Post Graduation Lunch/Dinner In Evanston Area

My older son will be graduating from high school in a few weeks. The commencement is to be held at Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena and the husband and I wanted to take the graduate out for a nice late lunch/dinner afterwards. The problem seems to be that by the time graduation is over it will be around 3:00 and I'm having a hard time finding a nice restaurant that is open at that hour on a Sunday. Since we'll have the grandparents with us we prefer to keep it in the Evanston area.

Any ideas LTHers?

Finding a nice place in Evanston that's open at 3pm on a Sunday is going to be nearly impossible. However, I bet if you got another couple of families together, you could find someplace that would be willing to accommodate a party of 20. For instance, Jacky's Bistro, right down the street, might stay open between lunch and dinner, if they could be guaranteed some post-graduation business. Why not? It's down time anyhow. Couldn't hurt to ask. Or maybe that Italian place right across from the field (I don't know if it's any good). Actually, it seems like a good opportunity for restaurants in the neighborhood to run some sort of post-graduation special.

It depends on what you mean by "nice."

I believe that Dixie Kitchen is open all day on Sundays. Also Davis Street Fishmarket, and the Globe Cafe in the Hotel Orrington.

Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop
847/733-9030
825 Church St.
Evanston IL 60201

Davis Street Fishmarket
847/869-3474
www.davisstreetfishmarket.com
501 Davis St.
Evanston, IL 60201

Globe Cafe & Bar
847/866-8700
www.hotelorrington.com
Hotel Orrington
1710 N. Orrington Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201-3855

Oh, and congratulations to you and your graduate.

Jilly's is a very nice place not far from Welsh-Ryan Arena, and although their Sunday brunch supposedly closes at 2 p.m., as d4v3 said, if you got a few others together, they might be persuaded to stay open. And it's small enough that it wouldn't take many to fill it.

Jilly's Cafe
2614 Green Bay Rd.
Evanston

If you can wait 'til 4:30, possibly the closest place to the arena is:
Trattoria Trullo
1700 Central St.
Evanston

Or, if you can wait 'til about 5, there's Chef's Station, a nice cross between elegant and funky, or Gio, for good Italian.

Chef's Station
915 Davis St., Evanston

Gio
1631 Chicago Ave.
Evanston

Or, at 5:30, you could get into The Stained Glass, although I imagine a new high school graduate might not be able to fully appreciate the wine flights.

The Stained Glass Wine Bar, Bistro & Cellar
1735 Benson Ave.
Evanston

Just a few random suggestions.

Check out the Evanston Foie Gras Hut.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions!

LAZ...Sorry I didn't clarify what I meant by "nice". Originally, we were hoping to go to Pete Miller's since the son who is graduating loves a good steak, but they don't open until 4:30. The other possibilities on my list were Va Pensiero, Jacky's, Jilly's, and Campagnola.

nr706...I'm thinking you're right about the wine flights at Stained Glass.

Kwe730,
Sounds like you have already covered most of the usual suspects. I find it hard to believe that none of these places is having some sort of graduation event. After all, you can't be the only family looking for an early dinner that day. Maybe Pete Miller's can sneak you in a little early. You could waste an hour walking around Northwestern's beautiful campus or down by the Lake. Then again, there is always [shudder] Wolfgang Puck's . According to their website, they start dinner service at 3pm.

Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe
1701 MAPLE AVENUE
NEXT TO CENTURY THEATER
EVANSTON, IL 60201

P: 847-869-9653

d4v3 wrote:Then again, there is always [shudder] Wolfgang Puck's

I second the shudder.

I'll third it

d4v3...I've already called Pete Miller's with the idea that I was going to be making a reservation. That's when I found out about the 4:30 opening. I did mention why I was looking for something at 3:00, but just got an "oh" from the person answering the phone. My son has 1100 kids in his class and each one is allowed 6 tickets to graduation. I agree with you that this is a great opportunity for some of the restaurant owners in that area to make some extra money. On the other hand, if I lived in Evanston I'd plan my comings and goings carefully that day.

If we didn't have the grandparents with us time wouldn't be quite as much of the essence.

Kwe730 wrote:LAZ...Sorry I didn't clarify what I meant by "nice". Originally, we were hoping to go to Pete Miller's since the son who is graduating loves a good steak, but they don't open until 4:30. The other possibilities on my list were Va Pensiero, Jacky's, Jilly's, and Campagnola.

Well, my suggestions are a little less dressy than those, but I can vouch for good food at Davis Street and Dixie Kitchen (though I've only been to its Hyde Park location).

For a meat lover, this place may be ideal. It's just as good as the downtown churrascarias, about half the price and has a festive atmosphere. I'm not certain of the Sunday hours, though.

Asado Brazilian Grill
847/425-4175
1012 Church St.
Evanston, IL 60201

Kwe730,

When I graduated last year from NU, I took my moms and brother to the Chicken Shack. We bought some half-dark specials (2 drumsticks, 2 breasts, coleslaw, fries, hot sauce or bbq sauce... still $5!) and ate it on the rocks by the lake. It was the best graduation meal ever. If the weather's nice, I would highly recommend making the Chicken Shack part of an impromptu picnic.


(photo credit to G Wiv)


I believe that they now take reservations. That is, you can call ahead and reserve yourself some chicken. And then pick it up or eat it at one of the tables in the shack. They have cans of cola, ice tea, and that grape soda that tastes like Dimetapp cold medicine.

Le Chicken Shack

1925 Ridge Ave
Evanston, IL 60201

847-328-9360

If you're willing to tone down the feast a bit, both Gulliver's and the Gateway are open after noon, and La Cucina Di Donatella says it's open for private parties only on Sunday.

Gulliver and Gateway both serve good to passable food in a reasonably interesting atmosphere; Gullivers is predominately Italian-American and the Gateway is predominately Greek, Donatella serves absolutely terrific authentic Italian food (she's from Rome, you may see her Vespa out front) and is a lovely person in and of herself, but the restaurant is furnished by IKEA, and the atmosphere is a bit, well, swedish meets bistro...(though I have to admit I haven't been there since they switched from sandwich shop to upscale restaurant, so I'd get some other input)

La Cucina di Donatella
2221 W. Howard Street
773-262-6533

Gateway Restaurant and Lounge
7545 N. Clark St., Chicago
Tel: (773) 262-5767

Gulliver's Pizzeria & Restaurant
2727 W Howard St
Chicago, IL 60645-1303

None of these places match up to what Pete Miller's wishes it was - but they do hit what they are on the mark.

russ...You just had to post that picture, didn't you? That looks really good! The husband and I lived in Evanston the first five years we were married and I believe Chicken Shack was one of our favorite carry-out spots. That picnic on the rocks sounds like a great idea, but alas, we have that grandparent issue again. Now you have me thinking about Hecky's links, the Pine Yard, and Carmen's pizza.

Kwe730--

If your son is looking for a steak--and you can stretch your drive just a few minutes over the Evanston border--I'd say definitely try EJ's. It's a good steak house--sort of a North Shore version of a North Woods supperclub. Good steaks and chops, and an atmosphere the grandparents and the graduate will appreciate. And they open at 3pm.

Asado Brazilian Grill in Evanston was one of the worst things I've eaten lately--and in my opinion, does not even come close to the quality of Fogo de Chao. I was there for an early supper on a Sunday, and the place was empty, the meat was like marinated sawdust, the salad bar was embarrased for itself (I actually think I heard it whisper,"Look away...keep walking.") Hopefully it is a lot different on a Saturday night, when there is more turnover.

Anyway, EJ's place!

EJ's Place
10027 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie
847-933-9800

Or another idea, though I haven't been there in years, is Convito Italiano on Sheridan Rd. If it's nice outside, you can dine Lakeside.

Convito Italiano
1515 Sheridan Rd.
Wilmette
847-251-3654


Good Luck!

trixie-pea

trixie-pea wrote:If your son is looking for a steak--and you can stretch your drive just a few minutes over the Evanston border--I'd say definitely try EJ's.

Good call. EJ's is less than 3 miles due west of the graduation venue. And they serve good steaks. And they open early. 3 out of 3!

trixie-pea...Thanks much for the heads up on EJ's. Convito has always been a favorite of mine as well both for dine-in and carry-out.

I think what we've decided to do is to stop at Wildfire in Glenview. The graduate can get his charred meat, my Mom (who is 85 and recovering from a bleeding ulcer) can get something suitably prepared, and the rest of us can enjoy a good meal in a nice atmosphere. The location works because it's on the way back to our house, as well as an easy drive home from there for the in-laws. Oh, and they're open.

Not exactly what we had envisioned as far as the dining experience, but hey, my kid's graduating from high school and going to college!

trixie-pea wrote:If your son is looking for a steak--and you can stretch your drive just a few minutes over the Evanston border--I'd say definitely try EJ's. It's a good steak house--sort of a North Shore version of a North Woods supperclub. Good steaks and chops, and an atmosphere the grandparents and the graduate will appreciate. And they open at 3pm.

I wouldn't go to E.J.'s if you have any time issues. Our waiter ignored us for 20 minutes, and then walked off in the middle of taking our order and didn't come back for 15 minutes. When we complained to the manager, he didn't even apologize. And the food was very, very ordinary -- I would say overpriced for the quality of steaks you get.

You'll do much better at Wildfire.

LAZ...Thanks for your opinion. After looking at Wildfire's online menu, I really think it will fit the bill. In a perfect world one of the places that we had our sights set on would be open, but it's the company and the circumstances that will make for a great day.

K

If it doesn't have to be Evanston, one of the nearby Hackney's has been a long-time post-graduation fav for years.