The December 2008 issue of North Shore magazine devotes seven pages to what it calls "simple, honest-to-goodness diners."
Patty's, of course, makes the list, where "almost everything is homemade" and "a certain gruffness is part of the charm."
I'm sure some quibbling can be done about their list, but the article also includes:
Cafe Sarkis in Evanston
Mrs. D's Wilmette Diner
Prairie Joe's in Evanston
Sparky's in Skokie
Kevin's Place in Deerfield
Sandy's in Highwood
Sher-Main Grill in Evanston
Boris Cafe in Winnetka
"Life is a combination of magic and pasta." -- Federico Fellini
"You're not going to like it in Chicago. The wind comes howling in from the lake. And there's practically no opera season at all--and the Lord only knows whether they've ever heard of lobster Newburg." --Charles Foster Kane, Citizen Kane.