For a standard on the information given, please provide the following at minimum:
Restaurant name
Corkage policy
Status of stemware
Address and/or website
Aboyer French Brasserie
64 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, IL
847-441-3100
Excellent stemware
Free corkage, unlimited bottles on Thursday. Otherwise, corkage is $50/bottle. Website
312 Fish Market
2105 S. Jefferson, 2nd Floor (Inside 88 Market’s food court), Chicago,IL
872-222-7288
No stems that I recall. Outstanding sushi Website
Lucia Ristorante
All BYOB all the time - no corkage
Stemware: very small wine glasses. Bring your own
1825 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL
773-292-9700 Website
Gio’s Cafe and Deli
2724 S. Lowe
Chicago, IL
(312) 225-6368
Unknown stems Website
Schwa
All BYOB all the time - unsure on corkage, but no more than $5 per bottle
Stemware: They have the Reidal glasses that have no stems
1466 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL
773-252-1466 Website
Prairie Grass Cafe
601 Skokie Blvd
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
(847) 205-4433
Stemware: decent enough. I’ve never seen anyone bring Website
Smoque BBQ
3800 N. Pulaski
773- 545- 7427 smoquebbq.com
ZERO Corkage
byo-stems
Perhaps the best bbq in town.
Tango Sur
Tel - 773-477-5466
Address - 3763 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL Website
Stemware: awful
Abagail’s - Highland Park
Good Stems
Variable, as high as $25 Corkage - can be negotiated down or waived Website
Very good American Bistro
Inovasi - Lake Bluff
Good Stems
$15 Corkage - often waived
28 E Center Ave Lake Bluff, IL 60044-2585 - (847) 295-1000 Website
American Bistro - unique farm fresh menu, very good.
Cooper’s Hawk - Orland Park, Burr Ridge, Wheeling, South Barrington, Naperville
Good Stems
$8 Corkage http://www.coopershawkwinery.com/
Concept is a higher-end causal American Bistro that makes own wine.
TTOWA (pronounced Dough-ah)
161 W Wing St (between Davis St & Vail Ave)
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
847-749-4493
Korean cuisine, Full BYOB, Good stems website
Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen
319 S JEFFERSON ST
Chicago, IL
312.944.5800
No corkage; lousy glassware, so bring your own Website
Caro Mio Italian Ristorante
4603 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL.
773-275-5000 Website
No corkage. Decent stemware.
Pot Sticker House
3139 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL.
312-326-6898 Website
No corkage. Lousy stems, so bring your own.
Boston Fish Market
1225 E. Forest Ave.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
(847) 296-1111 or (847) 803-2100 Website
$25 corkage and adamant about it. Unknown stemware
Rangoli
2421 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
773-697-7114
No corkage, unknown on glassware Website
The Publican
837 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
312.733.9555 Website
$20 corkage, max 2 bottles.
Unknown on stems, but for $20/bottle you shouldn’t have to bring your own glasses.
Cellar Door Provisions
(Friday and Saturday nights only)
3025 W. Diversey Avenue
Chicago, IL
773 697-8337 Website
$20 corkage generally and $10 if you bring in a wine from Diversey Wine
Mediocre stems, no decanters
Cozy Noodle
3456 N. Sheffield
Chicago IL (1 block south of Wrigley Field)
773-327-0100 website
All BYOB all the time - $5 corkage
Stemware: Small, clunky drinking glasses. I suppose you could bring your own. They do have ice buckets.
Thai Pastry
4925 N. Broadway, unit E
Chicago, Il.
773-784-5399 Website
No corkage, decent stems.
RPM Italian
52 W. Illinois St.
Chicago, IL.
312-222-1888 Website
$25 corkage. Stemware likely just fine.
Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill
20504 N. Rand Road
Deer Park, IL 60010
(847) 719-1596 Website
$20 corkage. No info on stemware
Stix N Brix
220 W 33rd Street
Chicago, IL 60616
312-265-0219 Website
No corkage. Reidel O knockoffs.
Wentworth Seafood House
2229 S Wentworth Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 808-0899 Website)
No corkage, lousy stems
Steak and Vine
37 South La Grange Road
La Grange, IL, 60525
708-579-0520 Website
$20 corkage per bottle with no limit. Reserve through Nick and he may waive corkage. Schott Zwiesel glassware
Daisies
2523 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-661-1671 Website
$15 per bottle corkage, unknown stems
S.K.Y.
1239 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 846-1077 Website
No corkage Wed/Thur/Sun. Assume good stems.
Longman & Eagle
2657 N. KEDZIE AVE.
CHICAGO, IL 60647
773-276-7110 Website
$25 per bottle but fee is waived with a bottle purchased off of their list.
Bistro Campagne
4518 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
773.271.6100 Website
$15/bottle corkage. Good stems
Dolo Restaurant
2222 S Archer Ave
Chicago
(312) 877-5117 Website
No corkage fee, lousy (thick) stems
Duck Inn
2701 S Eleanor
Reidel O stems
$25 corkage
(312) 724-8811 website
Butcher & The Burger
1021 W. Armitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 697-3735
BYOB. No corkage; but lousy glassware. Bring your own. Website
Jade Court
1516 E Harper Court
Chicago, IL. 60615
773-966-4106
Corkage is possible, but my advice is to run it by management first. Website
Mordecai
3632 N. Clark St.
Chicago, Il. 60613
773.269.5410
$25 corkage. Excellent stems. Excellent food for essentially a cocktail and sports place. Website
Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf
218 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 624-8154
Corkage fee is sharing 1 glass per bottle with a table of your choice. One bottle per two people limit.
Nice stems Website
Le Sud
2301 W Roscoe St.
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 857-1985 Website
Service and food were both excellent. Stems were fine. Corkage is $35, which they donate to local charities, which are posted on their website.
Forte at Symphony Center
65 E. Adams St. Chicago, IL 60603
312-294-3013 Website
Corkage $25; Stems ok; Suggest reservations 7:30 and after on concern evenings
La Nonna
3400 N Lawndale Ave. Chicago, IL. 60618
restaurant is located in a residential area and parking can be tight on weekends
(773)-253-4741 (call for reservations, no online) Website
No corkage; unknown stems, so best bring your own
Smoque Steak
3310 N. Elston Ave, Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60618
773.219.1775 Website
$20 corkage, limit one bottle
Sabroso Mexican Grill
624 N Ashland
Chicago, IL 60622
773.290.8400 Website
Basic stems, no corkage
Strapoli Pizzeria and All Day Cafe
545 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614 Website
Stemless glasses, no corkage
Naudi Signature Pizza
926 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 360-8978 Website
Mixed stems, no corkage
Craft Pizza
1252 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 442-7238 Website
BYO stems, no corkage
Shokran
Moroccan cuisine
4027 W IRVING PARK RD
CHICAGO IL
773-427-9130 Website
Cash only, basic glassware, $5/bottle corkage
Zero corkage (best to call ahead and confirm). Decent red wine stems upon request (don’t know how deep their inventory is). Could not find a decanter last evening.
Chef Lateano won a Golden Rasher Award at the 2010 Chicago Baconfest in the category of “Best Tasting Bacon Dish Period” for his “Bacon Rillettes", with coddled egg dressing, pickled ramps and bacon fat griddled brioche croutons. Pretty good
Two places that I particularly like…and go to reasonably often:
Boka - as I recall policy is a max of 2 bottles per table and something like $25 corkage. Excellent stemware and wine service. Great food and a menu well suited to a broad range of wines.
Tel - 312-337-6070
Address - 1729 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL
Primehouse - I think it is $20 or 25 per bottle (not sure about a max number of bottles). Excellent wine service and stemware. Top rate steaks so a good place to bring big reds.
Tel - 312-660-6000
Address - 616 N. Rush Street, Chicago, IL
Should have also added another I went to recently - Tango Sur. I believe no corkage at all since all BYO. Good meat to pair with reds but horrible wine glasses, tight tables and mediocre service. No reservations either. Not really a place I’m dying to go back to but I do think it is a popular “BYO”…
Tel - 773-477-5466
Address - 3763 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL
Haven’t been to Eve on a Wed or Sun but I believe that you can bring on other nights but the corkage fee was pretty steep - $30 or $35 as I recall from last summer. Though the food was pretty good and so may be worth going back on a Wed or Sun.
Restaurant Michael
Free Corkage on Tuesdays
average stems
64 GREEN BAY RD.
WINNETKA, IL http://www.restaurantmichael.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I love this place. If you go, don’t miss the foie gras strudel.
Should add Spring to the list. Great food and service, excellent stemware. I think the charge is $20 per bottle. Was just there for a wine dinner on Tuesday night and they did an terrific job as usual!
I’ve happily been to Browntrout a few times… Thursday is free corkage, but I don’t know their policy the rest of the week. Glasses are an ersatz version of the Riedel “O”.
Does anyone know about the corkage policy at The Bristol? We’re putting together a dinner in July, and I’d really like to short list this place, as it will be close to our “home base” for the evening.
Pretty sure the Bristol is all BYO all the time, and I think there’s no charge for corkage at all. If any, it’s nominal. I hear they have excellent stemware too. Manlin knows the scoop for sure, you might PM him if you want the inside track. Or you could just call the place.
