Recommendation for group dinner between O'Hare and downtown

Hi -

I'll be coming to Chicago for a work event in a few weeks. Part of the event will be a team dinner, and I'm looking for some recommendations lest we end up in a depressing hotel restaurant.

We're staying near O'Hare, so the closer to there the better. However, we *will* be close to the train that is a straight shot into downtown and I gather it's not a hugely long trip, so I may be able to talk them into going downtown.

Our group consists of around 14 people, with dietary preferences anywhere from both gluten free and vegan, to several vegetarians, to a couple of people who rarely eat anything that's not meat-based. It's been a challenge in the past to find something that works for all, especially with the vegan/gluten-free folks AND the nothing-but-meat people.

Budget is decent. Probably can't swing Alinea (I wish!) but mid to lower-upper range is fine. I think last time we ended up at a Wildfire (this was when we were a less vegetarian crowd) so that level or a little higher is fine.

A decent bar is a must.

I pretty much eat anything, but prefer it to be decent, so thus the topic.

Any suggestions?

For something kinda cool, maybe contact Eataly and see if they could put something together for you--people would probably get a kick out of the place and they have something for all of those groups (they have both vegetarian focused (Le verdure) and meat-centric (Carne) spots so I'm sure they could figure out a way to cater to both. Worth a call. Eataly Private Events

And try to stop in to the Berkshire Room a few doors West in the Acme Hotel--excellent cocktails and extensive whiskey selection.

If you end up staying in the O'Hare area, you can consider Fogo de Chao. It's in the new Rosemont entertainment district (restaurants, movie theater, bowling, etc.) just off River Road near the convention center. No, it may not be as exciting as you're looking for, but with their huge salad bar and meat menu, it could probably satisfy your very diverse group.

Also in the area is Maharaja, which is really a pretty decent Indian restaurant on Higgins just west of River. Group ordering might not be the easiest for such a group, but again, enough to please everyone.

Thanks for the replies, and keep 'em coming! Eataly is intriguing, but I'm not sure we want to go the route of private dining.

BR wrote:If you end up staying in the O'Hare area, you can consider Fogo de Chao. It's in the new Rosemont entertainment district (restaurants, movie theater, bowling, etc.) just off River Road near the convention center. No, it may not be as exciting as you're looking for, but with their huge salad bar and meat menu, it could probably satisfy your very diverse group.

Fogo de Chao looks great... but really, the "salad bar" option for the vegetarians is part of the reason I started this thread. I'd like to go somewhere that has actual entrees for vegetarians. But I will keep this in mind for the times the meat-eaters are out alone!

Also in the area is Maharaja, which is really a pretty decent Indian restaurant on Higgins just west of River. Group ordering might not be the easiest for such a group, but again, enough to please everyone.

Interesting option, not sure we want to go Indian but I'll throw it out to the group.

And try to stop in to the Berkshire Room a few doors West in the Acme Hotel--excellent cocktails and extensive whiskey selection.

I will definitely be checking this place out.

FYI - the salad bar at Fogo is very out of the ordinary. I know many meat eaters happy to eat just the salad bar there - lots of prepared salads, meats, cheeses, vegetable sides, etc. You might want to investigate their menu further before thinking of the salad bar as your typical salad bar. I mention it because I work in the area, and it's worked out well for me when I have to cater to so many different palates/restrictions.

Maybe somewhere in Edison Park? Zia's or another Italian joint should offer mass appeal, reasonable quality, and accommodation of groups. Not sure about easy train access.

Wasn't really suggesting private dining at Eataly--thought they could probably just accommodate at one of the sites since they have all the options in one location. Regardless of the place you pick, you're probably going to need to work with an event coordinator or management given the size of your group.

boudreaulicious wrote:Regardless of the place you pick, you're probably going to need to work with an event coordinator or management given the size of your group.

Maybe, maybe not. Some restaurants will be happy to seat a party of twelve in their main dining room. Others will offer a private or semi-private dining room, which actually may be better for your group's enjoyment, but often requires going through the contact boudreau is mentioning, and sometimes (particularly Saturday evenings) requires minimums or room charges that may exclude such places from consideration. It's worth asking about such places, though. Opentable shows the size of private dining spaces for some of the restaurants for which it accepts reservations, on its website here.

I also think it's a bit odd that you have a group of 14 for which the dining cost is not a major issue, but you're planning to take the el. For a group that size, it's often easier (and not horrendously expensive) to call a limo service which can send out a minibus that can take you door to door. Or even to pile into 3-4 taxis. Nothing against the CTA - I'm a big advocate and user of public transit - but for a large group all traveling from one point to another and not under strict financial constraints, there are easier, more convenient ways to get there.

One type of food that has broad appeal to a variety of tastes and requirements is Italian food. I too like Zia's in Edison Park, suggested by alessio above. It's not near the el, but not far from the O'Hare hotels, so again, cabs would work well and not be terribly expensive. And it's a fairly large restaurant, so I'm guessing they can seat a group your size; it's worth a call. Going back to the original request about places near the el, one of our very best Italian restaurants is right at the Grand station on the CTA Blue Line, just before the train gets to the Loop downtown: Piccolo Sogno. But I'm not sure of their ability to seat a group of 14; you'd have to call and ask.

I also think it's a bit odd that you have a group of 14 for which the dining cost is not a major issue, but you're planning to take the el. For a group that size, it's often easier (and not horrendously expensive) to call a limo service which can send out a minibus that can take you door to door. Or even to pile into 3-4 taxis. Nothing against the CTA - I'm a big advocate and user of public transit - but for a large group all traveling from one point to another, there are easier, more convenient ways to get there.

Chalk this up to my ignorance. I'm not even sure folks will be up for heading downtown. If we are (and I hope we are!) I'll definitely bring this up. I never know if the train is a better choice due to potential traffic.

One type of food that has broad appeal to a variety of tastes and requirements is Italian food. I like Zia's in Edison Park, suggested by alessio above. It's not near the el, but not far from the O'Hare hotels, so again, cabs would work well. Going back to the original request about places near the el, one of our very best Italian restaurants is right at the Grand station on the CTA Blue Line, just before the train gets to the Loop downtown: Piccolo Sogno. But I'm not sure of their ability to seat a group of 14; you'd have to call and ask.

Will definitely check these out. I highly suspect that a place closer to the hotel will be a much easier sell.

I just looked up distances and cab fares, assuming the hotel is the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. (It shouldn't be different for other hotels in the vicinity.) Zia's Trattoria is 3.8 miles away, and the website estimator I used showed a taxi fare of $17 including tip, although there might be a small additional charge per person beyond one or two people.

Oh, and for another Italian recommendation, I've heard people recommend Carlucci's, which is in Rosemont right in the middle of the O'Hare hotel district. Their website says they also have private rooms seating 10-200. And they have a courtesy shuttle van, too. Unlike Zia's, I haven't been there so I can't give you an opinion on how good it is.

I went to Forno Rosso a while ago with a group of 19, as mentioned in the thread. There was plenty of room for us and other people, we had a great time, great food, and fast, efficient service. It's only 8 miles from O'Hare: out I-190 to River Road south, east on Irving Park Road, and a few blocks south on Harlem. Sweet Willie could say for sure but I don't think the setup required anything more than a phone call to make a reservation for a large group. It's an AAdvantage dining restaurant too, if any in your group are looking for miles.

As for style and price level, it struck me as a mid-range but stylish place--on the upper side for pizza places but not expensive. The centerpiece, the red-tiled wood-fired pizza oven (il forno rosso) is lovely, the interior is attractive, and the prices seemed quite reasonable. Each of us had a pizza to ourselves and some also had a salad, appetizer, or dessert. I liked it so much I am thinking of taking some family members there with me for my birthday.

The only limitation I see for your group is that the main dishes are all pizzas. There are quite a few substantial appetizers; you'd have to look at the menu to see how well it would work for the gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan contingents.

Frontera Grill used to offer a private dining room in their downstairs area - or might be able to accomodate you in the dining room depending on day/time. Something for everyone on that menu.