fancy restaurants?

I'm going to Chicago next week. Is there any fancy restaurants anyone can reccomend? I looked into TRU, Charlie Trotter, and Table 52. I'm leaning towards Table 52 just because it's not a set menu. Any other reccomendations or suggestions? Thanks a bunch!

Tru and Charlie Trotter's are in a very different league than Table 52. You also might want to consider Avenues and Alinea. Be aware that both Trotters and Alinea are set menus. The others you can order a la carte. However, all will be difficult to get reservations at one week in advance (but it never hurts to try, obviously).

All are searchable here and on eGullet. Also, if you let us know what you're looking for other than "fancy" it will probably spark some other recommendations.

Yes, there are fancy restaurants, and then there are fancy restaurants.

For example, some of the best and most creative cuisine around is being served by, oh, roughly eight restaurants in Chicago, IMHO, and I consider them in the following order:

1. Alinea
2. Avenues
3. Everest
4. Charlie Trotter's
5. Tru
6. NoMI
7. Moto
8. Spiaggia

You can order a la carte at some of these, but not others, and at some of those where you can't (e.g. Alinea) you have a choice of a big tasting menu with more courses, or a small tasting menu with fewer courses. Check out the menus on their websites by clicking on the links above.

Since you're from San Francisco, these are places comparable to the French Laundry, and maybe Gary Danko and the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton. If that's what you mean by "fancy", these are the ones to consider.

These are also just about the most expensive restaurants in town. You can expect to pay $200-300 or more per person, including moderate alcohol, tax, and tip, with the exception of Everest, which tends to be a bit less (and much less if you go there for their special $50 three-course pre-theater dinner, 5:00/5:30 every night they're open except Fridays). And maybe NoMI.

With the exception of NoMI, these are also pretty much the only places in Chicago which are dressy (i.e. virtually all gentlemen are wearing at least a sportjacket, most with tie as well). There may be a handful of other jacket-appropriate places besides these, including Carlos in the suburbs, but not many.

jesteinf wrote:However, all will be difficult to get reservations at one week in advance (but it never hurts to try, obviously).

You might be surprised at the ease of getting reservations at any of these other than Alinea, particularly if you're not looking for a Saturday night. You can check on availability of all of these restaurants except Alinea on opentable.com. I just did so and found desirable times this coming Wednesday for all of them with the exception of Everest, which right now is restricting reservations that evening and is not necessarily full, and Alinea, which isn't on opentable.com

Now, if these places are not what you are interested in - maybe the price is higher than you're looking for, or maybe you would prefer to go to a place where you can dress a bit more casually - you might consider one of our many "casual fine dining" restaurants. Many of these serve food that is considered contemporary American, often with global accents. Such restaurants are typically more in the $80-110 range per person, inclusive. The best of these IMHO include, in order of personal preference:

1. one sixtyblue
(if you like, feel free to stop reading here )
2. Blackbird
3. North Pond
4. Aigre Doux
5. Custom House

and, in the suburbs,

1. Tallgrass in Lockport
2. Michael in Winnetka
3. Vie in Western Springs
4. Oceanique in Evanston
5. Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights
6. Chef's Station in Evanston

You can order a la carte at all of these; a few also offer tasting menus in addition to their a la carte offerings. Again, check out the menus on their websites.

As another alternative, if you're looking for a good steak, we also have a whole bunch of steakhouses that are excellent and fit into the "casual fine dining" category, including Gibson's, David Burke's Primehouse, Saloon, Wildfire, Pete Miller's, Gene and Georgetti's, Capital Grille, and many, many more.

Cocooned wrote: I'm leaning towards Table 52 just because it's not a set menu.

I dont know much about this place except that it is owned by Oprah's (former) chef and has an ungodly (6 mos?) waiting list for a table. Unless your name is Stedman you probably aren't getting in next week. Good Luck!

iblock9 wrote:Unless your name is Stedman you probably aren't getting in next week. Good Luck!

or Abe Frohman

djenks wrote:

iblock9 wrote:Unless your name is Stedman you probably aren't getting in next week. Good Luck!

or Abe Frohman

or B. Obama.

nxstasy had a nice list. I am a particular fan of Avenues, and I bet you could get a reservation. If you are a real foodie, Avenues also has a nice kitchen bar area where you sit at a long bar overlooking the kitchen and can watch the meals being prepared. Several of the best dishes I have had in Chicago were at Avenues.

thanks for replying! I will check out all of those links! I'm just looking for "fancy" but still casual and everyone i worked with reccomended Tru and Trotter. I've looked into Sepia too and it seems like a good match to what i'm searching for.

I'm kinda on the look out for a great food experience, a romantic restaurant, and not too pricey (around $200 for two). Any suggestions on that?

THanks again for your advice!

Cocooned wrote:thanks for replying! I will check out all of those links! I'm just looking for "fancy" but still casual and everyone i worked with reccomended Tru and Trotter. I've looked into Sepia too and it seems like a good match to what i'm searching for.

I'm kinda on the look out for a great food experience, a romantic restaurant, and not too pricey (around $200 for two). Any suggestions on that?

THanks again for your advice!

We tend to think that cafe spiaggia is very romantic for 2 and well under your $200 mark, unless you order expensive wine.

Cocooned wrote:I'm just looking for "fancy" but still casual and everyone i worked with reccomended Tru and Trotter.

Neither Tru nor Charlie Trotter's qualifies as "still casual". And the typical tab at both typically runs at least twice your stated budget. There seems to be a disconnect between what you say you're looking for and what your co-workers are recommending. Again, these two restaurants (along with Alinea and Avenues) are most like the French Laundry in Yountville, in terms of price and cuisine and service, except that it's not as difficult to get reservations at the restaurants here.

Cocooned wrote:I'm kinda on the look out for a great food experience, a romantic restaurant, and not too pricey (around $200 for two). Any suggestions on that?

Absolutely; both one sixtyblue and North Pond have what you're looking for, and North Pond is probably a better fit on atmosphere. "Business casual" attire (i.e. not blue jeans, but not sport jackets either) is perfectly acceptable and common at both, although you could also dress up if you wanted, without feeling out of place.

Although I give the nod on food to one sixtyblue, which I consider the best casual fine dining restaurant in the city, the food at North Pond is excellent as well; they specialize in local and seasonal ingredients where available. one sixtyblue was named 2006 Restaurant of the Year by the Chicago Sun-Times; North Pond's Executive Chef Bruce Sherman was nominated for this year's James Beard award in the “Best Chef: Great Lakes Region” category.

Since you're looking for a romantic atmosphere, that's where North Pond has a strong advantage. North Pond is located in the middle of Lincoln Park (in the park itself, not just the surrounding neighborhood of the same name). It is at the edge of its namesake pond; it was formerly the warming shelter for skaters on the ice in the winter. Of course, it has been renovated since then, into a lovely restaurant. One of the two dining rooms has floor-to-ceiling windows facing the pond, and the city skyline looms over the opposite shore. The other dining room has an open kitchen along one side, and even though it doesn't have the view of the pond and skyline - you will see them as you arrive and leave - it is still very charming. During the winter they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays. They also serve brunch on Sundays. This is one of the most romantic restaurants in Chicago. I consider one sixtyblue to be rather romantic as well, but it doesn't have the setting or the renovated nature of North Pond. one sixtyblue's decor is contemporary and open, with the few interior walls painted charcoal gray, and an open kitchen along one side of the dining room.

Both North Pond and one sixtyblue should run around $200 for two, including a reasonable bottle of wine. They both have entrees averaging in the low thirties; you can see menus, with prices, on the websites for both. North Pond also has its wine list, with prices, on its website. Both are winners of the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for their wine lists.

Both accept reservations on opentable.com and one sixtyblue offers 1000 points for reservations at certain times.

Cocooned wrote:thanks for replying! I will check out all of those links! I'm just looking for "fancy" but still casual and everyone i worked with reccomended Tru and Trotter.

Of all the recommendations here, I'd say that Tru and Charlie Trotters are the farthest away from the "casual" part of your request. Both are quite formal and staid. You need to be quiet and on your best behavior in both.

Hello All! Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not thinking about going to Tru and Trotter anymore because it's out of the price range and from what everyone is saying it's just a bit too fancy for what I'm looking for. I think the co-workers just reccomended it because it's more well known.

I will definitely look into north pond and cafe spiaggia. I tried googling places, but I figured it would be best to ask people that actually know and have eaten at the restarants. I'm just a beginning foodie that is very excited to try everything. Thanks again!

Cocooned wrote:I will definitely look into north pond and cafe spiaggia. I tried googling places, but I figured it would be best to ask people that actually know and have eaten at the restarants. I'm just a beginning foodie that is very excited to try everything. Thanks again!

No problem.

Incidentally, Cafe Spiaggia is also very good; it's a mid-priced Italian restaurant on Michigan Avenue. Note the similarity in name to Spiaggia, which I mentioned among our fanciest restaurants; they are located together, but Cafe Spiaggia is moderate in price and casual in attire, whereas Spiaggia is expensive and formal. You'll find menus for both these restaurants, with prices, on the website for the Levy Restaurant Group, of which these are a part.

I still think one sixtyblue and North Pond are more what it sounds like you're looking for, though. If you want a "great food experience", I think you're more likely to get it at one sixtyblue and North Pond (I would call Cafe Spiaggia a "very good food experience" ). If you want a romantic restaurant, North Pond's setting in the park is really unique and gives it a decided edge in that category over the other two.

nsxtasy wrote:If you want a romantic restaurant, North Pond's setting in the park is really unique and gives it a decided edge in that category over the other two.

I agree. At this time of year, with all of the holiday lights, snow, etc., I cannot think of any places more enjoyable to dine than North Pond. Oh, and the food is great too. If you can get into North Pond, do it.