Dinner for a group

Hi all,

I'll be in town from DC the week of the 22nd and will need to take groups of 15 or so out to dinner September 21-24.

We're staying at the Omni on Michigan Ave. I usually prefer something within walking distance (maybe .75 miles?) because I hate dealing with multiple taxis.

It's a group and I don't know them that well, so fairly diverse menu is appreciated (e.g., not all pork or beef or raw fish).

We're flexible, price wise. Up to $75 pp for an entree, an app or dessert and a drink or two? I could go higher for one night but not all.

Thanks!

Might try the Balena private room.

There are many, many really great places within a 5-10 or so minute walk of that hotel, which is at Michigan and Huron. No need to go anyplace several miles away, which would be a major inconvenience for a group that big, as you are clearly already aware.

Most restaurants will seat a group of 15 in their main dining room, but you may be better off trying for one that can give your group a small private dining room or semi-private area. The sizes of private dining rooms are shown for many of the restaurants that accept reservations on Opentable.com in their private party listing (click here). You'll then need to contact them with the arrangements; most such restaurants show contact info for a private party coordinator on their websites.

Some of my favorites within roughly a 10-minute walk include Piccolo Sogno Due (Italian), Naha (contemporary fine dining), Sable (contemporary American small plates), GT Fish & Oyster (seafood small plates), Bandera (American), David Burke's Primehouse (steaks), Bistronomic (French bistro), and Roy's (Pacific rim). Naha (and maybe Burke's if your group orders the most expensive steaks) would be for the night you're willing to exceed your target budget. If you want to see if they have a private dining room of suitable size, you'll want to look these up on the Opentable private party listing, or check their websites, or call them.

There's a nice private room downstairs at Frontera. Might be tough to book on short notice, but I'd highly recommend it if it fits within your budget.

Any thoughts on the Paris Club, Table 52 or Zed 451? The hotel recommended them.

And what about Frontera? I've always been curious about his restaurants but I saw a posting either here or on chowhound that implied that it was going through a rough spot.

Stacys wrote:Any thoughts on the Paris Club, Table 52 or Zed 451? The hotel recommended them.

And what about Frontera? I've always been curious about his restaurants but I saw a posting either here or on chowhound that implied that it was going through a rough spot.

Table Fifty-Two is a bit far, about 3/4 mile. Paris Club has its own thread here on LTH; reviews have been mixed. (I haven't been there.) I don't know much about Zed; hopefully others do.

Frontera is an excellent suggestion. It is still going strong, not "going through a rough spot" in any way, although as with any restaurant, you won't find a consensus. The food has been terrific every time I've been, with bright flavors of unusually creative dishes. It can be loud and a bit cramped for a large group, but if you can get a private room there, I'd say it's a great choice.

Otherwise, a quick check on Opentable shows that Sable, David Burke's, and Bistronomic all have small private rooms that would be perfect for a group your size. All of them are excellent and worth considering.

From the hotel, Burke's is two blocks, Sayat Nova (per The GP below, another good selection) is four blocks, Bistronomic is five blocks, Zed 451 is six blocks, Sable is seven blocks, Frontera is nine blocks, Paris Club is ten blocks, and Table Fifty-Two is twelve blocks.

I think an interesting option would be Sayat Nova, an Armenian restaurant at 157 E. Ohio. There is a thread here, although I believe it's been mentioned in passing on other threads. Sayat Nova would cover different dietary needs of the group.

You asked about Zed - our work crew go there rather often and I like it. It's fun in that brazilian steakhouse way but the buffet is made up of genuinely tasty options that are light, not overly filling - check their "Harvest Table" listing for an idea of what they serve. The meats are wonderful, especially the buttermilk sirloin. They also do a pretty nice cheese fondue and vegetarians could be very happy with the range of dishes in the buffet option.

They have a decent wine and cocktail selection and a very nice little lounge area as well as a rooftop space. I find the rooftop a bit too "happening"while the lounge is so comfy and relaxed if you claim the section around the fire.

The management is very accommodating and service is friendly and nice. The space is pretty and works well - not too noisy, not too crowded, etc.

Do I think this is a stellar example of what's happening in Chicago food - honestly no. There are so many more innovative and unusual spots that you might enjoy more - but it's one place I often use for business dinners and larger gatherings of non-food-obsessed folks since it's really quite nice and everyone has a good time. They have a lot of private areas but I'd see if you can reserve the group of high tables that circle round the fire in the first floor dining room - really enjoy those (and the proximity to the buffet area.

I think the meal is $49 per person for everything including some dessert options - drinks extra but double check and also see if they have a package of some sort for a group.

They were just host to a Cooking Channel crew filming a new show about meats - so your guests might like dining somewhere that is getting that attention

On other options mentioned - I've always had good experiences and yummy food at Sable, I enjoy Sayat Nova but might look carefully at the menu if your guests are not into the specific cuisine, and if Naha is in your budget, run don't walk! It is superb.

A more casual option - there's a new wine bar on Clark St, Enolo, that a friend held a small party at and they were quite agreeable about blocking an area for her group. The food is casual but tasty, flatbreads, etc and the wine selection enjoyable. Also nearby, La Madia - ask about their side room ... I think we've seated 15 in there. Really good pizza and salads - service up and down but the side private room usually gets good care. I'd also ask Beatrix at the hotel at Grand and Clark about seating your group - again, a more casual option but we've had really tasty meals there. You could take folks to Three Dots and a Dash for an early tiki cocktail before it gets too crowded then Beatrix for burgers and such for a great evening.

Frontera has more options for private parties than most people know about. I've done an event there, and it was wonderful.

Here are the Frontera private dining options.

sundevilpeg wrote:Frontera has more options for private parties than most people know about. I've done an event there, and it was wonderful.

Here are the Frontera private dining options.

I absolutely did not know about private rooms at Frontera. Thank you for sharing.