On a path Oak Park to Evanston

This weekend I'll be attending a workshop in Evanston, and so driving from roughly Harlem and Lake in Oak Park to Chicago and Main in Evanston. I'd be happy to go 10-14 minutes out of my way if there's any interesting food near any reasonable route between these locations. Ideal would be donuts or other morning fare from 7-9am or just about anything coming back 6-7pm or so. Any suggestions? Good driving directions would be appreciated even if there's no food involved, but food is obviously a major plus. Thanks.

There are lots of ways to drive; the two basic routes are (a) local streets, which allow for as many or as few turns as you like, and (b) the highways (the Ike from Oak Park downtown, connecting to either the Drive or the Kennedy/Edens). Neither way is great; the highways are longer but average speed is faster. The highways are also usually cleared first in bad weather (there's a chance of more snow tomorrow). If it weren't for any stops along the way, since you're driving on weekend days, the highways (using the Drive) are the quickest route, but differences vs local streets aren't all that huge. As you can see, this puts virtually the entire north and northwest side along your possible routes, as well as some near north suburbs. Many, many choices are along the way(s), including neighborhoods with lots of food choices, like Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown, Lincoln Square, Lincoln Park, Bucktown/Wicker Park, West Town, Logan Square, Edgebrook, and suburbs including Niles, Morton Grove, Lincolnwood, and Skokie. There are so many worthwhile restaurants in those areas that naming any one or two is like picking names out of a hat; if you can provide more guidance about what you're looking for (price range, types of food, etc) we can recommend places that would apply more specifically to you.

You'd probably want those donuts close to your Oak Park departure so you can eat them on the way, and I can't help you there. If you'd like to consider an early-ish dinner before heading back, Campagnola is right near your departure point in Evanston. I've eaten there a couple of times in the past few months and it's been consistently excellent. The cuisine is nominally Italian but it's really more of a contemporary American place. If you're a fan of vanilla bread pudding, theirs is fantastic. It's a very friendly, neighborhood-y place, where they make you feel like a FOTH.

Several other places near Chicago and Main are also worth a recommendation. Cross Rhodes is an excellent casual gyros/Greek restaurant. Oceanique is an outstanding but rather expensive upscale seafood restaurant - perhaps not what you had in mind, but still worth a mention. And Piron is an outstanding chocolate shop featuring Belgian chocolates, with IMHO the very best chocolates in the Chicago area; you may see Bob Piron with his chocolate-smeared apron, knowing that he's been working all day creating his chocolates in the back of the shop.

Oh, and if your destination in Evanston doesn't have its own parking, note that meters in Evanston are strictly enforced, including Saturdays. You can find free non-metered parking on the side streets in the Chicago/Main area, although you may end up several blocks away before finding a space. You don't need to pay the parking meters on Sundays in Evanston.

nsxtasy wrote:Oh, and if your destination in Evanston doesn't have its own parking, note that meters in Evanston are strictly enforced, including Saturdays. You can find free non-metered parking on the side streets in the Chicago/Main area, although you may end up several blocks away before finding a space. You don't need to pay the parking meters on Sundays in Evanston.

To keep things in perspective, you can park at some meters all day in Evanston for less than the cost of an hour at some Chicago meters.

I usually hit one of the Ethiopian places in Rogers Park or Indian places on Devon. Kabul House in Skokie isn't too far off the path.

Depending on your route, you'll also be passing some very fun grocery stores in Niles, including my favorites H-Mart and Fresh Farms.

More info here:

http://74.54.75.124/bb/viewtopic.php?f= ... 1&p=327951

For stuff to eat on the ride home. Fish Keg on Howard east of Western for fried Shrimp, Scallops, Smelt, etc. You can also stop at NY Bagel and Bialy on Touhy just east of the Edens Expry.

Kuni's is right near Chicago & Main - very good sushi. Also, downtown Skokie is becoming something of a dining mecca, with the aforementioned Kabul House (Afghan), Yolo (quality Mexican), Eclissi (Italian) and Libertad (contemporary Latin).

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant
511 Main St
Evanston, IL 60202-4506
(847) 328-2004

Kabul House
4949 Oakton Street
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 674-3830

Yolo Mexican Eatery
5111 Brown Street
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 674-0987

Eclissi
8018 Lincoln Av
Skokie, IL 60077
847-675-8800

Libertad
7931 Lincoln Ave
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 674-8100

This is my hood.

Ill put in a pitch for Trattoria DOC. Really good pastas, especially the Bucatini all' Amartriciana. Naples-style pizzas, served whole and a little rare in the middle. http://trattoria-doc.com

A few blocks north on Chicago-Dempster is Union, which is a bustling place with couches, a bar and dining tables. They are run by the same chef and owners as Campagnola. Outstanding pizzas, daily plate specials, extensive beer and wine list. http://unionevanston.com/

SPACE is a live music venue connected to Union. It is a super cool room. Schedule here: http://www.evanstonspace.com

FEW Spirits is off an alley just northwest of the Main-Chicago intersection and has a tasting room, but call for hours. http://www.fewspirits.com/

I second the rec to check out Belgian Chocolatier Piron. Everything is made in-house by the brothers Piron, personal faves are the truffles, chocolate ganache filled chocolates and the dried cherry dark chocolate bark, but really, everything there is outstanding.