All day Dining/Parking Lot or Valet

On Sunday I usually take my elderly mother shopping and she likes to go to lunch. She does not walk well and it is a challenge to find a nice place that is easy for her to get to from the car.

I live in the far NW 'burbs and she lives near Wrigley. It is usually after 1 by the time she is ready to go out and I am stumped about where to go, that does not require a good walk from a parking place.

Any ideas?

bonelady wrote:On Sunday I usually take my elderly mother shopping and she likes to go to lunch. She does not walk well and it is a challenge to find a nice place that is easy for her to get to from the car.

I live in the far NW 'burbs and she lives near Wrigley. It is usually after 1 by the time she is ready to go out and I am stumped about where to go, that does not require a good walk from a parking place.

Any ideas?

Fullton's has valet during the day, all day.

I don't know if this is in your price range, but for the Sunday buffet at the Four Seasons Hotel you would just pull right up to the Four Seasons and a valet would take your car.

riddlemay wrote:I don't know if this is in your price range, but for the Sunday buffet at the Four Seasons Hotel you would just pull right up to the Four Seasons and a valet would take your car.

Basically, the same thing is true of any of the upscale downtown hotels. The brunch at Seasons (the restaurant in the Four Seasons) and the one at the Greenhouse in the Ritz only go till 1:30, but the brunch at NoMI, in the Park Hyatt, goes till 2:30. Also all of these hotels (add the Peninsula) serve afternoon tea and/or have casual restaurants where you can eat any time during the afternoon, including Sundays.

nsxtasy wrote:

riddlemay wrote:I don't know if this is in your price range, but for the Sunday buffet at the Four Seasons Hotel you would just pull right up to the Four Seasons and a valet would take your car.

Basically, the same thing is true of any of the upscale downtown hotels. The brunch at Seasons (the restaurant in the Four Seasons) and the one at the Greenhouse in the Ritz only go till 1:30, but the brunch at NoMI, in the Park Hyatt, goes till 2:30. Also all of these hotels (add the Peninsula) serve afternoon tea and/or have casual restaurants where you can eat any time during the afternoon, including Sundays.

FYI regarding Nomi- their parking can be uneven. We were evaluating their space for a wedding (not nomi, but the park hyatt- biggest rip off ever next to the w lakeshore) and one time our car took 45 minutes to come up, the other time it came up in 5.

Thanks for your responses. I am looking for something a little bit more casual and in the neighborhood. I am driving out to the burbs just to get her a hamburger !

Not quite in your neighborhood, but otherwise fulfilling your requirements, are most of the restaurants in Greektown, including The Parthenon, Greek Islands, and Santorini.

Thanks for your responses. I am looking for something a little bit more casual and in the neighborhood. I am driving out to the burbs just to get her a hamburger !

Whose neighborhood? Yours or hers?

Looking for something in the wrigleyville area where I can park. Right now, I am driving into the city (25 miles) driving her out to the Park Ridge area and driving her back home and then driving myself 25 miles back home. About 100 miles to take her for a sandwich!

bonelady wrote:Looking for something in the wrigleyville area where I can park. Right now, I am driving into the city (25 miles) driving her out to the Park Ridge area and driving her back home and then driving myself 25 miles back home. About 100 miles to take her for a sandwich!

Doesn't the Byron's on Irving Park (west of Sheffield/Sheridan) have parking? If you're just looking for a simple burger or hot dog, you could do a lot worse...

1017 W Irving Park
(773) 281-7474

I have the same problem with my mom who is 80 when we go to the city, and my son is in the DePaul area. Here are two places that I found that are pretty nice lunch spots and have very convenient parking lots, or valets, and there are no stairs and its a flat walk to a table. They are not in Wrigleyville but a short drive away (take Sheffield south). The first one is mexican the second one is Italian. Marcellos has more than pizza. They are both on North avenue a couple blocks apart. I have eaten at both and they are fine.

http://www.unclejulios.com/

http://www.marcellos.com/contact.html

This is actually North Center, not Wrigleyville, but the Lincoln Restaurant on Irving & Lincoln has its own parking lot. The food there isn't outstanding, but it's cheap and varied, and the type of place you could just get "a burger."

There's also Chicago Joe's on Irving Park that advertises free parking. It's really only about a ten minute drive from Wrigleyville. I haven't had their food, but it seems like it would fit your bill.

Hope that helps!

Lincoln Restaurant - website
4008 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL
773-248-1820

Chicago Joe's - website
2256 W Irving Park
Chicago, IL
773-478-7000

PS: If you're headed down in the North Avenue direction, there's also Goose Island, which has free parking in their lot, and good beer if you like it! Their food is acceptable.

Goose Island Brewing Co - website
1800 N Clybourn
Chicago, IL
312-915-0071

I guess if you're willing to go down Clybourn there are all kinds of places with parking.
LouMitchell's
1800 N Clybourn

Panera Bread
2070 N Clybourn

Lalos
1960 N Clybourn

J. Alexanders
1832 N Clybourn

California Pizza Kitchen
939 W. North Avenue

nicinchic wrote:LouMitchell's
1800 N Clybourn

Note that this place is Original Mitchell's, not Lou Mitchell's. I feel this is an important distinction (as do the feuding factions of the Mitchell family). The food at the Clybourn location is much more Greek Diner generic than at the "real" Lou Mitchell's.

oops sorry about that, I guess I just lump tham all together, to me greek pancake places are all aout the same. I know people on this board have their faves.

Thanks. That should keep me going for awhile. It's hard to figure out where these places that actually have parking are when you do not live in the city.

If you are looking for a place with a parking lot and has a good burger, you may want to check out O'Donovans. It's open for lunch and dinner. It's a bar too but it doesn't get crazy crowded until later. Plus I think it's mostly non-smoking now. It's not divey and usually has interesting seasonal decorations. It's not blow your socks off food but really decent to good bar food. I like the wraps, the burgers, and the quesidillas.


O'Donovans
2100 Iriving Park


Full Disclosure: I am friends of with the manager and some of the waitresses/bartenders. I will also say stay away from the cheese plate and the panninis.

I agree bone lady. I have the same problem. I think older moms don't like bar like places. My mom likes her drinks but she likes sitting in a table in a proper sturdy chair, and can't sit in a booth either. She also likes to be waited on not a buffet. And the restaurant has to be all on one level or at least on one level where she will be cause she can' t go up and down stairs. And parking has to be valet or very close by. She does not like smoke or loud music. She likes something a bit more upscale than a hamburger joint but she does not mind spicy food like mexican.