Jackie's Bistro or Jilly's (Evanston)?

I'm having a pre-wedding dinner with the in-laws in Evanston. I'm thinking Jackie's Bistro or Jilly's. I haven't been to Jackie's in over a year and it's been about three years for Jilly's.

You make the call!

I'm mainly interested in which restaurant is currently operating on all cylinders and therefore takes on recent visits would be most welcome.

(Of course, a third Evanston suggestion is also welcome.)

Haven't been to either Jilly's or Jacky's lately, but my traditional pick between the two would be Jilly's for the more intimate atmosphere. Other obvious candidates in roughly the same category would be The Stained Glass (more wine-focused), Chef's Station (on the elegant side of funky, not really French) and Oceanique (seafood). Visits in the last year have shown all three to be strong. But lately, again for the category, I've been impressed with the relatively new La Petite Amelia - similar to Jilly's in feel, excellent bistro food, slightly larger, and being downtown, parking might be easier.

Jilly's Cafe
2614 Green Bay Rd.
Evanston
847-869-7636

Jacky's Bistro
2545 Prairie Ave.
Evanston
847-733-0899

The Stained Glass Wine Bar, Bistro & Cellar
1735 Benson Ave.
Evanston
847-864-8600

Chef's Station
915 Davis St. Davis Metra Station, Ground floor
Evanston
847-570-9821

Oceanique
505 Main St.
Evanston
847-864-3435

La Petite Amelia
618 Church St.
Evanston
847-328-3333

I like the sound of Amelia--especially after reading this:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... ght=amelia

Campagnola
http://campagnolarestaurant.com/
815 Chicago Avenue.
Evanston, IL
847-475-6100

Campagnola has a room upstairs that is used for parties. We eat here once every week to 10 days and are always impressed by the quality of the food and the service.

My most recent visit to Jacky's would have been early Summer. As best we can tell, it hasn't changed a bit. If you liked it a few years ago, you'll get exactly the same experience now. I happen to like it a lot. I have no recent experiences with the other places.

Jonah

I like both places, though I've been to Jackie's more recently. Perhaps it was the occasion and the meal that makes the difference for me (Jilly's was lunch with a friend, Jackie's was a party with a five-course menu), but I tend to think Jackie's is a bit more posh. Of course, it depends on what you're looking for. Jilly's would certainly be more intimate, as nr706 notes. Much smaller place. So it depends on whether you feel that small is more festive than a larger, more open space. You can't go really wrong with either. But if it's just these two, I think I'd opt for Jackie's.

If the budget could bear it, I'd definitely opt for Oceanique out of all the Evanston choices. To me, it is solidly in the fine dining camp, while the other Evanston options tend to fall below that standard, (though they may straddle the line at times.) They have a weeknight prix fixe and could probably work with you on the cost. I guess it depends how many people you are expecting, and what kind of a menu interests you. Just my opinion, and others may understandably disagree.

Jilly's would be my pick. Had dinner there a couple of weeks ago & all was well. If memory serves, I had the rack of lamb. I'm also quite partial to their beet salad with walnuts & blue cheese.

Josephine wrote:If the budget could bear it, I'd definitely opt for Oceanique out of all the Evanston choices. To me, it is solidly in the fine dining camp, while the other Evanston options tend to fall below that standard, (though they may straddle the line at times.) They have a weeknight prix fixe and could probably work with you on the cost. I guess it depends how many people you are expecting, and what kind of a menu interests you. Just my opinion, and others may understandably disagree.

I thought Oceanique closed? Am I hallucinating?

I'd vote for Oceanique, too. Damn good, very consistent - and has been since Day 1.

Funny that no one has even mentioned Va Pensiero....I long for the long-gone days when Peggy Ryan was running that kitchen. *sigh*

I could have added to the list I provided, but I got the impression the OP was looking for French (or French-ish).

I thought Oceanique closed? Am I hallucinating?

Evidently. Oceanique is very much open, every evening except Sunday.

bananasandwiches wrote:I thought Oceanique closed? Am I hallucinating?

You are probably thinking of Atlantique.

LAZ wrote:

bananasandwiches wrote:I thought Oceanique closed? Am I hallucinating?

You are probably thinking of Atlantique.

Thaaaaat's what it was. Thanks, that was driving me crazy.

To provide a bit of a post-wedding wrap-up: we did opt for Jackie's and were not disappointed in the least. Steak frites were cooked perfectly--both the fries and the meat; monkfish was tender; only the risotto disappointed (it was watery).

But that’s not really the story.

It's funny that sundevilpeg mentioned Va Pensiero.

Our wedding itself was catered by Jeff and his crew at VP. My wife (that sounds strange off the tongue) and I, as well as our guests, were simply blown away by the food and service. It was, simply put, the best wedding food I've ever had (save, perhaps, one wedding reception at the Cornell Club in NYC). Everything was served family style and in single-bite servings. I highly recommend this method. We had baked salmon; chicken stuffed with chard and capers on parmesan-polenta cakes; and homemade ravioli with mushrooms. And no wedding cake can match the budino, a dark chocolate molten cake.

Many of our guests stayed at the Margarita Inn (in the same building as VP) and raved about it as well.

PS. Congratulations!

Just so you know, life will kick into drive now...