Recommendations for Family In Town

Living on the north shore and rarely eat out in the city anymore now that I have kids. So, I need a couple of recommendations and I'm totally open minded. The only thing is being on short notice we have to be able to get a seat. Looking for a place that conversation is possible as well.

optionyout wrote:Living on the north shore and rarely eat out in the city anymore now that I have kids. So, I need a couple of recommendations and I'm totally open minded. The only thing is being on short notice we have to be able to get a seat. Looking for a place that conversation is possible as well.

Are you seeking recommendations on the north shore, or in the city? (For example, is your family staying in the Mag Mile hotel district and would you like something relatively close by? Or would a place near you on the North Shore work?)

Also, are you looking for something that might be somewhat nice and expensive, or something moderately priced and ultra-casual?

Is your short notice needed for prime time (say, Saturday night) or could this be for not-so-prime hours (early dining, or a weekday)? And I assume this is for dinner rather than breakfast/lunch/brunch...?

Sorry for the questions, but recommendations could be very different depending on your answers.

Guess I was a bit vague. Saturday night 6:30 on. Was thinking anything winnetka and south through downtown. Higher end. A nice meal. West Town Tavern type place or the Randolph area. Just want o walk away thinking great meal good atmosphere.

optionyout wrote:Guess I was a bit vague. Saturday night 6:30 on. Was thinking anything winnetka and south through downtown. Higher end. A nice meal. West Town Tavern type place or the Randolph area. Just want o walk away thinking great meal good atmosphere.

I know you say "on short notice", but can you make a reservation? Even if it's for tonight, you can still get a reservation now at plenty of places. If I were you, I would strongly recommend making a reservation in advance; if your plans change, you can always change or cancel the reservation. If you can't make a reservation, the problem you're going to run into is not having a reservation, and not wanting to wait a while to be seated, at such a prime time, which will be a major problems and eliminate a lot of good choices.

If you can make a reservation, I think Campagnola in Evanston would be perfect for what you're seeking - nice "neighborhood-y" atmosphere, not too loud, excellent food, nicely priced. The food is sort of Italian but also sort of contemporary American. You would have to call to ask about availability and to make a reservation; they're not on Opentable. Another possibility is Deleece on Southport, in the city (Lakeview/Wrigleyville). Also "neighborhood-y" with great food, not too loud, etc. Right now Opentable shows openings tonight for 4 people at 7:30 or later (or 6:00 or earlier).

Two other very nice places in the city showing decent availability for tonight (openings at 7:45/7:30 for 4) are North Pond in the middle of the park, and Naha in River North. Two of our best, but a bit pricier than Campagnola or Deleece. And if you want to go really high-end, Everest, the contemporary French-Alsatian restaurant in the Loop, has openings tonight too.

If this is NOT for tonight, and you can make a reservation in advance, that opens up many, many additional possibilities, including some in greater downtown Chicago. For example, I would add La Sardine, the French bistro in the West Loop off Randolph, but for tonight after 6:30 they only have openings for 4 from 8:30 on, according to their website. Oceanique, the seafood-focused restaurant in Evanston, and Michael, in Winnetka, are other suitable possibilities for more notice but with limited availability for tonight according to Opentable.

Thanks. Ill start with Evanston and work my way south till I get a reservation. Thanks.

One other good place you might try is Magnolia Cafe, in Uptown. Right now Opentable is showing their availability for tonight is wide open. Good food, nice vibe.

Magnolia is a great idea. Haven't been in many years. I think my wife made the cushions for their benches way back when.