30th Birthday Celebration Suggestions

Hi all --

I'm a long-time Chicago resident looking for a good suggestion for a place to celebrate my 30th birthday next month with a couple of close friends. I'm looking for a place with great food at not astronomical prices ($$$ is OK, but not $$$$ -- a place like Girl and the Goat or Nightwood is good from a price perspective, Sepia/Naha/North Pond/Blackbird would probably be just outside my budget, and Alinea/El Ideas/Schwa/Elizabeth/Goosefoot are way too expensive.

Here are some places I like (in addition to North Pond, which has the exact kind of vibe I'm looking for -- nice but not stuffy -- but is a bit too expensive):

Green Zebra (a perennial favorite, and where I went last year), Avec (though too claustrophobic), Mercat, Charlatan, Taxim, Ada St (though too noisy).

Big plusses go to places that have larger menus/are geared towards small plates and have a good number of vegetarian or seafood options.

Would love to get your feedback! Thanks.

If you want venture out in the suburbs last year for my birthday I went to this place E+O (Earth and Ocean) in Mount Prospect, IL and I thought it was fantastic. The restaurant is owned by the same person who owns Yum Cha Dim Sum Parlor in the loop and is part owner of Reverie in River North as well.

E+O Food and Drink
125 Randhurst Village Dr
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
http://www.eofoodanddrink.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/e-o-food-and-dr ... +And+Ocean

The Publican
Big Jones

Publican might be a tough sell to a vegetarian, even their vegetables have meat.

Mercat is a good choice and if you do the Chef's tasting menu ($85) they'll work within the vegetarian parameters.

GT Fish & Oyster is a great spot.

spinynorman99 wrote:Publican might be a tough sell to a vegetarian, even their vegetables have meat.

It bums me out when this misconception is perpetuated. .

There are plenty of meatless options on The Publican's menu. There always have been. The dinner menu currently online shows 11 items in the Vegetable section. 1 of them has eggs as an optional add-on. 1 contains pig ears. 1 contains pan drippings, which may or not be meat. That leaves at least 9 items that are entirely meatless. Plus, they have some of the best bread and butter around.

What about Boka or Balena?

=R=

A couple of suggestions from meals I've enjoyed in the past six months that fit the small/shared plate mold (and I am vegetarian and both presented plenty of options):

Gather in Lincoln Square
Vera

ronnie_suburban wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:Publican might be a tough sell to a vegetarian, even their vegetables have meat.

It bums me out when this misconception is perpetuated. .

I agree. In addition, they seem quite happy, eager even, to adjust dishes or create new ones to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences. A satisfied vegan dining companion can attest to this.

Vera is a great suggestion--so many delicious items to share and they do a great job with vegetables and seafood. On the north side, I'd recommend Anteprima in Andersonville--I'm a confirmed meat eater and I have happily eaten vegetarian/pescatarian there on multiple occasions. Both also have terrific wine lists.

spinynorman99 wrote:GT Fish & Oyster is a great spot.

Based on what's been stated, GT Fish would be my top recommendation as well. Seafood-centric (of course), small plates, not terribly expensive - hits everything being asked for. Oh, and the food is terrific!

Three other places are among my favorites and are absolutely top notch without breaking the bank: Anteprima* in Andersonville for Italian, Deleece in Lakeview for contemporary American, and La Sardine in the West Loop for French bistro fare. (There are lots of other good French bistros, too, including Le Bouchon, sister restaurant to La Sardine.)

If you'd like to go ethnic, cuisines I'd recommend include contemporary Mexican (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Salpicon, Mexique, Mixteco Grill), Spanish/Basque (Salero), South American (La Sirena Clandestina), tapas (Mercat a la Planxa, Café Iberico), Latin fusion (Carnivale), and contemporary Asian (Yusho). I also loved the food a week ago at Tanta (Peruvian), although the noise level there was oppressive. E+O was mentioned above; I like it a lot, although it too can be horribly noisy.

*Also recommended by boudreau, who posted as I was typing my post.

ronnie_suburban wrote:What about Boka or Balena?

Boka costs about the same as North Pond, which was deemed too expensive.

To close out this thread, we did Vera, and it was really really great! Thanks for the suggestions!

jsagoff wrote:To close out this thread, we did Vera, and it was really really great! Thanks for the suggestions!

And may I suggest running for coffee service/lunch there during the week. The English Muffin is amazing!