Plaines, but it's just on the other side of the forest preserve from Park Ridge.) It's a steakhouse type of restaurant. All of the food there is absolutely GREAT - the steaks, the seafood, the desserts (including light desserts like the banana bavarian cream, and the best rice pudding anywhere), everything. Attire is casual to business casual. You can view prices on the menus on their website. It doesn't get a lot of press, but it gets a lot of repeat business. The proprietor greets lots of arriving guests by name. If you would enjoy a great steakhouse (and seafood) restaurant that nobody ever heard of, this is it.

Black Ram Steak House
1414 Oakton St.
Des Plaines, IL 60019
847.824.1227
www.blackramsteakhouse.com

The Black Ram is not particularly noisy (except recently they've had live music in one of the rooms on Saturday night, so if you're in that room, it is). The tables are spaced reasonably far apart, so you'll be able to hear each other without shouting and without feeling like you are a part of the conversation at the next table. It's a good place if you're looking for great food with a bit of elegance rather than noise and bustle.

jlawrence01 wrote:We also like Nonno Pino....

Most people on this board seem to prefer Zia's but I've always been a fan of Nonno Pinno as well. We've gone there with other couples or a group a few times and everyone has always enjoyed it. I usually order the gnocchi or the pistachio-crusted chicken.

grits wrote:

jlawrence01 wrote:We also like Nonno Pino....

Most people on this board seem to prefer Zia's but I've always been a fan of Nonno Pinno as well. We've gone there with other couples or a group a few times and everyone has always enjoyed it. I usually order the gnocchi or the pistachio-crusted chicken.

I am a fan of both Zia's and Nono Pino's, however NP has recently undergone a decor/chef change and the food is not as good as it used to be. My preference between the two would be Zia's. I'd also throw Elliott's into the mix. While not Italian, they serve excellent steaks and better than average fish.

Elliott's
6690 N. Northwest Highway
Chicago, IL
773-775-5277

The ONLY place to avoid in Edison Park is Tailgators BBQ which is just plain awful.

I will be at Don Juan's tomorrow night.

spiffytriphy wrote:I am meeting with two friends for dinner tomorrow in Park Ridge.

So, where did you end up going? And how was it?