Chicago (the city) suggestions needed

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/28/09 at 11:36am

I guess I'm full of questions today!!

I was thinking of taking a trip to Chicago for my birthday in September. As I have never been there before, I'm wondering if there's anyone here would like to suggest a particular neighborhood/hotel I should stay in.

Thanks.

Updated On: 7/28/09 at 11:36 AM

Posted: 7/28/09 at 11:56am

Well! There are a lot of downtown/Michigan avenue hotels that are nice and offer discount packages- and it's nice to be able to stroll around the area in the evening. That is where you will find all the big deluxe chains.

If you want something quirky, there are some boutique type hotels up on the North side. I like the City Suites on Belmont- it IS right next to the El train if that bothers you. It's a 20's style hotel, RIGHT in the mile of the action- a short stroll to Boystown. It looks like you can get in there for about $100 a night- a little more if you wnat a deluxe suite.

[xxnewgirlxx]

Posted: 7/28/09 at 11:58am

Yes, not too many "neighborhood" hotels in the city, at least not any I can recommend. Boystown is fun, Lincoln Park has some beautiful architecture. I also recommend taking one of the river architectural tours. It's a great way to see the city.

Posted: 7/28/09 at 12:03pm

I've stayed at the Days Inn (Diversey) and Best Western (Broadway) also and both are fine if a bit dull. They are both close to Boystown.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 12:48am

Hotel Burnham is a great downtown hotel. Excellent eatery downstairs, historical architecture, and a complimentary wine reception every night! .

Posted: 8/6/09 at 4:54pm

Burnham is nice but that area can be dead at night- If you want a more downtown feel stick with Michigan Avenue.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 5:15pm

The theatre district is picking up, especially with the new restaurants and bars popping up. The queue for the Roof bar at The Wit Hotel at State and Lake is freaking INSANE. Not to mention the tourists who love to hang out on the sidewalk and watch the live broadcasts of the nightly news at the new ABC and CBS stations. The Loop still isn't at the level of the north end of the Mag Mile or the Gold Coast, but it's steadily becoming more popular. If they ever finish Block 37, Chicago's new "Times Square" will be major competition for the Mag Mile. What it really needs with all the new condo construction and residential redevelopment is a full-service grocery store in the Loop.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 5:39pm

How strange, my post from earlier is missing. I'll be staying in the Water Tower area. Any restaurants you'd recommend? The only one I know of is Tru.

[jessica0414]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 1:04am

Quartino on the corner of State & Ontario. They have delicious tapas-style Italian food and it's not that expensive either! :)

Quartino

Updated On: 8/7/09 at 01:04 AM

Posted: 8/7/09 at 4:48am

I had a friend pop in from out of town and we grabbed lunch at the Mity Nice Grill (Inside Water Tower Place). It was spectacular- diner food done right is a simple 40's style room. The Mac & Cheese and meatloaf were both great. And one of my favorite places is Wildfire- steaks & seafood grilled over a wood fire. MMMMMM!.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 9:14am

Joe is spot-on with both Wildfire and Mitey Nice Grill. The food court in Water Tower Place is also very nice. Not your typical mall food-court fare. Tru is one of those crazy expensive multi-hour jacket and tie fine dining. I've heard wonderful things about it, but never really had an occasion to go there. I highly recommend RL, Ralph Lauren's restaurant at the corner of Michigan and Chicago. Excellent food, service and atmosphere at a surprisingly reasonable price for fine dining. It is a favorite of my family's. Just south of the Loop is what I consider the best burger in Chicago: Epic Burger on State between Congress and Harrison. I eat there more than I should and it shows.
Epic Burger

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 10:21am

Thanks for the delicious suggestions. Can't wait!

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 11:37am

The bar at the Wit is the hottest spot in town! It is funny how much attention it is receiving! I have not been there. I agree with Joe that State Street is a bit sleepy in the evening.

RL is excellent. Table 52 is famous and supposed to be excellent - it is at 52 West Elm. Take the Brown Line to Cafe 28, great Cuban food in a neighborhood. And, do not forget to have a burger at the Billy Goat under Michigan Avenue!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 11:39am

Also in the Mag Mile area, if you want to try Chicago deep-dish pizza, you can find the original Pizzeria Uno (and their satellite location, Pizzeria Due), Gino's East and Giordano's. Those are considered the top three for deep-dish and are always popular with a long queue, especially on weekends. If you decide to try it, give yourself a couple of hours lead time for the wait for the table AND the wait for the pizza. Deep dish pizzas take a LONG time to cook, so it's not a good idea to decide last-minute when you're already starving. For thin-crust pizza, I love Pizano's in the Loop (Oprah's favorite, for what it's worth).

And if you're REALLY hungry and not afraid of red meat, Texas de Brazil (don't let the cheesy name fool you) is the best Brazilian churrascaria I've visited yet. The salad bar alone is worth the price of lunch. Yes, it is a chain, but that doesn't stop it from being fantastic.

I have to admit, the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants have all impressed me thus far, even when I had no idea they were owned by the same company. For Chinese, I love Big Bowl (casual dining) and prefer Ben Pao over P.F. Chang's any day (more upscale). The black pepper scallops at Ben Pao are perfection.

If you like Indian food, India House is the way to go for a wide range of authentic cuisine, but be sure to ask questions as the menu makes a few too many assumptions on the diner's knowledge of Indian food and its ingredients.

Emilio's is my favorite for Spanish tapas (Sol y Nieve is the Streeterville location), though I've heard good things about Iberico and Ba-Ba-Reeba.

RL: http://rlrestaurant.ralphlauren.com/
Pizzeria Uno: http://www.unos.com/
Gino's East: http://featuredfoods.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/a-store/c-GinoAns_East.shtml?E+scstore+ginos
Giordano's: http://www.giordanos.com/main.php
Pizano's: http://www.pizanoschicago.com/loop.html
Texas de Brazil: http://www.texasdebrazil.com/
Wildfire: http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/
Mity Nice Grill: http://www.leye.com/restaurants/directory/mity-nice-grill
Foodlife Food Court: http://www.foodlifechicago.com/
Big Bowl: http://www.bigbowl.com/
Ben Pao: http://www.benpao.com/
Emilio's Tapas: http://www.emiliostapas.com/
Cafe Iberico: http://www.cafeiberico.com/
Cafe Ba Ba Reeba: http://www.cafebabareeba.com/chicago/

[xxnewgirlxx]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 11:48am

Iberico is awesome, but the lines are ridiculous. Expect a 90 minute wait on the weekends. The good news is that service is fast, fast, fast...so if you're famished by the time you get to your table, you'll be eating in minutes.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 12:08pm

I most definitely will be trying the deep dish pizza as I have never had that before.

Wow, looks like I have a lot of options and decisions to make. Too bad I'll only be there for 3 and a half days.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 12:15pm

How could I forget The Berghoff?!?! I'm a huge fan of German food, so I love this historic restaurant. Though the ownership was passed down to the daughter a couple of years ago and the menu changed a bit, most of the old Berghoff favorites remained on the menu. The downstairs cafe is open only for lunch and its competitive prices matched with high quality food make it a preferable option over popular chains such as Corner Bakery or Potbelly. The Loop location is perfect if you're spending a day around the Loop or visiting the Art Institute (only a couple of blocks west of the museum).
The Berghoff

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 12:20pm

And, Dottie, September is usually the best weather of the year in Chicago!

I like the Berghoff, not a huge fan.

Do not forget our super chef star - Rick Bayless!


Rick Bayless

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 12:54pm

brdlwyr - That reminds me...has anyone tried Scylla, the restaurant run by Top Chef winner, Stephanie Izard? I really need to check that place out. And let's not forget Charlie Trotter (never been there, either).

http://www.scyllarestaurant.com/

http://www.charlietrotters.com/restaurant/

Not a fan of Frontera, though. I prefer good plain old Tex-Mex and the only in Chicago I've found that I like is the chain from Dallas, Uncle Julio's. It reminds me of Texas.

http://www.unclejulios.com/

EDIT: Oops! I just noticed that Scylla closed already. Yikes! Anyone know where she's cooking now?

Updated On: 8/7/09 at 12:54 PM

[xxnewgirlxx]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 1:07pm

My ex-roommate used to work at Julio's so I went there quite often. Their carne asada is out of this world. And they make their own chips and salsa...delish. The chips are still warm.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 1:08pm

That's too bad about Stephanie's retaurant. It didn't last very long. She's from my hometown in CT.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 1:33pm

Okay, you must get a deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati's. It is the best food in the entire world. You may remember it as the supplier of pizza to the soldiers in Iraq on the day of the superbowl. The president obviously has good taste in pizza.

When looking for a pretty quick meal, go to Portillo's. It has the highest-quality fast food.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 1:46pm

I agree, Portillo's is great if you're in the area and want to try a Chicago-style hot dog or Italian Beef. Too bad they only have the one location in the city.

I forgot about Lou Malnati's. Excellent pizza! I love their crust. But I admit, my favorite is still Uno. Their ingredients are fantastic quality, especially the sausage.

http://www.loumalnatis.com/

http://www.portillos.com/portillos/

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 1:54pm

Mister Matt, for some reason, Charlie Trotter has always annoyed the hell out of me, so I don't think I'll be going to his restaurant.

Posted: 8/7/09 at 4:18pm

Portillo's for great Chicago style hotdogs! I had a bad experience at India House so I'd say grab a cab and go up to Devon if you want great cheap Indian- your cab driver will probably have a favorite place.

Trotters is an experience- unlike any restaurant in the world. Expect to spend 125-150 a person minimum- especially if you want wine. But it really is something. If you want a smaller scale gourmet night with a great view, try Everest. Really really wonderful.