Spendy Restaurant Advice

My wife and I give ourselves one "spendy" restaurant every 6 months or so. We've done Schwa, Next a few times, Aviary KT a few times, El Ideas.

Next is doing a TFL menu, which I think would be awesome, though my wife says it would probably be a letdown, as we have been to the real deal.

Never done Alinea, but the 6 person KT makes us think we will have a hard time finding 4 more people to go with

Grace seems amazing, especially after the doc, but I feel like it might be too "refined?" for us.

Open to ideas, thanks for the help.

42 Grams
4662 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640

If you've been to TFL, not sure Next TFL is a good idea. Seems pricey ($570 pp with basic wine + tax/tip) to eat in an atmosphere that isn't commensurate with the price (sharing the bathrooms with Aviary, it's been around for five years now, tables quite close). Seems like Next should focus on more reasonable dining - somewhere between Alinea and Roister instead of prices rivaling or above Alinea (which now offers a fully renovated experience, Salon dinner is around $415 with basic wine + tax/tip).

42 grams seems like a great recommendation. Or Oriole has been getting raves.

Grace and Oriole are my two favorites for splurge dinners. Oriole is definitely more casual, laid back vs. Grace - nothing like El Ideas or Schwa ambiance wise, but if you want something special without it being too formal it is well worth considering. Smyth is opening next month; I am very excited about this venue and may bear consideration depending on how the early feedback goes. 42 Grams has some of the best tasting and most interesting food I've consumed, but I just don't like the fast pace of the meal. When I am enjoying a splurge dinner I want it to be leisurely, not a 90 minute affair. Next's French Laundry does not appeal to me at that price point, would rather just go to the real thing. Elizabeth is another venue to consider if you liked the vibe at El Ideas and Schwa; open kitchen, generally some interaction with the chefs and interesting, highly creative cuisine. Don't always love every dish there, but always have a wonderful time.

I've been to all of these places. My top two recommendations for the food:

1. Alinea. Don't worry about the kitchen table, just get a reservation for two. It's the experience of a lifetime, not only for unusual presentation techniques, but also for the sheer deliciousness of the food.

2. 42 Grams. Some of the most delicious food anywhere in Chicago. I did not find the two-hour meal to be hurried, but it didn't lag at any point either. If you go, go for great food, rather than to have a leisurely social experience with your companions.

I dined at Oriole and described my experience in its topic here. I thought the entire experience was a lot of fun. If that's what you're looking for, go there! But based only on the food, I'd take Alinea or 42 Grams over Oriole.

I've been to all the places you mention in your post, and hands down I'd send you to Oriole. Unquestionably my favorite meal of the last year, and quite possibly my favorite of the eight years I've lived in Chicago. It's better than Grace, in my opinion, and a much more relaxed -- while still refined -- experience. I can't recommend it highly enough.

42 Grams was awesome experience, both food and setting...

Have you done Elizabeth? It's always fun, delicious and surprising. If Grace is too formal, Elizabeth might be a little too casual.

I have done Elizabeth twice.

Loved it

Also have hit Goosefoot several times, as we were former Lincoln Square residents.

Bspar wrote:My wife and I give ourselves one "spendy" restaurant every 6 months or so.
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Open to ideas, thanks for the help.

Sounds like you'll have a chance to try all these suggestions over the next few years.

Others that have been around for a while and you might consider adding to your list include Everest, TRU, Les Nomades, Naha, North Pond, and Acadia.

nsxtasy wrote:

Bspar wrote:My wife and I give ourselves one "spendy" restaurant every 6 months or so.
.
.
.
Open to ideas, thanks for the help.

Sounds like you'll have a chance to try all these suggestions over the next few years.

Others that have been around for a while and you might consider adding to your list include Everest, TRU, Les Nomades, Naha, North Pond, and Acadia.

Agreed - and I'd add Spiaggia to that list.

When you say spendy are you strictly speaking tasting menus? If not, I would add Momotaro (best sushi in town IMO), Monteverde, and Nico Osteria to the mix (which I know was already mentioned).

I'll also endorse the previous recommendations of Acadia, and 42 Grams.

incite wrote:When you say spendy are you strictly speaking tasting menus? If not, I would add Momotaro (best sushi in town IMO), Monteverde, and Nico Osteria to the mix (which I know was already mentioned).

I haven't been to Momotaro, but I don't think of the other two as in the same category of (at least somewhat) expensive, special-occasion type restaurants as the others mentioned thus far.

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone. Since we do this, but not often, I always feel so much pressure to avoid a letdown! I think we are between Grace and Oriole, depending on which menu looks more fun, and when we can get in.

I visited Oriole last month. By far one of the best tasting menus I've had in a long time. Totally subjective of course, but I have found what seems to be Chefs cooking for other Chefs becoming popular. And I'm not knocking "interesting." But each course at Oriole seemed delicious was the first and foremost goal.

At the end of the meal I couldn't help but feel like applauding for this husband and wife team. Bravo!

nsxtasy wrote:

incite wrote:When you say spendy are you strictly speaking tasting menus? If not, I would add Momotaro (best sushi in town IMO), Monteverde, and Nico Osteria to the mix (which I know was already mentioned).

I haven't been to Momotaro, but I don't think of the other two as in the same category of (at least somewhat) expensive, special-occasion type restaurants as the others mentioned thus far.

Again Nsxtasy with commentary on places he hasn't visited. It's just so helpful the way you recommend restaurants you haven't visited for years, and rip restaurant suggestions when you haven't even dined there. Why don't you stick to recommending Oceanique . . . are they still corkage free Monday?

BR wrote:Again Nsxtasy with commentary on places he hasn't visited. It's just so helpful the way you recommend restaurants you haven't visited for years, and rip restaurant suggestions when you haven't even dined there.

Leaving aside the issue of your repeated unprovoked personal attacks, apparently you didn't bother reading my post carefully, because nothing you say about it is true. I specifically said that I had not been to Momotaro, and gave my opinion only of the other two restaurants mentioned in the previous post. The reason I don't think Monteverde and Nico Osteria fit the bill for the OP is, they have similar atmospheres, that of a lively, somewhat noisy, fairly casual bistro, with large bars dominating both their dining room layouts. Between that and their moderate to mid price range, neither are what I would consider "spendy" or special-occasion places as the OP seems to be seeking, although of course you can celebrate an occasion anywhere. FWIW, I liked Monteverde; there are some other moderately-priced Italian places I like a bit more, but it's quite good, as I reported in my post in the Monteverde topic a few months ago. I was less impressed with Nico Osteria, not just because the food was only so-so, but particularly because they emphasize seafood and I thought the portioning and taste of the seafood ingredients in their dishes was stingy, as I reported in my post in the Nico Osteria topic. But again, my point was, and is, not whether they are good or not. Rather, if the OP is looking for places with an atmosphere that's elegant, with lots of waitstaff, and people celebrating special occasions around you, those two don't really fit that description.

BR wrote:Why don't you stick to recommending Oceanique . . . are they still corkage free Monday?

The last time I posted anything about Oceanique was almost three years ago, and the last time I mentioned their corkage was over four years ago. That's an awfully long time to hold a personal grudge, especially when it's just based on what someone posted on the internet. How sad for you.

OK nsxtasy...

I had an absolutely lovely dinner at Nico Osteria for my wife's birthday where they built us a beautiful custom 5-course dinner priced at $125.00 per person with pairings that came out to be $300+ for the 2 of us.






Not only was our dinner delicious, but one of the best meals we have ever had, and quite romantic to boot.

If you're suggesting that over $300 dollars on a dinner for 2 isn't considered "spendy", then I would love to live your life. Shameful.

I'm very happy you narrowed your choices down, Bspar, and I hope you have the best dinner possible! Though I haven't been to either restaurant and therefore will not comment on them, please let us know which restaurant you decided to go with and post your review!

Perhaps spendy wasn't the right word.

What might have been the right word?

In any case of you check the Nico thread I think I commented there, but if I didn't we once had an amazing birthday meal there, we just mentioned it was my wife's bday when making the res, and they treated us extremely well. It was a meal to remember for sure.

I'll post the notes for sure once it goes down.

Bspar wrote:Perhaps spendy wasn't the right word.

What might have been the right word?

Rather than looking for a single word, you could explain what kind of place you're looking for in a sentence or two. For example, maybe you are looking for a restaurant where all or most diners are served a lengthy, elaborate tasting menu. Or maybe a place which a lot of people would consider a "special occasion restaurant", where you might expect to see others celebrating the way you are, and generally pretty dressed up. Or maybe a luxurious place where the service is impeccable, with more waitstaff than just the typical server and busboy assigned to your table. Or maybe a chef-centric place where a really creative chef has developed a menu and style all his/her own, creating an experience unlike you'd find elsewhere. Or maybe something else entirely...? It's your topic and you're looking for suggestions, so the more descriptive you can be about what you're looking for, the more appropriate the responses from others can be.