2yr anniversary on a budget

hi LTHers,

i've been lurking on this forum for a couple months now, and i LOVE reading about all of these great places to eat. as a broke college student, i seldom have the opportunity to actually dine out and enjoy the fine restaurants i read about -- i guess it's my form of window-shopping. i'm a hotel concierge and taste-tester, which both increase my quest for great food.

please help me find a romantic, $10-30 per person, mid- to upscale restaurant to celebrate my 2-year anniversary at. we don't drink alcohol by choice (not age...heh), and we'll be staying at a hotel in the streeterville and gold coast areas. one possible conflict is that we want to dine and be hungry enough to enjoy the view and a dessert at the Signature Lounge at around 8 p.m. for the sunset. since we'll be at the lounge, i guess dress code won't be an issue.

ideal restaurant:
-will do cute things like print our own menu with 'Happy xx Anniversary Dick and Jane' on it
-will comp an appetizer or dessert for this celebration
-special offers (restaurant.com, opentable points, coupons)
-GREAT food, but mediocre desserts so i won't feel bad for skipping the dessert menu in an effort to save room for the the Signature Lounge
-he likes creativity, she likes the menu basics ... so something for everyone
-most importantly, top-notch service

current prospects (not necessarily fitting the 'ideal'):
Capital Grille
Saloon Steakhouse
Cafe Spiaggia
Osteria Via Stato
Custom House
Bice
Coco Pazzo Cafe
China Grill
...

THANKS in advance!

If you're willing and able to stretch your dinner budget up to $40-$50 per head, there are some really great three course pre-theater dinner options available. They include places like Nick's Fishmarket ($49); Atwood Cafe ($45); Nomi ($45); Everest ($49) and Bin 36 ($38).

If you're bound by a budget, you can definitely stretch your dollars by making lunch your special meal at any of the places listed herein as well as at Cafe Spiaggia or Capital Grille.

My recommendation, if a steakhouse such as Capital Grille is among your choices, to consider a lunch or brunch at Smith and Wollensky. You can get a nice filet for under 430 at brunch or lunch.

Add Custom House ($47) to the pre-theater options.

I sympathize with your plight, and it was Red Rooster/Cafe Bernard that was my solution a few years back.

If you go on Sunday-Wed, you can get the prixfixe menu for $40/$48 (with wine) for two. Yes... that's for two. I went to Red Rooster (which is just on the east side of Bernard, and you'd never know it was there if you weren't looking for it. Once you're inside you find an intimite, romantic space decorated with a French country feel... and great service.

The food is good. It's nothing mind-blowing, but it is good. I believe we had lamb and duck, if memory serves right. I was very satisfied considering it was good food in a great romantic atmosphere, served with the fine-dining feel that an anniversary calls for. Best deal of its kind in the city.

2100 N Halsted St
http://www.cafebernard.com/

How about Keefers?
Great steaks and great fish.
Appetizers are large enough to share.

I haven't looked at menu prices at Cafe Spiaggia, but that might be another option (assuming you share an appetizer or go a bit over budget). They also have a few great tables set into the windows.

I went to Marche a couple weeks back on a $25 prix fixe night and would go back again. At first, they sat me at what I thought was a pretty bad table, even though I had a reservation and a lot of tables were open. However, after getting my table switched everything else was pretty much on point. You get an appetizer, entree and dessert for $25. I got the prime ribeye which comes with your choice of vegatble and starch. The steak was in a borderlaise sauce (I think) and so were the vegatables. The mashed potatoes came with gravy, which I haven't seen a lot outside of family restaurants. All three were really good, and the entree alone would have justified the $25. My friend got the lamb shank which he really enjoyed.

For appetizers we got the pear, endive and walnut salad, and escargots. It was pretty sweet, and I would consider it unique, while not mind boggling inconcievable. I thought it was pretty good while my friend thought it was "delicious." I didn't really like the escargots. They were too salty. It was my first time trying escargot though, so maybe I just don't like snail in general.

For dessert I got the profiteroles and my friend go this chocolate trio number. My first time with profiteroles, and I didn't really like them, even though I thought I would based on the description. The chocolate trio consisted of flourless chocolate cake, "milk chocolate mousse" which was actually ice cream, and then they had this cool pear chocolate tort which I thought was really interesting and delicious. My friend liked the flourless chocolate cake best for its "punch you in the mouth chocolate flavor."

Besides the initial seating the service was pretty good. The waitress was very friendly, and a little informal, which I like.

www.marche-chicago.com

You'll probably want to drive (near Marche is plenty of parking) or take a cab, because it's not very close to the Signature Room.

I would take Osteria off the choices, while I like the food, it's very noisy and the tables are right next to each other. So much so, that they have a little board sticking up from your table to the other. I would suggest someplace like Mia Francesca, or Bon-soiree(you could sit in the patio and it would be very romantic) get on their mailing list and see if you like the menu for the night. For other BYOB, perhaps Sweets and Savories. More great dining that won't break the bank, West Town Tavern, Meritage, LeBouchon, Scylla, Bistro Zinc. All have websites, and of course, all have pluses and minuses, but you can make them come in at your price point. Also, I like Santorini in greektown, although the fireplace won't be going. I also really enjoy Cocco Pazzo, for the upscale rustic feel.

You could also do one of the LEYE restaraunts.

Petterino's is great.

Out of the choices though. I would pick Capital Grille. I love that place and the food there is excellent.

i'd recommend a jerry kleiner restaurant for lotsa reasons, such as:

1. consistently good food
2. great service (at least in my experience)
3. good value (and see also the no strings attached bonus at http://www.kdkrestaurants.com/ClientFil ... rForm.aspx)

i like opera the best of the bunch, with red light being the only one that didn't do much for me. opera also has really neat, romantic draped mini-rooms for couples. one notable story, given your wants -- the wife and i went to opera a while back and told the waiter that although it was the wife's b-day, she didn't want dessert. the waiter, politely incredulous, returned a few minutes later, surprising us with a trio of desserts. he got a fat tip.

Opera has $25 prix fixe nights on Tues and Thurs, while marche has $25 prix fixe night on Mon. and Wed. (they are both kdk restaurants)

THANK YOU all for the suggestions! you've been a great help for us. since our celebration will fall on a wednesday, i think we'll go with marche. i even tried signing up for their frequent dining program in hopes of receiving a $25 certificate. we've went to bonsoiree, and i thought it was great value for the quality. upon recommendations by co-workers and this board, i dropped by capital grille. a co-worker who also celebrated his anniversary there almost guaranteed i would receive free champagne and a dessert. unfortunately, we don't drink, have no need for dessert since we'll be going to the signature lounge during the sunset for it, and it's a little out of our price range ($40 per cut of meat). pan-asian as a whole is now off our list, and thanks for recommending osteria off of my selections. bin36 wouldn't do us much good since we don't drink. ALL of the more $40 or more recommendations looked VERY appetizing, but we just have major expenses right now. i haven't made reservations quite yet, so i'm just keeping marche in mind for now until something better comes up. THANKS LTHers!