Lunch options in Hinsdale?

I will be giving a work-related presentation in Hinsdale this Saturday morning. Never been that way (and don't know that I'll have reason to again in the near future).

Any recommendations for places to get lunch afterwards? I did a search, but it seemed like prospects were kinda thin (?)

Or, am I better off having a late lunch back at home?

Zee

Mrs. Seth Zurer gives private SAT tutoring sessions to the adolecents of HInsdale every weekend. Last saturday, I met her in Westmont (10 minutes from downtown Hinsdale) at the International Mall for some dimsum/soup. This is a converted office park in a mall on Pasquinelli drive just off 83 (Ogden Exit). The mall has four or five individual stalls and has been written up on this forum and on CH. The most popular booth is the Yu Ton Dumpling House (whose wares you order from the Chinese Cafe counter). We had a couple of spectacular dishes - fried dumplings, greasy and toothsome, filled with fresh cilantroey pork, and excellent crullers with sweetened soy milk. Other customers had deep fried stinky tofu, and a sweetened soy milk shredded dried pork cut up cruller concoction and big bowls of sweetened goo. I also ate an excellent fried flapjack sandwich - a sesame roll with pork and veggies. All the dumplings look amazing. The ordering system is a little unwieldy, especially when there's a long line. You get a number, which is then called out in Chinese, once for each item in your order, which do not always come out at the same time. A bit of a challenge if you don't speak chinese. But a helpful table neighbor gave us the nod when our number came up. Make sure to order off the Yu Ton dumpling house menu. Then stop off at the Whole Grains chinese market next door. We got a great deal on frozen vietnamese pancakes and some truly excellent fresh chinese broccoli.

Enjoy!

Z,

There are a couple of places you might want to try.

Uncle Bubs on Cass in Westmont for reasonable (sometimes good BBQ)
Del Rhea's Chicken Basket on Frontage Road off of I-55 - Fried Chicken
The International Mall off Ogden - as Seth suggests
After the recent discussion of Gionotti's there is a location on 22nd street and Midwest road in Oakbrook Terrace. (Near Hinsdale Midwest Rd is Cass Ave)

Flip

My wife, who works in Hinsdale, swears by the salads and other lunch items at the Moondance Diner. It's near the intersection of Ogden and Rte. 83 (it actually technically is in Westmont, I believe). Also, there is an Egg Harbor in downtown Hinsdale. Being from the city, you probably aren't familiar with this chain of high-end breakfast (and lunch) places scattered throughout the suburbs. I highly recommend Egg Harbor for breakfast or lunch if you're out that way -- with the caveat that it probably will be very crowded on a Saturday.

There are two restaurants in downtown Hinsdale that would fit your needs for a lunch after having to work. One is Salbute, an above-average Mexican restaurant that has been around for the last five years or so. The second is a newer place, called Washington Street Grill (standard steaks, fish, pasta...all done well), that is relatively new.

Between the two, I enjoy Salbute more. They have an excellent chicken mole and also a nice selection of seafood. All of their food is a cut above your typical suburban Mexican restaurant and is really flavorful without being overpowering.

Salbute
20 E. First St.
Hinsdale, IL
630-920-8077

Washington Street Grill
112 S. Washington St.
Hinsdale IL
630-323-0035

Lao suchion (spelling way off) on Ogdon in Westmont, sububan outpost of chinatown stalwart. Blueberry Hill, an upscale Greek breakfast lunch place in Lagrange is excellent. Lagrange Road between 47th and Ogdon. Other decent if uninspiring places in Lagrange.

babaluch wrote:Lao suchion (spelling way off) on Ogdon in Westmont, sububan outpost of chinatown stalwart. Blueberry Hill, an upscale Greek breakfast lunch place in Lagrange is excellent. Lagrange Road between 47th and Ogdon. Other decent if uninspiring places in Lagrange.

FYI - Lao Sze chuan House moved from Westmont to Downers Grove a few months ago. They now occupy the location formerly occupied by Lo Garden. LSC is currently combining the menu offerings from both restaurants.

Flip

Flip wrote:

babaluch wrote:Lao suchion (spelling way off) on Ogdon in Westmont, sububan outpost of chinatown stalwart. Blueberry Hill, an upscale Greek breakfast lunch place in Lagrange is excellent. Lagrange Road between 47th and Ogdon. Other decent if uninspiring places in Lagrange.

FYI - Lao Sze chuan House moved from Westmont to Downers Grove a few months ago. They now occupy the location formerly occupied by Lo Garden. LSC is currently combining the menu offerings from both restaurants.

Flip

Flip,

I can't thank you enough for mentioning that they now occupy the space where Lo Garden was. In my opinion Lo Garden had some of the worst Chinese food I ever managed to eat. When I worked in DG my office used to order from there all the time and it was awful. Last weekend we were out at Fry's and I thought that I'd try Lao Sze Chuan. I called them to ask where they were (since the move) and they said 'past the Omega resturant' I got down there and all I saw was Lo Garden and since it was dark I didn't see any new signs and it was pretty close to what their closing time was we decided to try elsewhere. I'm happy to know that's where they are and if I get out there next weekend I'm sure to stop over there.

If you want to go off the beaten path you could try the York Tavern on York just north of Ogden. Their menu is only burgers (although last time I went they did have a tuna melt) and potato chips. Yummy

Nolan

Ron A. wrote:My wife, who works in Hinsdale, swears by the salads and other lunch items at the Moondance Diner. It's near the intersection of Ogden and Rte. 83 (it actually technically is in Westmont, I believe). Also, there is an Egg Harbor in downtown Hinsdale. Being from the city, you probably aren't familiar with this chain of high-end breakfast (and lunch) places scattered throughout the suburbs. I highly recommend Egg Harbor for breakfast or lunch if you're out that way -- with the caveat that it probably will be very crowded on a Saturday.

Technically Egg Harbor isn't in downtown Hinsdale; it's in the little mall just south of Odgen on the East side of York. Naturally I can't remember the mall's name. You can't see the Egg Harbor from the parking lot but it is in the northeast corner.

There's also a decent Chinese restaurant in that mall.

Diannie

You're right, it is north of the train tracks (just south of Ogden) and technically not downtown. The little mall is called Gateway Square and the Chinese restaurant is Hua Ting.

Thanks all for the replies. I feel a little sheepish to admit it, but I budgeted a little too long for my talk and got done before I really felt hungry for lunch

But, at least there's a dedicated Hinsdale thread now. And there are places I'll definitely consider if I find myself back in the area.