Skokie and Environs for Large Group

If you were staying, just hypothetically , in Skokie for a family wedding, and were likely to need a few places to go to for a few meals with a large group, ranging in age from 7 to mid-90s, where would you go? We will have cars, and are staying near the Westfield Mall.

And if you could sneak off by yourself for a couple of meals, and could eat more adventurously (especially, but not necessarily, non-American cuisine), where would you go? Right now, Poochie's is my only certain choice.

And if I can beg your indulgence, since some LTH'ers were kind enough to shepherd me to a couple of wonderful meals at TAC and Spoon, if I can get out to the city, should I try Aroy?

Mucho thanks.

I have been to TAC, Spoon and Aroy multiple times, and I prefer Opart to all of them. The menu is broader and the food is consistently strong. Another option is Sticky Rice, which is nearby and specializes in Northern Thai cuisine. It has a slightly more casual environment. All of them are BYO.

Now, to sneak off for a good meal from Skokie, you actually do not have to leave Skokie. You can stay in Skokie and go to Kabul House for Afghani cuisine -- juicy and flavorful kabobs, amazing lentil soup, great dumplings, etc. BYO to boot.

As for the whole gang, Wildfire and Maggiano's are nearby, local-chain restaurants that please old and young, seat a large group, and have pretty good food. L. Wood is part of the same resto chain and is in nearby Lincolnwood. It is a big place with a relaxed, Wisconsin supper club vibe and great flatbreads and walleye appetizers (entrees are OK).

There are options in Rogers Park, too, like Masouleh (northern Persian) and the gamut of Indian places on Devon (I like Hemma's).

For one of the meals en famille,
I would definitely recco Maggianos
They have it down to a science, and do family style dinners very well.
Depending on the size of your group, you may be able to reserve a private room as well.

An you mUST have the mushroom ravioli
my personal fave- even tho I am a devoted carnivore!

Also for all the LEYE restaurants (Maggianos, L.Woods, )
I think they have some kind of gift card deal, where if you buy like $100 of gift cards, they give you another $25 card free.
pretty easy to burn up $100 on a big family dinner.
They are also offering some kind of special where you get 2 entrees and take 2 entirely different entrees home?
Good deal for the locals.

Note, the name of the mall is Old Orchard. Westfield is just the manager.

There are many good places in or near Skokie. That whole area is filled with good, fun places; although based on a recent visit, I would not find Poochies one of them. If you want "Chicago" style fast food, you would be way better served to go a bit longer to Edzo's in Evanston or Superdawg in Chicago.

I'm a big fan of Naf Naf (an Israeli place), near by in Niles (surely the fries are better than Poochies), but the real reason to go to Naf Naf is to also go to Fresh Farms. It's really one of the most interesting supermarkets I know of; I can not get out of there without spending at least $100 and I never get out of there thinking I've come close to meeting my needs in what I want there. FYI, if you want to know how to break your hondo at Fresh Farms: halavah, Balkan and Greek pastries; certain breads, olive oils, Russian style fermented fruits and vegetables, feta cheese, sausages, prepared salads, especially the tarmasalata...

I'd also try to hit the Filipino ice cream place, Village Creamery.

I'd choose The Bagel at Westfield Old Orchard Mall 10 times out of 10 over Maggiano's. And I did, when I was working as a forensic accountant for Westfield a couple of years ago.

Also, there are a couple of very good Mexican places in Skokie: Libertad, and Yolo. Current reports on either or both would be greatly appreciated!

Here are some favorites of mine in or very near Skokie:

Renga-Tei (Japanese)
3956 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL
(847) 675-5177 ‎

Pita Inn (Middle Eastern - especially good for lunch)
3910 Dempster Street, Skokie, IL
(847) 677-0211 ‎ · pita-inn.com

Burt's Place (Pizza - must order ahead of time)
8541 Ferris Avenue, Morton Grove, IL
(847) 965-7997 ‎

Campagnola (Italian)
815 Chicago Ave
Evanston

Prairie Grass Cafe (Contemporary American/seasonal. Just of the Edens. They please the 4-90 year olds in my family.)
601 Skokie Boulevard
Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 205-4433
prairiegrasscafe.com‎

I happen to love Poochies. Edzo's is the best burger in the city, IMO. Wiener and Still Champion is also great for dogs, burgers, corndogs, and a bunch of other odd ball stuff.

Second thumbs up for The Bagel in Old Orchard.

Yes, go to Aroy. It's one of my favorite Thai places in the city. Another option is Rosded.

Rosded
2308 W Leland Ave
Chicago, IL 60625

Within the LEYE empire, I'd recommend L Woods and Wildfire over Maggiano's. But if you are going that route, might as well pick based on cuisine (Maggiano's is Italian).

Libertad is an especially good choice in the Skokie area, it's Latin small plates and would compete well even if it was in a trendier area in Chicago.

I'll chime in here too:

In terms of Spoon, Aroy, Rosded, TAC Quick or Sticky Rice, I'd say it depends upon your personal favorite dishes. Is there anything in particular you seek? Aroy would be my favorite for strictly Northern/Chiang Mai cuisine, except that they don't do Khao Soi (although I'll bet they would by request), and Sticky Rice's version is outstanding. Rosded, Spoon Thai and TAC Quick are also excellent . . . I think Rosded and Spoon tend to feature far more dishes typically found in central and southern Thailand. Sorry but I am not that much of a fan of Opart - a few strong dishes but overall I just don't think it comes close to the others and I think Americanizes far too many dishes. Aroy, Rosded and Spoon are all within 1/2 mile of one another and parking should not be difficult for any of them - same can be said for Sticky Rice. If there's a Cubs game in town, parking near TAC could be tricky.

If you end up at Rosded, Spoon or Aroy, and you're considering a bit of a food crawl, you won't be far from Vietnames bakery Nhu Lan, which makes great banh mi sandwiches (just 1/4 mile west of the Lincoln Square Thai restaurant area). Continue west on Lawrence just less than 3/4 of a mile and you'll find yourself at Lawrence/Kedzie with many middle eastern restaurants - go about a block or so to the right for Dawali (still my favorite falafel in the area) or left for Semiramis and Salam (among others), again within a block or two. And around Nhu Lan is also the relatively new Monti's, which features great cheesesteaks, better than you'd find in Philly even.

Finally, in terms of relatively close escapes, Smoque is right off the expressway (Irving Pk. exit) and I think offers the best and most consistent bbq in the city.

For a group dinner and given the group you have suggested, I think Prairie Grass is a great idea. Also, it's a very quick drive via the Edens Expressway from Old Orchard - 10 minutes. Another excellent and pretty close option (about 10 minutes) would be the Greek restaurant Avli Estiatorio, in Winnetka. If you get down to the likes of Maggiano's, Bagel, Wildfire, Cheesecake Factory and the like, I think you'll have a non-offensive meal but nothing you'll particularly enjoy.

Edzo's for burgers, absolutely, but note that they're closed until (or through?) August 15. And Burt's for deep dish absolutely too, with the caveat that reservations and pre-ordering are musts. And who can argue with Poochie's for old school, classic Chicago dogs.

Pequod's in Morton Grove for Pizza.

I can't thank you enough for all of your ideas. Keep them coming. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate all your efforts, especially because I'm unlikely to have creative control over group dinners. The rehearsal dinner is at Maggiano's, by the way, so we'll do that for sure!

BR wrote:I'll chime in here too:

In terms of Spoon, Aroy, Rosded, TAC Quick or Sticky Rice, I'd say it depends upon your personal favorite dishes. Is there anything in particular you seek? Aroy would be my favorite for strictly Northern/Chiang Mai cuisine, except that they don't do Khao Soi (although I'll bet they would by request), and Sticky Rice's version is outstanding. Rosded, Spoon Thai and TAC Quick are also excellent . . . I think Rosded and Spoon tend to feature far more dishes typically found in central and southern Thailand. Sorry but I am not that much of a fan of Opart - a few strong dishes but overall I just don't think it comes close to the others and I think Americanizes far too many dishes. Aroy, Rosded and Spoon are all within 1/2 mile of one another and parking should not be difficult for any of them - same can be said for Sticky Rice. If there's a Cubs game in town, parking near TAC could be tricky.

I was thinking Aroy because I love Northern (and Issan) food and I haven't been there. I've been to Sticky Rice on previous trips and I've never heard of Rosded. If I get to go, I think I'll try Aroy.

I was recently in Philadelphia for 10 days and a good cheesesteak is not at all guaranteed even from the well-known establishments, but I'm such a partisan of roast pork sandwiches, I didn't give it the old college try.

sundevilpeg wrote:Also, there are a couple of very good Mexican places in Skokie: Libertad, and Yolo. Current reports on either or both would be greatly appreciated!

Id consider Libertad to be more pan-Latin than strictly Mexican; either way it's worth seeking out. Also, about half way between Libertad and Yolo is Eclissi, a tiny, very good Italian restaurant with a nice outdoor patio in back.

Eclissi
8020 Lincoln Avenue
Skokie, IL 60077

Pita Inn is pretty good because of the high turnover of food it is always fresh and affordable price point! If your in skokie during Monday - Fri try the lunch special at Pita Inn which is around $5 and worth it.. and always ask for pickled turnips (offered free) and extra white/hot sauce!

Dave Feldman wrote:I was thinking Aroy because I love Northern (and Issan) food and I haven't been ther

Then I'd say it's a no-brainer. You should peruse the Aroy thread before you go, and if there's something you really crave that is not listed on the menu, you may wish to call in advance. They're very accommodating.

It would be a shame to visit Skokie without dining at Kabul House (as somebody else reccommended). It is a cuisine that we Americans are not that familiar with, despite being at war in their country for a dozen years. Kabul House does their culture proud by carefully and lovingly preparing each dish. I think that even your less adventurous eaters will find it tasty.

I also recommend Libertad, The Bagel, Pita Inn, Kabul House and Renga-Tei. Maggaiano's is great for large parties, but there are a few others in that mall, including the new Wilde & Greene natural market in the food court, a Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, McCormick & Schmick's, Epic Burger and Frontera Fresco.

I suggest De Jred in downtown Skokie (Oakton, west of Skokie Blvd) for Jamaican. They are closed on Mondays. Also in downtown Skokie: Tub Tim Thai, Annie's Pancake House.
Thai Pavilion is at 4654 Church St., east of Skokie Blvd. I haven't had much from Hana Asian Bistro, but their sushi hit the spot one day not long ago (9434 Skokie Blvd.)
In Lincolnwood: Psistaria for Greek (Touhy & Cicero). Wholly Frijoles for Mexican (Touhy & Crawford). Taste of Cuba (Touhy & Crawford).

I would not go to Edzo's or Burt's with a large group, but for you, sure. You can go to Pequod's for pizza with a large group though, and I'd recommend it for the unique deep dish.
Pequod's Pizzeria (check out the lunch special - can't beat it)
8520 Fernald Ave
Morton Grove IL
(847) 470-9161
http://www.pequodspizza.com/

My favorite deep dish pizza - large group no problem:
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
6649 N Lincoln Ave
Lincolnwood IL
847-673-0800
http://www.loumalnatis.com/

And I have to throw in a couple of breakfast places that I love:

Jack's Restaurant (for a more of a coffee shop breakfast)
5201 W Touhy
Skokie, IL
(847) 674-5532

Walker Brothers The Original Pancake House
153 Green Bay Rd
Wilmette, IL
847-251-6000
http://www.walkerbros.net/Wilmette.html

Just reporting back. I had a chance to go to Poochie's on Thursday. I ordered the char hot dog and onion rings. Thumbs up on the hot dog (but it was not outstanding). The onion rings were good but in retrospect I should have spent the calories on a char burger or salami sandwich.

Today I got a chance to go to Walker's Original Pancake House, and it charmed the heck out of me. At noon on Friday, there was a gigantic group of girls, presumably from a camp or school group, and families enjoying the fare. I loved the German pancake (I wimped out with the relatively diminutive Dutch Baby variant) . My friends split the apple cinnamon pancake -- not my thing, but very good within its type.

Tonight -- rehearsal dinner at Maggiano's.

If you are still looking for a place for tomorrow or beyond, I would not overlook Pie Lady's suggestion of Psistaria in Lincolnwood. It's a current fav of ours. We've become semi-regulars for early Sunday dinner (w/ our baby.). Great food, people-watching, and super-friendly service. I'm also getting to know some Greek wines.

I'm back home now and wanted to share my limited food ramblings. As I expected, most of my meals were obligatory family ones without my usual impeccable creative control!

I was able to spare a few hours with two friends and we went to Naf Naf and Fresh Farms. I see why you are fond of Naf Naf, V.I. The food was fresh and nicely seasoned. My only complaint was that the pitas were too soft and insubstantial. My shwarma would have been much better with a homemade laffa or better pita. The place was spotless. Fresh Farms reminds me a little of an operation in New Jersey, International Marketplace, but FF has far more fresh produce and meats, and the store was cleaner. Also, all the staples could make it a mainstay rather than a special trip.

We made it to Psistaria for a dinner for 13, and the fare was up and down. The service couldn't have been friendlier but the food came out s-l-o-w-l-y. Our rather simple meal -- 8 appetizers, 13 entrees, and no desserts, took more than three hours. The standout dish, for me, was an eggplant appetizer, fried and topped with a delicious, oniony tomato sauce. Most of the spreads and the soups were underseasoned and kind of blah. The fish was better (I enjoyed my whole sea bass).

But I saved the best for last. By far by best meal was at Aroy Thai. I abandoned my family and some sightseeing in order to go, and although I went with a friend, she doesn't eat mammals and doesn't like spice, so I resigned myself to over-ordering and not trying to sample as much as I would have liked. I ordered the pork neck salad and the chou chi (which I probably would have never ordered without the comments on the Aroy thread here). Both dishes were outstanding, and were complementary in flavor. This food was soulful and addictive, and at least as good as anything I've had at Pok Pok NY (or any other place in New York, for that matter). We split the sticky rice with mango, and it was not just a satisfying meal, but the best Thai meal I've had this year. I took home leftovers of both dishes, and ate them after coming home from the Cubs game Monday night. I limited myself to one brat at the park, so I could chow down on the Aroy leftovers.

I noticed that there was very little fish on either of the Aroy menus (not including squid or shrimp). Does Aroy often offer fish specials?

Thanks, LTH'ers, for your suggestions. Next visit, I hope, will be more food-centric.

Dave--next time you're headed this way, let us know and I'm pretty sure we could scare up a group that would enable you to get a much broader sampling of the Aroy menu. And, yes, they have some delicious fish specials---there's a custard dish and others--no idea what they're called since I've usually been fortunate to be able to just sit back and be the recipient of my fellow LTH'ers' ordering prowess at Aroy.

boudreaulicious wrote:Dave--next time you're headed this way, let us know and I'm pretty sure we could scare up a group that would enable you to get a much broader sampling of the Aroy menu. And, yes, they have some delicious fish specials---there's a custard dish and others--no idea what they're called since I've usually been fortunate to be able to just sit back and be the recipient of my fellow LTH'ers' ordering prowess at Aroy.

Sounds like the dish you are referring to is hoh mok? One of my favorite Thai dishes. It might be my favorite dish at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas.

And next time, I'd love to have a group dinner at Aroy w/LTH'ers. Thanks.

Dave Feldman wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Dave--next time you're headed this way, let us know and I'm pretty sure we could scare up a group that would enable you to get a much broader sampling of the Aroy menu. And, yes, they have some delicious fish specials---there's a custard dish and others--no idea what they're called since I've usually been fortunate to be able to just sit back and be the recipient of my fellow LTH'ers' ordering prowess at Aroy.

Sounds like the dish you are referring to is hoh mok? One of my favorite Thai dishes. It might be my favorite dish at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas.

And next time, I'd love to have a group dinner at Aroy w/LTH'ers. Thanks.

They prepared hor mok pla at one of our Aroy group dinners - I thought the presentation was acceptable, but Spoon Thai is where you want to go for that dish in Chicago . . . probably the best version I've tried and almost as good as the versions I've tried in Bangkok and the surrounding area. I'd say this makes sense as the dish is one that is commonly found in Central Thailand and features ingredients more commonly seen in the region (coconut, red curry) but not seen so much in the north.