high school formal

we need recommendations for a group of 23 sixteen and seventeen year olds to go to on the night of formal. They want to go to the city at about 10 pm for dessert and light food. Any recommendations? They WILL be noisy!

Wow. I can imagine they'll be noisy.

Could you give a little more direction...price point, specific area, acceptable types of food? I assume you want somewhere a little formal, yes?

Too bad Zephyr is no more!

What about some circuisy place like Carnival?

Well, there are places that stay open late and specialize in dessert, like Hot Chocolate, but they're a bit more subdued and not generally suitable for a rowdy group of teenagers.

What about Artopolis Cafe, in Greek Town? They're open late, they specialize in dessert, and no one's too rowdy for Greek Town!

Another possibility is Grand Lux Cafe, on Michigan Avenue. Warning - it's a chain - but it's noisy enough that a big group of kids won't be a problem. And it's the kind of place where you could just do desserts, no problem. I think it's sort of what stevez was suggesting, a big noisy place, except I think of Carnivale as a place that's more focused on adult drinking, which is not what you are (or ought to be) looking for, whereas Grand Lux Cafe is more of a family / all ages kind of place. It's also big enough that a group that size won't be "taking over the place".

Grand Lux cafe is probaly exactly what your looking for, im not sure about the food (but do HS kids really know the best from the rest? I mean I LOVED Mr Beef and salt and pepper in HS which goes to show where my taste buds were) but they do offer homemade desserts for all those that gather up the "munchies" and they wouldnt have a problem accommodating your party.

Seconded and thirded on Grand Lux.

That age group always also seems to enjoy the Signature Room (95th+ floor of the Hancock).

The desserts at Grand Lux Cafe are decent enough (read: huge and ridiculous), plus, it's right on Michigan Avenue, so it's really a nice view. I'd have the third the recommendation. It's the type of place we would have gone to for a formal in HS. Not too expensive, but nice enough that you could go there in your fancy gear. Most kids aren't that discriminating and would really like this place.

If you wanted a smaller place that wasn't a chain, a restaurant like Sweets & Savories might be able to accommodate the group at a late reservation for desserts. I'm not sure if they'd take that late of a reservation, but it'd be worth a call. It's not necessarily a "rowdy" kind of restaurant, but their head captain isn't a quiet kind of guy, so it generally gets a bit loud in there when he's running the room. (I mean this in a good way; we had a lovely, fun meal the last time I was there!)

What about Minnie's on Halsted? According to Metromix, they're open until 2 a.m. The only downside is that they may not take reservations (but maybe would make an exception for a larger group). It's a fun environment (though not necessarily formal), and the prices are right!

Now they are thinking that if the weather is bad they should stay in the suburbs. Any suggestions for the Northside?????

Thanks,

From a concerned mother

If you were still going Downtown, I think Artist's Snack Shop is pretty cool for such an outing.

On the Northside? Ummm... Gulliver's on Howard is open late and has an interesting atmosphere. On the other hand, I've been disappointed with everything I've eaten there in the last two years. Maybe desserts would be better, though.

The Golden Nugget / Golden Apple diners are pretty decent for late nite, large group, non-discriminating eats. Plus there is usually someone fun to chat with at the counter or at the various tables if you pick the right neighborhood.

gottaeat wrote:Now they are thinking that if the weather is bad they should stay in the suburbs. Any suggestions for the Northside?????

The Cheesecake Factory at Old Orchard.

Another possibility is right next door, California Pizza Kitchen. They may not remind you of desserts, but they have quite a few on their menu.

ChgoMike wrote: Ummm... Gulliver's on Howard is open late and has an interesting atmosphere. On the other hand, I've been disappointed with everything I've eaten there in the last two years. Maybe desserts would be better, though.

IIRC, Gulliver's serves J&R Bakery's cheesecake, well worth it - in general, then, dessert is better than food...definitely noisy, though a large group of teenagers and lots of expensive bric-a-brac might be stressful for the accompanying adult...

The kids came up with the idea of going to Steak and Shake! Perfect!
The boys can eat all they want and it will not cost the girls a fortune.
Thanks for all the great ideas everyone.

A satisfied mom