FoodSnob77 wrote:So now we have a potbelly's, and a sam's right on Wabash/Roosevelt. Further north on Roosevelt we have tamarind, (ok but nothing noteworthy), and a thai place (forgot what it was called but they have sushi and it was just average) There's a new bistro on Mich/Roosevelt, along with a decent italian deli, and further south we have South Coast, which didn't impress me much either, (but better than triad sushi).

The south loop still blows chunks in terms of food/retail, I'm constantly driving out to Lincoln Park and the West loop for some quality eats! Don't even get me started on La Cantina Grill, on 18th and Michigan, or Krolls, haha. For such a resident and condo heavy (almost congested) area, it's a shame that there are no decent places to grab a quick bite except for the obvious (opera gioco zapastia) and the 3 decent breakfast options that are always packed to the max. (yolk, bongo room, orange). As much as I dislike LP, I'm always jealous of the multitude of shops/food establishments on Clark, (Aloha, Lito's, Cafe Luigi, etc) that give that neighborhood a distinct soul!

I think you have left three notable South Loop destinations off of your list:

Manny's
White Palace Grill
Maxwell Street Market

And, of course, you're just a stone's throw from both Greektown and Chinatown.

How come Cuatro's hasn't come up on this thread? Sure beats the hell outta Firehouse. By the way I had a nice chunk of deep-fried walleye the other night at Krolls, altho despite the great beer list and comfortable space it still has a long way to climb to get near to the top of my list.

I'd argue that O'Malley's deserved merely an "eh". It's a "what you get.." type place though, a neat little neighborhood bar with the benefit of it serving passable food that are a step above "bar" food. I'm with you on JimmyJohn's though...finally something all ya'll like from downstate! For a good breakfast spot though, don't discount "Yolk". We love it, it's handy for us when we come up to visit our son at VanderCook, and we've never been disappointed with our breakfast...or lunch there!

I'm headed there on Wednesday night for some jazz. Any thoughts on a decent place to grab an early dinner nearby?

Jazz Showcase?

Chicago Curry House is practically right around the corner. They can be uneven, and I find their sampler plates to be disappointments. But I have been quite satisfied by their Nepalese specialties and, usually, their vegetarian offerings. If you're going with a couple of a people and can order a variety of dishes (and don't expect Devon Avenue prices), you should do fine:

http://www.curryhouseonline.com/

Hackney's on Dearborn, for more casual dining, would be another alternative.

There have been a few changes to places in the South Loop in the couple of years since this topic was active. Cuatro is gone, Lou Malnati's opened at 8th and State, and Custom House is now Custom House Tavern with food formerly by Shawn McClain, formerly by Aaron Deal, currently by Eric Aubriot, and soon to be by Perry Hendrix.

Jean Blanchard wrote:I'm headed there on Wednesday night for some jazz. Any thoughts on a decent place to grab an early dinner nearby?

Mercat a la Planxa, Custom House Tavern, Lou Malnati's (as well as the previously mentioned Chicago Curry House and Hackney's).

I live in the area too and I have to add that while we are not there yet, there are plenty of good, even some great places. Mercat was a fantastic addition. I agree Gioco is uneven, but Opera is good and their two martini and app for $15 is a great Friday night deal. Panozzo's is excellent (my friend told me that the guy used to work at Trio). Yolk and Bongo Room are great. Little Branch is one of my favorite places to work with an excellent capuccino, croissant sandwich and artisanal gelato. Opart Thai is so much better than most of the mediocre Chicago thai restaurants-- their khao soy is better than the one I had at lotus of siam in Vegas. The always amazing Lao Sze Chuan is six blocks away from my place (an easy walk) and LTH is not much further. And no one's mentioned Pilsen. Nuevo Leon is a five minute drive as are all the other great taquerias, and even BBQ at honky tonk. Greektown has free parking and it takes me less than ten mins to get to Santorini. I can also drive down to Taylor st and pick up an Italian beef from Al's and a Mario's lemon ice and be back in well under a half hour. Frankly, I think it's a great location for food and I would hate to see it packed with many of the bland mediocre places that Lincoln Park is full of. Yes there are fifty times as many storefronts there, but few I actually want to frequent.

Great points. Business travellers often ask me where to eat (my office is in the SW part of the Loop). While the immediate area has little, the South Loop is ringed by some of America's finest ethnic "-towns." Visitors are usually surprised to hear all of the stuff you mention is a very short cab or L ride away.

Just curious if anything new opened up near the Glessner House. I might head there to see the Christmas decorations.

Pie Lady wrote:Just curious if anything new opened up near the Glessner House. I might head there to see the Christmas decorations.

Chinatown is nearby - Lao Hunan is the newby in the neighbohood. viewtopic.php?f=14&t=32686&hilit=lao+hunan
Lao Hunan
2230 S Wentworth Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 842-7888

I don't think Tapas Valencias has been mentioned here yet. Reasonably good tapas, and if they still have their early bird deal going (something like half-price up to 6:30) it's reasonably priced, too: http://www.mesonsabika.com/valencia/index.html

TV opens around 4:00-4:30. If you're there earlier in the day there's a new Waffles a little further up on Michigan. I've only been there once and wasn't overly impressed, but I'd like to spend more time roaming around their menu: http://www.waffleschicago.com/#/home

Has Panozzo's been mentioned on this thread? If not, they're a little further up on Michigan, and they've been getting a good deal of deservedly positive press lately. They've also been expanding their in-house dining considerably, but one of their specialties remains the meatball sub, or try one of my favorites, the vegetable sub: http://www.panozzos.com/