Christmas Day Dinner recommendations please!

I washed my hands of cooking Christmas dinner this year. Halloween and Thanksgivings I and II took it out of me. I could use some recommendations for Christmas Day.

Parameters:
Downer's Grove area, Schaumburg area preferred, also Niles area
Nice, but not very expensive; preferably $25 per person or less
Reasonable noise levels
Open at least until 5pm

Thanks all!

Lao Sze Chuan
1331 Ogden Ave
Downers Grove, IL 60515
(630) 663-0303

What he said ^^^

MMM, LSC would be an excellent choice. My faves: 3 chili chicken, fish filet in szechwan sauce, pork with potherb, beef in szechwan sauce. The Sz. sauce is great, oily, unctuous, very spicy and delicious.

stevez wrote:Lao Sze Chuan
1331 Ogden Ave
Downers Grove, IL 60515
(630) 663-0303

But you must do a movie after it and you should probably make dessert for coffee,tea, hot chocolate, eggnog,hot cider, cordials, etc. after the movie. I know the last course is your sweet spot.

You mean bring dessert to my parents' place? That would be a good idea. I wanted to make Trinidad Black Cake and this pie but I have no one to help me eat it...

Pie Lady wrote:You mean bring dessert to my parents' place? That would be a good idea. I wanted to make Trinidad Black Cake and this pie but I have no one to help me eat it...

Tell everyone to make a dessert or bring the cordial, eggnog, hot chocolate,etc.-- light a fire (assuming there is a fire place) put on some great jazz and/or Vince Guraldi Trio's Charlie Brown's Christmas-- which is jazz & holiday-- pull out the Scrabble board, a deck of cards, and chat about the movie and enjoy it.

Wow! That sounds so good I may have to do it.

That does sound good!

Well, I got the biggest shock today - my mother, who probably would eat Chinese every day if she could - doesn't want to go to Lao's! She said they have different owners and the food doesn't taste the same. Has anyone noticed a change in the food lately (Downer's Grove location)? I thought Tony still owns all the restaurants—maybe she means new management?

Thanks!

Pie Lady wrote:Well, I got the biggest shock today - my mother, who probably would eat Chinese every day if she could - doesn't want to go to Lao's! She said they have different owners and the food doesn't taste the same. Has anyone noticed a change in the food lately (Downer's Grove location)? I thought Tony still owns all the restaurants—maybe she means new management?

Thanks!

It's still owned by Tony and I haven't heard of any changes. Would you consider Chinese Kitchen in Westmont instead?

Chinese Kitchen
6551 S. Cass Ave
Westmont, IL
630-968-3876

I dunno. I asked and I'll report back. The pictures in that post sure look tasty.

I just noticed this list today on Eater.com: http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2011/ ... -guide.php

Opentable has a list of places with their plans, here.

I've eaten lunch at Glen Prairie in Glen Ellyn, which sounds like it's in your target area, and it was enjoyable.

Reza's in Oak Brook is fairly close to DG and is open Xmas day. I've been to the one in Andersonville before for a holiday brunch. We're going to be in the middle of bathroom demo so I'm opting out as well.

http://www.rezasrestaurant.com/specials.html

Hey guys. Long time reader here. Just looking if anyone know of a list of restaurants open for Christmas Day. I've already looked through Open Table and went through their list, but was hoping for something more local/special no necessarily expensive.

Devon Ave. has become a holiday tradition for me. Nothing says Noel like Chicken Charga.

Any suggestions for a place in Chinatown that will take reservations in advance? It will only be 3 of us, so a place like Lao Hunan won't let us reserve since it's fewer than 6 people.

Lerdawg wrote:It will only be 3 of us, so a place like Lao Hunan won't let us reserve since it's fewer than 6 people.

Is that true of all of Tony Hu's restaurants?

Also, I wonder how busy places in Chinatown will be on Sunday, since people probably will be eating at all times throughout the day, rather than a lunch and dinner rush. Anybody have any idea?

nsxtasy wrote:

Lerdawg wrote:It will only be 3 of us, so a place like Lao Hunan won't let us reserve since it's fewer than 6 people.

Is that true of all of Tony Hu's restaurants?

Also, I wonder how busy places in Chinatown will be on Sunday, since people probably will be eating at all times throughout the day, rather than a lunch and dinner rush. Anybody have any idea?

We had a lot of luck on Xmas before noon in Chinatown. Probably not Phoenix, but we got a table right away three years running at Lao Sze Schuan at about 11:30. Spring World too.

According to the Tribune today, these are also open on Christmas Day:
Ann Sather
Aria
Balsan
C-House
D'Noche Latin American Kitchen
Francesca's on Chestnut
Italasia
Lockwood
Pump Room
Rio's D'Sudamerica
Sunda
SushiSamba Rio and
Svea.

In Chinatown:
Saint's Alp Teahouse
Lao Shanghai
Go 4 Food
Joy Yee
Double Li
Spring World
Tao Ran Ju / T. Tasty House
Hing Kee

Any suggestions for a place in Chinatown that will take reservations in advance? It will only be 3 of us, so a place like Lao Hunan won't let us reserve since it's fewer than 6 people.

Moon Palace took reservations a couple of years ago, altho they were usually made a week or so in advance. Re crowds, as Pie Lady above indicates, more restaurants are opening on Christmas Day than in the past, but when we were part of the "Skokie-and-environs-to-Chinatown-Christmas-Day-migration" most decent places were packed solid around the dinner hours. This also included some of the Broadway establishments such as Silver Seafood on Lawrence.

jbw wrote:

Any suggestions for a place in Chinatown that will take reservations in advance? It will only be 3 of us, so a place like Lao Hunan won't let us reserve since it's fewer than 6 people.

Moon Palace took reservations a couple of years ago, altho they were usually made a week or so in advance. Re crowds, as Pie Lady above indicates, more restaurants are opening on Christmas Day than in the past, but when we were part of the "Skokie-and-environs-to-Chinatown-Christmas-Day-migration" most decent places were packed solid around the dinner hours. This also included some of the Broadway establishments such as Silver Seafood on Lawrence.

How bad should we suppose Lao Hunan will be tonight (Xmas Eve), say at 7:30 for three people? I'm guessing an hour wait, if we can find a space at the Chinatown parking lots. Any thoughts?

sdrucker wrote:

jbw wrote:

Any suggestions for a place in Chinatown that will take reservations in advance? It will only be 3 of us, so a place like Lao Hunan won't let us reserve since it's fewer than 6 people.

Moon Palace took reservations a couple of years ago, altho they were usually made a week or so in advance. Re crowds, as Pie Lady above indicates, more restaurants are opening on Christmas Day than in the past, but when we were part of the "Skokie-and-environs-to-Chinatown-Christmas-Day-migration" most decent places were packed solid around the dinner hours. This also included some of the Broadway establishments such as Silver Seafood on Lawrence.

How bad should we suppose Lao Hunan will be tonight (Xmas Eve), say at 7:30 for three people? I'm guessing an hour wait, if we can find a space at the Chinatown parking lots. Any thoughts?

Judging by the traffic on the Kennedy, it may be much less crowded than you think.

Just returned from a dim sum lunch in Chinatown. The place (entire Chinatown) was packed and parking was terrible, but not really much worse than a usual weekend day. Don't think that no traffic means no crowds though. They do have some nice decorations up and caroling (in English) going on as well.

We ended up at Turquoise on Roscoe. Very good dinner (and except for us, everyone there was Turkish).

We had a late afternoon dinner at Lao Beijing and it was a disaster. Yes, it was crowded and we had to wait to be seated, but that part was to be expected, no big deal. But we let them seat us upstairs where it was clearly the "B team" serving, two servers who were absolutely clueless and overwhelmed. Never got slaw, never got sauces with dishes that they normally accompany, waited almost half an hour while seated before getting any attention at all, were served our appetizers after the main courses, asked for things like water and never received them, etc. Once we got our food, it was generally good, although much of it was extremely greasy.

Maybe next year we'll do something other than Chinatown...

Mom dissed all my recommendations and instead made reservations at Malahini Terrace in Willowbrook. Unfortunately, we were the only people there. But the food was really good, and I want to go back and try something else off the "Aquired Taste" menu (authentic Chinese).

Malahini is island-influenced, so it's decorated with palm trees and hula girls on the frosted glass, and there are a few dishes with pineapple and such things. I don't know what island they're referencing.

I got some funny looks while trying to order off the authentic menu. I wanted the Dover Sole, but when she said it was bony, I couldn't remember how bony the sole was at Sun Wah at that Chrismukkah dinner so I admit to wussing out, but I ordered the Chinese Vegetable in Oyster Sauce instead. She made sure I didn't want broccoli. I'm not sure which vegetable this was; it looked kind of like bok choy but longer and it was entirely green. It was really tasty, healthier than I was expecting to go on Christmas, and really delish with white rice. I have the leftovers for lunch. The egg roll was tasty too, though still not Lin's. We ordered a chicken fried rice to share, and that was perfect. Not too greasy like many are. Too many bean sprouts, but that's just me.

Mr. Pie ordered Pepperada Dish (diced chicken seasoned & stir-fried with hot red pepper, green pepper, bamboo shoots & peanuts) that was a tad spicy for me, but the little bite of chicken I had was good. I didn't get a bite of dad's Polynesian Steak Sizzler (marinated flank steak seasoned with onion, green pepper & pineapple served on a hot plate), and boy, did I want some. It was in some fantastic-looking dark gravy. I tried a bit of mom's orange chicken, and though it was fried nice and crispy and the meat was tender, that sauce was cloyingly sweet, like candy. And that's all there was—no veggies—so that sauce was on everything.

I really wanted to try Oriental Plate (a combo of BBQ ribs & pork strips served with roast pork fried rice) but since we ordered fried rice for the table, I thought I'd be a little healthier. I'm kicking myself for not ordering the Stewed Brisket of Beef in Rice Sauce. I bought this nice roast from Schmeisser's and I was all prepared to make it with brandy mushroom sauce for later, but then I accidentally cooked the hell out of it and likely ruined it. Now I have an excuse to return.