Visiting Chicago late September. Staying at Marquis Marriott near McCormick Place. Any recommendations for restaurants, preferably nearby? Is corkage commonly allowed?
S.K.Y. which is not too far from McCormick has no corkage Sun-Thurs. Also El Ideas is a BYOB Michelin starred restaurant also not too far from your hotel.
Since you’re looking at our Chicago BYOB list, Chinatown isn’t far and you have a rock star sushi place in 312 Chicago, along with great Chinese cuisine restaurants in Wentworth Seafood House and Dolo.
The previously mentioned El Ideas is fantastic and shouldn’t be missed.
https://www.apoloniachicago.com/
Same owner as SKY, walkable from your hotel. I don’t know if they allow corkage.
2 Michelin stars and near your hotel (walkable, but I wouldn’t walk it).
Hai Sous Vietnamese on 18th Street (I don’t know their current corkage policy) is great. I want to work the pass.
Thanks for everyone’s input. Yes, I am hoping for walkable from the Marquis Marriott.
Please keep making suggestions, if you can think of any.
Phil Jones
When I was there a couple years ago- this area is kind of stupidly devoid of interesting restaurants. Chicago Oyster House was pretty good. Unsure of wine/corkage- I think I had cocktails.
Don’t know of anything really walkable from there. The places listed so far are either pretty far, or far enough away from the McCormick bubble that walking becomes an adventure. The green line station is about a half mile away and is fine during the day… the last couple of blocks closer to the station get a little saucy. You can walk to the station in daytime, get to any restaurant near a train line, then take a ride share back.
I wouldn’t walk that area any time, especially at night. This is why God made ride shares (Uber, Lyft). Much better option, IMHO.
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I’ve lived in the Chicago area since 1986. In Chicago terms, McCormick Place is basically a wasteland for food and drink — only the South Loop is arguably walkable from there, and it’s quite a hike. So make use of Uber and take a car to the Downtown Loop, the West Loop, or River North/Gold Coast, all only 5-10 minutes away by car. There are more world-class restaurants in those areas than you can shake a stick at, and most have corkage. That includes most of the Lettuce Entertain You group of restaurants, most of the independent steakhouses, and most of the BOKA and One Off Hospitality restaurants. Google is your friend when deciding which of the myriad choices strikes your fancy. If you want a laid-back casual outdoor atmosphere (IMO experience, Chicago summers are best experienced outdoors) with terrific but unfussy food and a pulse on the city’s vibe, try The Publican in the West Loop. If you want steak, try Gene & Georgetti or GT Prime or Swift & Sons or Prime & Provisions or Gibsons or Chicago Chop House or Bavette’s or Bazaar Meat.
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Chinatown is close and has lots of good options as well
Had a wonderful dinner on Father’s Day at the Duck Inn, near @Corey_N’s neighborhood. Northside prices and corkage fee. But a great vibe. Doing the Duck Experience next time
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The Bar has a $50 corkage. The Dining room is a fixed price including a flight of beers.
This is the spot. I have eaten upstairs in fine dining and the bar. Both are outstanding but the bar has really excellent food at an excellent price. Moody Tongue is the former chef of Longman and Eagle (back when they had a star).
In Chicago for work and had a fantastic dinner at Rose Mary last night, in the West Loop. Just outstanding food and a lively atmosphere. Strongly recommended, especially the grilled clams.
Off to Galit tonight.
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Just back from Chicago and had four great meals at Frontera Grill, Galit, Bavette’s and Girl and the Goat. Last ate at Frontera Grill back in 2010, still enjoyed it. Food and margaritas were solid.
Also had cocktails at Bisous, fantastic place. Three dots and a dash was fun as well, but super hectic.
I had not been to Chicago in 15 years, way too long for one of my favorite cities.
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I was back in December and hit some wonderful places. Boeufhaus was the highlight. Everything that is right in this world about food, beverage and hospitality. I came to do all the things, and they were all worth doing.
Back in Chicago, this time for fun.
First off we hit Fatso’s Last Stand for Chicago dogs. These were great renditions, the dogs heavily charred. Recommended.
Had an incredible bowl of ramen at Akahoshi Ramen. The menu is tiny but the craft level here is amazingly high. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
Dim sum lunch at the MingHin Cuisine on Benton Place, nearby Millennium Park. Excellent dim sum, lots of nice vegetable options (vegetable crepe was best dish we had), flavors very clean and clear. I had been to the Streeterville location last month and this was just as good or better. Really quite good and I would go back.
Going to Galit tonight, I missed it on my last visit. And probably Tzuco tomorrow night.
Galit was amazing. We were a party of five and therefore able to taste nearly the entire menu. So many delicious dishes - what a treat to dine at this great restaurant. The three hummus and the salatim were all great, the falafel appetizer incredible, and the Iraqi Kubbeh Halab was mindblowing - deeply saffron-flavored lamb kubbeh with a golden-raisin-and-almond sauce. I am definitely going back next time I am in Chicago.
Tzuco also was amazing. We had a special appetizer, a Baja Tostada, that was incredible: Blue corn tostada piped with a tuna carnitas spread, topped with a tamarind aguachile with shrimp, bay scallops, and octopus. Pow! The tuna ceviche we had was great, too; it was more of an aguachile made from blacked tomatillos. The cochinita pibil and costillas de res (shortrib) were absurdly delicious. This will surely be in my business dinner rotation when I am town for EXPO Chicago.
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