New to Chicago

We just moved to Chicago from London and are struggling to find a place to eat or drink that we like. After hearing about how great Chicago is for food, we are hoping that we just have not found the right places yet. We're looking for good bars/pubs and restaurants. High end for special occasions but mostly casual. It would be nice to know a few places where we can just stroll in and know that they will have great food and a great atmosphere. Or even have a handful of favorites do grab a drink after work. So far all the bars feel like sports bars.

What are we missing? Help...we love to go out. We live downtown and want some favorite locals that are not a chain.

Hi, and welcome to LTH.

It might help if you posted more specific information about what types of food you're looking for, and your budget. Also, tell us where you've been, what places you've liked or disliked and why. And, maybe your neighborhood? You'll get more feedback if you can be more specific.

A good place to start: LTH's Great Neighborhood Restaurants. You'll find a lot of casual, reasonably price local favorites, and very few (if any) chains.

Hopleaf might be a good place to start if that's your scene. Or Kuma's. My only suggestion is, try new places on a Wednesday or Thursday. Both Hopleaf and Kuma's, and any place that gets a lot of love will be zoos on Fridays and Saturdays.

As crrush pointed out (I love the warning about new posts since you started typing your reply), the list of Great Neighborhood Restaurants is always a good place to start.

If you want super high-end and expensive: Alinea, Tru, Charlie Trotter's, Spiaggia, Everest, etc. Most have been discussed here, so you should be able to find more info with a little bit of searching.

Bars you might try: Long Room on Irving, Map Room on Armitage, Hop Leaf on North Clark(Also for food), Laschett's on Irving (Beer and food), Skylark on South Halsted, Kuma's on Belmont(drinks and great burgers), Matchbox on Milwaukee ave.
Food-Avec, Sun Wah, Tank Noodle, Spring World, Smoque, Mixteco, Coal Fire, and many others listed on this forum. Have fun and please post on your experiences.

Thank you all for your feedback. I apologize for being vague. I have checked out the neighborhood listings and only see 4 in our area and 3 are very casual.

Here is where we have been and what we thought of it:

Food;
Charlie Trotters: hate it! Totally resting on their laurels. Service is horrible. They missed an entire wine course for us! Shocked that they are listed as one of the top restaurants in the US - they couldn't even compare to a michelin star restaurant in Europe.
Frontera grill - so so, nothing amazing
Cortinos - nice, not too bad
Osterio (sp?) - ok especially if you get to sit outside.
Rocket - surprisingly not too bad

Drinks:
Pops - okay
Numi - really liked it - liked the atmosphere, wine selection.
Zed 451 - like it
Ripley Garrett (I think that is the name) - really like it, very casual but not full of TVs showing sports
Elephant and Castle - not too bad compared to other pubs
Fado - totally cheesy
Kerryman - didn't really like it, wine selection was awful- looks much better from the outside so maybe good for outdoor drinks
D4 - average - bad wine selection - all sweet
Lizzie Mcquire - average
Eonology (sp?) - okay
Bin 966 or 32?) -okay

We're open to all price ranges. Obviously looking for more moderate ($20, 30'ish) for everyday going out.

Thank you!

As a non-native, I feel your pain. It took me about three years to figure out the secret to Chicago's food scene. You've come to the right place for help.

Based on your list, it definitely looks like you need to get out of downtown. The sports bar vibe is going to be an issue in most of the bar/pub type places, as you've found. Getting out of downtown might not jive with your easy, walk-in, around-the-corner request, but if you want to see the full range of the best food in Chicago, you've got to get away from the Mag Mile. I strongly recommend starting with the Great Neighborhood Restaurants (linked above).

By the looks of it, pubs and bars are important, but you're missing out on some of the best things this city has to offer--the rich and varied ethnic restaurants. Again...there are a bajillion options, so it helps if you can narrow it down even more. Mexican? Indian? Thai? Korean You've tapped into the mother lode of Chicago's food freaks here, so you can even go sub-genre--best Yucatanean food? Southern Indian? Tamales? Korean bbq over live charcoals?

Bar and foodwise, your next, first stop should be at the Matchboxfor drinks and burgers, definitely. They might not be the supreme best burgers in town (although I think they did get mentioned in some nat'l. magazine), it's the very well-made cocktails and the convivial (to borrow a GWiv favorite word) atmosphere that make it.

If you must stay downtown, I really like the bar/oyster room in Shaw's Crab House (yes, it's a chain, but it's got the best, most consistent raw bar in town).

Shaws Crab House
21 E. Hubbard St.
Chicago, IL.
312-527-2722

For sushi, try Ginza Fish House. What it lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in authentic dishes and fresh fish.

Ginza Fish House
19 E. Ohio Street
Chicago
(312) 222-0600

Ask--and participate, give feedback, go discover on your own and report back--and ye shall receive. But, for sure, get familiar with the CTA and get out of downtown.

for Drinks (and food at some):

Goose Island Brewpub off Clybourn
Cork & Kerry on S Western
Jerry's Sandwiches on W Division
Red Lion Pub on N Lincoln
Map Room on W Armitage




Dining:

West Town Tavern on W Chicago
Las Palmas on W North Ave
Piece Pizza on W North Ave (not a sports bar per se, but many telly's)
Pot Pan on N Milwaukee


you can view hundreds of reviews of these and other places on yelp chicago.

ExhibitA wrote:for Drinks (and food at some):

Goose Island Brewpub off Clybourn
Cork & Kerry on S Western
Jerry's Sandwiches on W Division
Red Lion Pub on N Lincoln
Map Room on W Armitage




Dining:

West Town Tavern on W Chicago
Las Palmas on W North Ave
Piece Pizza on W North Ave (not a sports bar per se, but many telly's)
Pot Pan on N Milwaukee


you can view hundreds of reviews of these and other places on yelp chicago.

Gotta differ with the Pot Pan rec. Should the op desire Thai food they'll miss out on the wonders of Chicago Thai if they settle for the aforementioned. It's plebian at best(nice space, food's an afterthought). Search this forum for loads of Thai discussion vis a vis: Opart, Rosded, Sticky Rice, TAC, Spoon, etc. One might even opine that this forum's foundation is built of the Thai cuisine diaspora in Chicago...especially the work done by Erik M. Pot Pan doesn't make the grade.

And why direct the op to (ick) Yelp? All of the above are touched upon on LTH.

Bars you might try: Long Room on Irving, Map Room on Armitage, Hop Leaf on North Clark(Also for food), Laschett's on Irving (Beer and food), Skylark on South Halsted, Kuma's on Belmont(drinks and great burgers), Matchbox on Milwaukee ave.

Excellent bar recommendations!! I'm a big fan of each and every bar mentioned by stewed coot particularly Laschett's (excellent German Food), Matchbox (excellent cocktails and a diverse, friendly crowd) and Kuma's (excellent metal, tattoos, and burgers). I do really enjoy Hopleaf as well unless a certain condescending bartender is working. May I also recommend:

Violet Hour - just go!!
1520 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

Delilah's - punk and scotch
2771 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614

Ten Cat Tavern (around the corner from the Long Room)
3931 N. Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613

Matilda - the downstairs "Baby Atlas" is a treat if you can get a seat along with the giant goblets
3101 N. Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657

Simon's (very near Hopleaf)
5210 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60640

Rainbo Club - many can't stand the hipster scene here but this place is full of personality
1150 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

Huttenbar - some may disagree here but I always have a good time when I go
4721 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625

It's my personal opinion that many things suck in the Gold Coast/Downtownish area. You need to get out of there to enjoy more of a non-pretentious side of Chicago.

Thanks, Chris, for letting me know what the rules are w re to where to direct folks for reviews, opinions, etc. The OP is already at LTH and aware of it, i'm just giving further options.

I'm fairly, well really, new to this board and have gathered much of my chicago food info from that other (ick.lol) site, but I'm sure it gets slated as another (competing? i've no idea) chicago food board, blah dah freaking dah. Pot Pan is excellent, imo, and further confirmed by my wife (who happens to be 1/2 Thai) and her mother, who happens to be *from* Thailand. As are Bamee Noodle, Tiparos, etc....so yea, there're are loads of them to be fair, i just gave one.

ExhibitA wrote:Thanks, Chris, for letting me know what the rules are w re to where to direct folks for reviews, opinions, etc. The OP is already at LTH and aware of it, i'm just giving further options.

I'm fairly, well really, new to this board and have gathered much of my chicago food info from that other (ick.lol) site, but I'm sure it gets slated as another (competing? i've no idea) chicago food board, blah dah freaking dah. Pot Pan is excellent, imo, and further confirmed by my wife (who happens to be 1/2 Thai) and her mother, who happens to be *from* Thailand. As are Bamee Noodle, Tiparos, etc....so yea, there're are loads of them to be fair, i just gave one.

What rules???

Yes, you are new to the board, welcome.

Add Tiparos to below standard Thai in Chicago. I used to live on the lakefront and ordered from them every so often out of abject despair for any "edible" Thai in the Gold Coast.

*Amarit moved and/or didn't deliver, I forget which, and Silver Spoon was a disappointment...Garlic and Ginger(?) was an abomination*

Sometimes I just didn't feel like cooking Thai, wanted to order in and Tiparos was the only option(decent tom kha kai, ridiculously-sweet laab, and a penchant for strewing some cross between a serrano and jalapeno into any dish ordered hot...these fresh chiles have an inappropriate, overwhelmingly-green flavor and are rendered insipid by the large quantities of oil used in their stir-frys, their curries taste right out of a Maesri can or Mae Ploy tub).

Yelp, imo, is more noise than signal(you can also find discussion of Yelp on this forum). No, there isn't any competition between LTH and "other food sites" because LTH does what it does best; offer generally erudite investigation and commentary on all aspects of cuisine in Chicago and elsewhere. There's a reason why LTH "split-off" from Chowhound many years ago. As far as I'm concerned Yelp doesn't register(there are other LTH'ers who, I'm sure, disagree).

in due time, i may agree w. you re: LTH (that it's heads and shoulders above all other chicago food/drink sites and related places of info), and from what i can gather thus far, it's v respectable...however, i'm also pretty sure i've received solid info from yelp (and other sources) w re to Chicago's dining and drinking establishments, so to limit yourself is a bit, well, limiting i guess. That take on it is subject to change I suppose, as is almost everything in life, eh?

and let's be honest, i wasn't being quite literal in the rules comment either way, enjoy the holiday w/e!

Don't miss Lula Cafe in Logan Square.

Lao Sze Chuan in Chinatown

If you live downtown here a are a few to try that are downtown.

The Gage - I would eat and drink here every day if I lived downtown
Park Grill - I like having a few outdoor drinks in Millenium Park
Tavern on the Park - OK food and Drink
Russina Tea Time - Worth going if you live downtown little something different, Rhapsody is also right there
Monks Pub - Burgers, beer and peanuts on the floor
NoMi for high end

Your a short cab ride away from the west end of Randolph street (between 90/94 and Ogen)which contains Marche, Avec, Blackbird, Randolph Wine Cellar (arguably best wine bar in the city) De Cero (a high end interesting take on the taco), Sushi Wabi, Moto is right there too.

Have to agree that Violet Hour (cocktails), HopLeaf (Belgian) and Lasches (German) are worth leaving the neighborhood for.

I would recommend hitting the better steakhouses in town, all have very nice bars, and great beef.

My favorites in no particular order:

Joes Seafood, Prime Steaks, and Stone Crab
Saloon Steakhouse
David Burke's
Keefers

Also the rec. for the GNR's is a great one, my favorite GNR for Chinese food in Chicago is Sun Wah BBQ on Argyle, but I am a meat eating fanatic.

Welcome to town.

Clark Street Ale House is one my favorite places in the city for a drink. In theory, it's springtime here in Chicago, and I think they have a large outdoor space in case the bar is full. They have one of the best beer selections in the city (including, usually, a cask-conditioned ale) and an impressive (and affordable) whisky list. They're more or less next to Garret Ripleys at 742 N. Clark. They don't serve food, however. Another fantastic Chicago bar is the Map Room in Bucktown, though they also do not serve food.

If you're stuck downtown, Copper Blue has garnered praise from this board, near Navy Pier (but don't assume it has any of NP's garishness), and I think Blue Water Grill is supposed to be good (correct me if I'm mistaken). I've always enjoyed Naha, located near Fronterra Grill.

Aside from some of the restaurants in the West Loop (ie. Avec, if only because they don't take reservations), though, I'm having a hard time thinking of really great places near downtown that you can just walk into without already having a reservation. If you're having one of those, "oh, let's just go out tonight" moments, you may need to take a cab/train out of downtown. In particular, I would strongly second (or third) earlier suggestions of Hopleaf and Lula's.

Just a note on one of the above posts. Red Lion Pub is currently closed for renovation, altho you might try Duke of Perth at 2913 N. Clark if you're getting a little homesick for the UK.

I live in Near North and will agree - its not a mecca of stop-in-for-a-bite casual spots. A few things that do come to mind:

Avec - mentioned previously. Outstanding food.

Pepper Cannister on Wells St., - Haven't been for a while, but they always had inspired pub food and good beer on tap.

Kan Zaman - Lebanese restaurant on Wells St. Good solid middle-eastern cuisine. One of the few ethnic places in the area. BYO.

Zapatista - Good mexican restaurant in the south loop.

Coal Fire Pizza - a bit of a hike from the loop, but some of the best pizza in town.

The Gage Inn - good if somewhat overpriced food. Across from Grant Park. Nice selection of beers on tap.

India House - Best Indian food in the near north area. Klay Oven is not bad either.

For a more expensive meal:

Naha/Blackbird - Outstanding contemporary American. Both among the best in the city. (Edit - went to Blackbird tonight for a wonderful meal - Cheese Salad, Pork Belly, Kalamata Olive Cake. One of the better meals I have had in some time.)

Coco Pazzo - Italian. Real Italian, not Italo-American. We have found that we can almost always walk in without reservations and get a table, or at least eat at the bar - although I'd recommend reservations. There is also a less expensive Coco-Pazzo Cafe in Streeterville.

Graham Elliot - Maybe I shouldn't put up here since its not open yet, but the chef from Avenues in the Penninsula is about to open his own place on Huron. Opens in June.

Salpicon - Mexican. I run hot and cold on Salpicon, but the past few experiences have been very good. Maybe what you thought Frontera Grill should have been.

Le Colonial - Vietnamese in a beautiful French Colonial style environment in the middle of the Gold Coast.

Brasserie Jo - Nice French Bistro in Near North. Excellent beer selection and good compact French wine list. Specialize in Alsatian cuisine.

[quote="crrush"]
If you must stay downtown, I really like the bar/oyster room in Shaw's Crab House (yes, it's a chain, but it's got the best, most consistent raw bar in town).

Shaws Crab House
21 E. Hubbard St.
Chicago, IL.
312-527-2722

Crush, off topic I know but I am curious as to why you consider Shaw's to be a chain. Is it because there are two locations or because they are part of the LEYE organization? Two locations hardly make a chain and if it is the latter, I would submit that L2O, Everest and TRU are also chains as I would think that they like Shaw's take advantage of the volume purchase pricing, private suppliers, and other benefits of being affilliated with LEYE.

A nice place to eat that has BYOB to boot is "Think" (2235 N. Western Ave) with contemporary Italian cuisine, it's got a wonderful atmosphere and very attentive staff.

Another choice for cozy comfort food is "Le Bouchon" (Armitage X Damen) for probably the most authentic French bistro type food. It can get very noisy at dinner time, but it's got the feel of Paris.

For "British style" pubs with an ultra-cozy neighborhood feel, you have a long search ahead. There is really nothing that compares to the pub culture in the UK, if you find something let me know and I'll be the first one to go try it!

My parents have a weekend place in Streeterville, and there's mostly mediocre overpriced food in that area. Some that they/we have enjoyed more than others in that area: Viand, Coco Pazzo Cafe, Bandera, Quartino, Boston Blackie's, the Gage.

But the best options are really further from downtown, whether good ethnic cuisine or neigborhood joints...

Thank you all for sharing so generously. We have started going through the list of the various places mentioned, The Gage being the first and it was excellent! The food and service were both great. Thanks again! Will report back on the others as we try them.

I don't know if this qualifies as an "English pub" or not, but Duke of Perth is a great place for a pint and some fish and chips.

Duke of Perth
2913 North Clark
Chciago, IL 60657

http://www.dukeofperth.com/

In reviewing this, I'm surprised there's no mention of Abbey Pub. More Irish than British, but pretty good food, and even better music.

Abbey Pub and Restaurant
3420 W. Grace St.
Chicago, IL 60618-4215
773-478-4408

Similarly, in my 'hood, there's Nevin's Pub, which has a casual assemblage of Irish musicians on late Sunday afternoons. The food's not bad there, either.

Tommy Nevin's Pub
1450 Sherman Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201
847-869-0450

I could not disagree more with the Abbey Pub recommendation. Their food is mediocre and bland and they're sadly drifting away from their musical focus under new management (the band I used to go see on Mondays was evicted in favor of Monday Night Football, and then when football season was over, they started doing freakin' Guitar Hero tournaments!! ) If you're going through all the trouble of schlepping all the way up to that area for an Irish-type dining and pub experience, Chief O'Neil's just down the street is a far better option.

Chief O'Neil's
3471 N. Elston Ave
773-473-5263

Drover wrote:I could not disagree more with the Abbey Pub recommendation. Their food is mediocre and bland and they're sadly drifting away from their musical focus under new management (the band I used to go see on Mondays was evicted in favor of Monday Night Football, and then when football season was over, they started doing freakin' Guitar Hero tournaments!! ) If you're going to go through the trouble of going all the way up to that area for an Irish-type dining and pub experience, Chief O'Neil's just down the street is a far better option.

Chief O'Neil's
3471 N. Elston Ave
773-473-5263

Agreed, and Abbey pub has possibly the worst sound of almost any venue I've been to in Chicago.

Nearby good {Irish} pubs should IMO include the Pepper Canister (Wells at Grand, opposite Sushi Samba in River North). Beers on tap include Guiness & Hoegarten plus a short bar food menu which includes good scotch eggs, fish & chips, & a proper fry-up all day (i.e. includes Irish bacon, baked beans & black &/or white sausage if you want them). They also do a good blue cheese burger with fries (with vinegar) (I'm an ex-Londoner myself & this is my local).

I don't know if this qualifies as an "English pub" or not, but Duke of Perth is a great place for a pint and some fish and chips.

Duke of Perth
2913 North Clark
Chciago, IL 60657

First post after years of happy reading...

DoP is Scottish, and proudly so. We took a dear friend who was born and raised in Glasgow there 2-3 years ago, and she was quite impressed by the level of authenticity. At least one of the owners is a Scot, they had signs and advertisements on the wall that are from the brewery down the road from her flat, beer on tap from the same brewery, they served unadorned peas on the side of the fish & chips... overall a very pleasant atmosphere and solid pub food. The location is on Clark right near the Century movie theater & Borders.