"Nice Dinner" for Italian Visitors?

LTH- Please help out a member who is terribly out of date on Chicago dining. Nothing I see in any of the Eater, Open Table etc. listings rings a bell, or, if it rings one, it is already booked, (or OMG the prices!!). We are hosting Italian colleagues and need a quiet place where we can talk and have a "nice dinner" (read: not challenging, not spicy and in this case, not Italian). When I say "quiet," I also mean comfortable, i.e. no high top, middle of the bar crowd seating. Location: a maximum 1/2 hour taxi ride from Streeterville hotel at dinner hour. Time Constraint: We can't get there before 6:00 PM but need to get our beauty rest for the next day's conference, so no late-night table times. Budget: $100/person including 1 drink. Bonus points for something pretty or charming or genteel. I recognize that these are a lot of conditions, but I have faith in the knowledge-base of our membership!

Thanks in advance,

Josephine

Lately, I've been taking "civilians" to Swift & Sons for a typical steakhouse experience. Prices are relatively reasonable (compared to Gibson's, for example) and the quality and service are great!

Also, extremely comfortable seating, too.

Swift and Sons
1000 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
312-733-9420

Beacon Tavern might fit the bill, it's right on the River and the food is fantastic and the space is comfortable
405 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Heritage is another one that might work
2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Bellemore would be another good choice.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=44107

Bellemore
564 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661
312-667-0104

I’d recommend La Sardine (and thanks to Luckyguy for the reminder!)

La Sardine
111 N Carpenter St
Chicago, IL 60607
312-421-2800
http://frenchrestaurantschicago.com/

Another choice that isn’t as obvious is Tanta, a Peruvian restaurant that is getting a lot of buzz. Maybe a nice choice to make mix it up a little.

Tanta
118 W. Grand
(312)222-9700
https://www.tantachicago.com/

My first thought was a steak dinner as well, something that I imagine would appeal to a visitor to Chicago, but I also like the La Sardine and Tanta suggestions.

cleanplateclub wrote:I’d recommend La Sardine (and thanks to Luckyguy for the reminder!)

That's the first place I thought of when I read the OP. Good rec.

Note that they get very crowded on Tuesdays, thanks to their bargain prix fixe special. It's still not overly noisy on Tuesdays, but you would need to make sure to reserve in advance.

Another place worth considering is City Mouse, in the West Loop, from the same chef/owner team as Giant. Great food, not terribly expensive, conversation-friendly.

cleanplateclub wrote:Another choice that isn’t as obvious is Tanta, a Peruvian restaurant that is getting a lot of buzz.

The OP wanted "a quiet place where we can talk". Tanta is one of the loudest restaurants I've ever eaten in. The food is terrific, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone who wants to engage in easy conversation.

For great South American food without the ear-splitting volume, I recommend either of John Manion's places, El Che Bar or La Sirena Clandestina, both in the West Loop.

stevez wrote:Lately, I've been taking "civilians" to Swift & Sons for a typical steakhouse experience. Prices are relatively reasonable (compared to Gibson's, for example) and the quality and service are great!

Also, extremely comfortable seating, too.

Swift and Sons
1000 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
312-733-9420

Unless your guests order a non steak entree they will have to be limited to two courses to stay under $100 with tax and tip. The lowest priced steak is $50 and if you add just one appetizer, salad or side with a drink you are up to $75 or more. Add tax and tip and you've met your limit. The non steak entrees top out at $38 and most come with accoutrements, enabling a more complete meal for the price. In any event, your guests will have to be quite restricted in what they order.

If aren't counting tax and tip you might make it. The entry level steak with cocktail/wine, appetizer/salad, side, dessert and coffee will be about $110.

Josephine, make sure you've also looked on Reserve for tables as a number of restaurants have switched from OpenTable to Reserve. One of my first thoughts was Topolobampo (something unique I suppose for people from Italy), but perhaps you considered it and it is not available. Sepia is another option, but I assume you're familiar with it since it's been open for quite some time.

I'm a big fan of Swift & Sons too. I've heard great things about Bellemore, but have yet to go. Good look and I hope you find something great!

nsxtasy wrote:Another place worth considering is City Mouse, in the West Loop, from the same chef/owner team as Giant. Great food, not terribly expensive, conversation-friendly.

Just another data point on City Mouse: I didn't find this hotel lobby restaurant even remotely conversation-friendly. It was as loud as just about any place I can remember.

Here's a twist: how about a non-Italian restaurant helmed by Italian-American chef Giuseppe Tentori? GT Fish & Oyster. A few of my partners hosted a meal there recently for some foreign visitors and it went over very well. For whatever reason, these visitors requested seafood, so this seemed like a pretty good choice, which it turned out to be. And I've always enjoyed the food there. One possible caveat is that this was on a Monday evening. So, while it was definitely conversation friendly (though, still vibrant), that may or may not be the case if you're going later in the week.

=R=

GT Fish & Oyster
531 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 929-3501

ronnie_suburban wrote:Just another data point on City Mouse: I didn't find this hotel lobby restaurant even remotely conversation-friendly. It was as loud as just about any place I can remember.

It wasn't particularly loud when I was there. Shrug.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Here's a twist: how about a non-Italian restaurant helmed by Italian-American chef Giuseppe Tentori? GT Fish & Oyster.

I love love LOVE GT Fish & Oyster, and I think it's the absolutely perfect place for the OP. And the seafood is wonderful; I've taken visitors from the coasts and they've been mighty impressed. Great recommendation, and that would be my top pick.

nsxtasy wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Just another data point on City Mouse: I didn't find this hotel lobby restaurant even remotely conversation-friendly. It was as loud as just about any place I can remember.

It wasn't particularly loud when I was there. Shrug.

Well, fwiw, we were there on a Thursday evening. It was cool to see it so bustling but that was the night I began to teach myself how to communicate with my wife wife via hand signals. Seriously.

=R=

Thanks for all the kind responses, folks!

Shout out to stevez for coining "civilians" - it's so much nicer than "amateurs." And to BR for alerting me to Reserve. Also to everyone who thought carefully about the parameters for audible conversation. I learned that seafood and steak are neither of special interest to our guests, and I have been in Mexico for a long stretch, so Topo was not high on the list for me.

In the end, spurred on by BR's suggestion, I reserved at Sepia, which I had naively assumed would be unavailable during the prime time slot we were looking for. I had wanted to eat there for a long time and never had the chance. Now I just have to find the time to get away from obligations for my own private steak and seafood pigout at one of the other fine suggestions.

With affection and gratitude,

Josephine

stevez wrote:Lately, I've been taking "civilians" to Swift & Sons for a typical steakhouse experience. Prices are relatively reasonable (compared to Gibson's, for example) and the quality and service are great!

Also, extremely comfortable seating, too.

Swift and Sons
1000 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
312-733-9420

I find it pretty loud there.

Perhaps al fresco at The Publican(definitely too loud inside here) or Nico Osteria.

Otherwise it is simple food but maybe GNR Chengdu Impression.