Need Help - Visitor to Chicago

Okay, after lots of reading I need some advice. My DH and I will be in the Big City March 15-19. Staying on S. Michigan at the Hilton. The both of us will be going to dinner( one with friends from the city) and I will be solo breakfast and lunch. Me - 40ish lived on North Dearborn for 5 years in the late 90s. I like to try new things. I am familar with Gold Coast/N. Michigan and some Lincoln Park, but not much else. Like - Seafood, Pasta, Ethnic, Cocktails, Tapas - in a relaxed not too stuffy atmosphere. For expample - McCormick and Schmicks, Carmines, Wildfire, PJ Clarke's( I know most of these are chains, but really prefer local flavor), The Original Pancake House (dutch baby) Dublin's to name a few I can remember that long ago. DH - 40 very traditional, steak and potatos, does not like waiting in line to eat, no jackets required, good vodka or beer, doesn't want to travel too far for dinner(cabs or buses). We have reservations at Geja's, but could be swayed with something else. I am looking for interesting breakfast/lunch for me and dinner for us. I will be going to Spice House one day, so will be in Old Towne. Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks for the help,

Lori

For dinner, go to Mercat a la Planxa. It's the best, most creative tapas restaurant in the city, and it's right across the street from your hotel. Excellent and unusual food in a lively, fun atmosphere.

For breakfast, go to Bongo Room, at Roosevelt and Wabash, 3-4 blocks from your hotel. They specialize in unusual pancakes with sauces, like their pretzel pancakes with white chocolate sauce. A standard portion is three huge pancakes, but you can get two-thirds and one-third portion sizes at a reduced price, either for a smaller appetite or to permit you to try more than one thing on the menu.

For lunch, get authentic, delicious Chicago-style deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati's. The location at 8th and State is two blocks from your hotel. Call ahead (312-786-1000) with your pizza order to avoid waiting 30-45 minutes while seated for your pizza to bake.

I am not recommending these restaurants only because they are close to your hotel; these are the best restaurants of their type in Chicago. The convenient location is just a bonus!

Not contradicting nsxtasy, but you might also consider Yolk for breakfast. They can be crowded, but it's a very large place and they move things along. My few meals there were all very good. Another consideration near you might be The Gage. You can check out discussions here on LTH. Have fun.

You could also check out Shaw's, which has a great half-off oyster special everyday from 4-6 at their oyster bar. The oysters are probably the best you are gonna get in Chicago and they make a really mean martini.

Shaws
21 East Hubbard Street
Chicago, IL 60611-3512
(312) 527-2722

Afterward, if you are a fan of jazz or blues at all, I would recommend checking out the Jazz Record Mart, which is literally a block away and has one of the best jazz and blues collections in the world (I've shopped at a lot of places in NYC, I can make this claim credibly).

Jazz Record Mart
27 East Illinois Street
Chicago, IL 60611-3510
(312) 222-1467

Thanks for the recomendations! I had looked at a couple of these already Mercat a la Planxa has a thread I've been reading and Shaw's looks great. I had not heard about Bongo Room and can't wait to try that. The Jazz place sounds like a great place to pass an afternoon.

I forgot to mention price range, but you all have done fine. Any steak house recs again, not too stuffy - liked Wildfire. What about Sullivans or The Saloon?

Thanks Again!

I'm not all that fond of Yolk. I mean, it's not bad or anything. But the offerings are just your standard breakfast dishes, eggs and pancakes and such, and it's not unusual in any way. Whereas Bongo Room has those pancake dishes unlike anything elsewhere in Chicagoland (or even anywhere else I've encountered).

I don't usually recommend seafood restaurants or steakhouses to people looking for "local flavor", just because those types of restaurants - and good ones - can be found in nearly every big city. However, if that's what you're looking for, rather than food that's a bit more unusual and more local, by all means go for it.

If you do want seafood (lunch or dinner), Shaw's is very good. It's a conventional seafood restaurant, designed to resemble old-time seafood restaurants in New England. It's in River North, about a mile north of your hotel.

For steakhouses, we have a lot of good ones. I still think that the best steaks are at David Burke's Primehouse. I also like it because they have more variety on the menu than most, and the atmosphere is more contemporary and elegant, rather than the bustling men's club atmosphere of many other steakhouses. It too is in River North, about a mile north of your hotel.

If you would like to try something a bit more unusual, then in addition to Mercat a la Planxa, I recommend one of our restaurants specializing in creative provincial Mexican restaurants. This is a type of food not often found elsewhere around the country. Rick Bayless was a pioneer in this cuisine, and his Frontera Grill and Topolobampo are still going strong after 25+ years. Both are in River North. Topolobampo accepts reservations on Opentable.com but has been booking up several months in advance, at least for dinner. Frontera Grill holds most of the restaurant for walk-in traffic; waits for seating tend to be shortest when they first open (although I was there a few weeks ago on a weeknight and there was little to no wait). Also note that Frontera Grill is open for brunch on Saturdays. Another place for excellent creative Mexican cuisine is Mundial Cocina Mestiza. Mundial is in the Pilsen neighborhood, about three miles southwest of your hotel.

If you enjoy contemporary American restaurants, Custom House is just a few blocks from your hotel. My favorite is Cafe Des Architectes, in the Sofitel off Michigan Avenue, a mile and a half north of your hotel. I love it for its superb food, and it's also nice that it's an excellent value, offering a $42 3-course prix fixe menu every day, and a $29 3-course "neighborhood friends" menu Sundays through Tuesdays. And for "local flavor", nothing can beat North Pond - not only for its excellent food, but also for its exquisite setting in the middle of Lincoln Park (the park itself, not the adjacent neighborhood of the same name), about four miles north of your hotel. It's located facing its namesake pond, with the city skyline looming over the opposite shore, and is in a renovated building that formerly served as a warming shelter for ice skaters on the pond in winter.

For a steakhouse, I'd recommend Keefer's. The steaks are amazing, and the rest of the menu is very good, with French inspired dishes for those who aren't all about big slabs of meat (not that there's anything wrong with that). The soups, in particular, are fantastic.

Bongo Room? Yolk? If I were visiting Chicago, I'd be making a bee line to Lou Mitchell's. It's an old school classic; located at the start of Route 66. Big good breakfasts, free donut holes while you wait in line and Milk Duds for the ladies. And don't forget Great Neighborhood Restaurant Award Winner Manny's for a corned beef sandwich.

P.S. I second (or third) the recommendation for David Burke's for steak. It's a notch or two up in quality from the ones you mentioned, although they are perfectly fine as well.

Lou Mitchell's
565 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL
(312) 939-3111

Manny's Coffee Shop
1141 S. Jefferson
Chicago, IL
(312)-939-2855

David Burke's Primehouse
616 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL
(312) 660-6000

What about Brazilian Steak houses - Fago de Chao, Texas de Brazil etc...

All ideas sound great - I sooooo need a week in the city! Anything special for St. Patrick's Day we should not miss?

hopeforus wrote:Anything special for St. Patrick's Day we should not miss?

There's a parade, and they dye the river green.

hopeforus wrote:What about Brazilian Steak houses - Fago de Chao, Texas de Brazil etc...

I don't really see the point of Brazilian steakhouses in a city that is known for great steaks. Yes, it's all you can eat, but I have a feeling a normal steakhouse can serve you up a piece of meat that will more than sate your hunger, and it will be cooked to order. I guess if you must have a variety of cuts of meat, then Fogo might be the way to go, but I'd still rather have one steak done exactly the way I want.

I would add Eleven City Diner to the breakfast / lunch options if you are looking for something near the hotel. I find the food to be above average and a fun place to eat. We have been spending a lot of time in that area recently and find ourselves going back to Eleven City Diner on a regular basis.

Also, if you are looking for a nice sweet to take on the go, Canady Chocolatier is just around the corner from the Hilton on Wabash. Just exit the Hilton on 8th street and turn right to Wabash. Canaday is on the West side of the street just down from the Caribu Coffee. Canaday is considered some of the best chocolate in the city.

And speaking of Coffee, if you are near Randolph and Michigan there is an Intelligentsia on Randolph between Michigan and Wabash. Well worth the walk in my opinion.

For cocktails, a bit of a walk North on Michigan Ave. is The Gage. They have a good selection of beers and whiskey and some nice cocktails. The drinks can be a bit pricier given their proximity to Millenium Park but I enjoy sitting at the bar with friends and exploring the Whiskey menu. They also have a very nice menu which you can order from the bar.

I will also continue the Jazz theme from above and mention that there is a great place to see live Jazz near the Hilton called the Jazz Showcase. I have been several times and have always enjoyed the performance.

Eleven City Diner
1112 S. Wabash
Chicago, IL
312-212-1112

Canaday Chocolatier
824 S. Wabash
Chicago, IL
312-212-1270

Intelligentsia Coffee
53 E. Randolph
Chicago, IL
312-920-9332

The Gage
24 S. Michigan
Chicago, IL
312-372-4243

The Jazz Showcase
806 S. Plymouth Ct.
Chicago, IL
312-670-2473