Top Chicago restaurants

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
1

Girlfriend and I are going to chicago Valentine’s day weekend (horrible weekend) and wondering what are your top 3 restaurants to go to… or at least must eats?

It can be pricey, it can be hole in the wall… whatevers… i’m game. Would like one higher end (thinking of Alinea) but I’m open to all suggestions!

2

Other folks will be able to help you out with the super high end places. But to me, one of the things that makes the Chicago dining scene so appealing is the huge amount of really good mid-high places, which often combine great, seasonal food with a much more casual atmosphere and friendlier prices.

My immediate thought for a must eat is Great Lake. It’s a new(ish) byo pizza place in Andersonville. It’s only open Wed-Sat and they take no reservations. But the secret’s out, so really the only way to get a table is to show up at 5pm when they open and put your name on the list with a phone number. Then they call you when your table’s free, which might be a couple hours later. It’s a pain in the ass, yes. But it’s worth it, definitely the best pizza in Chicago (much closer to Neapolitan than deep dish, but also not exactly Neapolitan). The pies are really special, and there are only 3 on the menu each night. And while you’re waiting, you can walk two blocks down to the Hop Leaf and enjoy the city’s best selection of beer on tap, including tons of Belgians.

Then I would say a trip to one of the higher-end Mexican restaurants would be worthwhile. The Bayless places (Frontera Grill and Topolobampo) are both wonderful, you can’t go wrong there. I prefer Salpicon to both of them though. And lots of folks like Mixteco Grill, which is kind of part of the extended Bayless family, and is also byo. I haven’t been though.

Two other spots that spring to mind as being very well-regarded among the food and wine cognescenti are The Bristol, which specializes in (?, at least has lots of) offal. And Mado, which focuses on simply but very flavorfully prepared mediterranean fare. The Bristol is BYO, and Mado used to be, possibly they have a liquor license now. You’d have to check with them.

More and more places are coming to mind as I type, like Avec and The Publican, but I’ll leave it there for now.

3

High end: Alinea, L2O, Tru. Its been a few years since I’ve been to Trotters (don’t really know why) or Everest (I do know why I haven’t been back there). Spiaggia & NoMI have very good food but the only way I’ll ever go back is if I’m bringing my own wine. Les Nomades doesn’t get the love I think it deserves. A step or two down in terms of money and formality: Naha, Blackbird, Perennial, MK, Boca, North Pond, Graham Elliot (with a bit of reservation as I’ve had one really good experience and one very mediocre experience-conceited wait staff along with one really screwed up pork belly dish. I have grown to really, really like Custom House after a few very marginal experiences. But I believe they are changing things a bit there so I’ll hold that rec until I know more. I hope they don’t screw it up.

If you like Mexican either of Bayless’ places as well as Salpicon are very solid choices. The steakhouses aren’t what they should be but if forced I think David Burke’s Primehouse is the best. Be prepared to be asked to “have a seat in the lounge and have a drink” while they get your table ready even if the table is open. That sort of pisses me off but the steaks are solid.

Chicago is pretty byob friendly and I’ve done so at Graham Elliot, Primehouse, Boca, Naha, Custom House, and Perennial. Others closer to Chicago surely know much more than I on this subject.

JD

*Valentine’s Day weekend has restaurant disaster written all over it. Sort of like New Year’s Eve. I’d pick a place that is not running a Valentine’s Day special menu.

4

For a “hole in the wall” lunch, definitely consider Hot Doug’s!

Chicago is a great restaurant town, so I’m sure you will get more suggestions than you can possibly handle - I always liked Everest for the great Alsatian wine list, and to echo John, I always felt that Les Nomades flew somewhat under the radar. If you are going to be in a Hotel on/near Michigan Ave during your stay, Tempo restaurant makes a very nice omelet & hash browns skillet in a no-frills place a block or two north of Chicago & State - good place to start your day and soak up any excess alcohol floating around in your stomach from the night before [wink.gif] .

5

Charlie, one thing we’ve had a surge of recently here has been good lunch.

Custom House just pulled out the stops w/ a $5.00 burger. You can walk to Buckingham Fountain and “the bean” (big silver thing) from there if it’s not too cold.

I’d avoid Everest like the plague.

Big thumbs up for Bristol

6

Not a “must eat” or anything, but for good solid french bistro food and a nice little ever changing wine list, I love the Red Rooster Wine Bar on N Halstad.

7

I would you suggest that you PM Scott Manlin & Wilfred Van Gorp for their definitive lists.

Or you could just ask Victor where you can get noodles and pork buns… pepsi

8

The Bristol was a good time. Great food and environment

9

good suggestions guys =). No need to consider BYO, heading to the Windy City with my girlfriend… who doesn’t drink wine.

Trying to get a reservation at Alinea for the 13th of Feb, are the reservations hard to get? also gonna check out Bristol. We’re just gonna use public trans, staying somewhere in the Loop.

10

Kathy drinks wine…just not the nasty Yquems and burgundies you pour for her…poor girl.

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Alinea and L2O are my current favorites, judged by most memorable meals.

Alinea reservations are hard to come by. Not buying wine at L2O is a very good idea - decent list but over-the-top expensive (they do permit corkage). Cabs from the Loop aren’t too expensive for either.

12

alinea,blackbird, trotter ,and the bayless placeall booked :

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booked as in you can’t get a reservation or booked as in you got a reservation?

14

sorry I should have been clear, I can’t get a re

15

Any opinions on Epic? Girlfriend just linked me to it.

I wanted to try Bristol but the lack of a reservation policy kinda sucks when we’re on vacation =(

16

Try Les Nomades. I was a member there when it was private (many years ago, a dollar a year but you had to put up with the owner (Jovan Trboyevic, who just passed a couple of weeks ago), and he with you). As others have noted, a great space (an old townhouse) and first rate French influenced food in a great atmosphere - would be first rate for Valentines Day

17

Get a chocolate shake at Wieners Circle.

18

Go eat a hot dog and tell Kathy if she doesn’t start liking wine, you wont ever take her to a nice restaurant again haha…

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Get a chocolate shake at Wieners Circle.

I ordered this once…pure greatness!!!
[dance-clap.gif]

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Go to Salpicon…they have a great wine list and a tequila list for your girlfriend!