downtown chicago dinner recs

some friends and i are putting together a 'honeymoon' for a couple that couldn't afford one.

they are from here, but currently enjoy the small town life down state. they like to go to good steakhouses primarily for upscale dining. they would not be comfortable in a place that has an 'uppity' atmosphere

they are not big drinkers, but can enjoy some mixed drinks on occasion.

they will be staying at the fairmont hotel downtown and attending the 8pm showing of wicked on saturday.

would like to get them a gift certificate for a place in the area for $150 (though there is some wiggle room in that if you think it won't be enough).

any help is appreciated

Haven't been to David Burkes but it gets great reviews here, although I think it might be pricerier than your range.

I've always been a fan of Erie Cafe when I want a good hunk of cow.

Can get out of there for under $150 easy with no wine by the bottle.

It's not clear from your post whether you are looking specifically for a steakhouse, or to give them exposure to something different (but not stuffy).

I recommend giving them gift card(s) for the Lettuce Entertain You chain. One of their restaurants is Petterino's, which is an excellent steakhouse right next to the Oriental Theatre where "Wicked" is playing, so they can use the gift card(s) there. And if there is any money left over, there are plenty of other places in the area where they can use it.

Another possibility is to give them an American Express "Be My Guest" gift card, which is good at any restaurant that accepts that credit card (which includes just about any decent restaurant). So they can choose the restaurant, and again, they can use any excess just about anywhere.

One last possibility is to give them a gift certificate for the Fairmont. That way they can use that for a dinner at Aria, the un-stuffy Asian fusion restaurant in the hotel, and use any leftover money on their hotel bill.

$150 should cover dinner at Petterino's or Aria pretty well, I would think.

thanks for the suggestions. i think they would be most comfortable in a steakhouse because that is what they enjoy the most. i don't think i should get them an open-ended card like the amex ones, because they would probably end up eating at outback or something.

i will look up the restaurants you suggested though.

nsxtasy wrote:It's not clear from your post whether you are looking specifically for a steakhouse, or to give them exposure to something different (but not stuffy).

I recommend giving them gift card(s) for the Lettuce Entertain You chain. One of their restaurants is Petterino's, which is an excellent steakhouse right next to the Oriental Theatre where "Wicked" is playing, so they can use the gift card(s) there. And if there is any money left over, there are plenty of other places in the area where they can use it.

Another possibility is to give them an American Express "Be My Guest" gift card, which is good at any restaurant that accepts that credit card (which includes just about any decent restaurant). So they can choose the restaurant, and again, they can use any excess just about anywhere.

One last possibility is to give them a gift certificate for the Fairmont. That way they can use that for a dinner at Aria, the un-stuffy Asian fusion restaurant in the hotel, and use any leftover money on their hotel bill.

$150 should cover dinner at Petterino's or Aria pretty well, I would think.

P.S. If you want to arrange something for Petterino's, you may want to do so well in advance, as they do book up on Saturdays. They accept reservations on opentable.com I hope it's not this coming Saturday, because opentable doesn't show any pre-theater openings (nothing before 7:45), although sometimes restaurants will accept phone reservations when opentable says they're full. If it's not for this coming Saturday, you may want to grab a reservation in advance if possible, while there are still openings.

We had almost the same situation this last weekend when we had folks coming from Iowa for the marathon in which our daughters were running. The people wanted either a steakhouse or Italian, but nothing 'too weird', according to my daughter.

So I picked Gene & Georgetti's.

There seems to be no middle ground with G&G. They either hate the 'surly' waiters and the 'non-juicy' steaks or, conversely, love the ambience, embracing the 1940's style history and appreciating the no-nonsense professional waitstaff.

We had a 5:45 reservation for 7, changed to 6 when we arrived. Had a few minutes to sit at the great bar & sip a simple but fantastic Absolut martini. The elderly maitre' d couldn't have been more accomodating, and via walkie-talkie placed us upstairs to a circular table, perfect for good conversation with new friends.

Our waiter was not overly talkative or demonstrative (he didn't volunteer his name & I didn't care), taking our orders & presenting the food like a supper club of yesteryear. Our Iowa friends loved the lasagna & angelhair marinara, while my wife enjoyed a wonderful pepper steak which consisted of three small filets smothered with fresh mushrooms, onions & red & yellow peppers. I had seen pics of the chicken vesuvio that GWiv had ordered in a previous thread, and I would say that while it did not contain peas or have a heavier sauce, G&G's version is among my favorites, right up there with Bruna's.

Gene & Georgetti's was the right choice for my out-of-town friends, who loved the atmosphere, and I'd recommend it anytime for downtowners.

taz, your honeymoon gift is one of the kindest gestures I've heard all day.

David Burke's is excellent and suprisingly non-uppity, and there are several steaks for under $40; coupled with a few $7 sides, and a few drinks, you might come very close to $150.

What an amazing gesture, you are truly a wonderful friend!

While I am super biased and adore Gene's, I don't find it appropriate for a romantic evening. If they are not looking for a quiet dinner, definitely send them. They'll adore the complimentary pizza bread, garbage salad, cottage fries, and lobster diavolo.

I also like the idea of the LEYE gift card. I have never been to Petterino's, but they may appreciate the choice of options.