Restaurant recommendation in Chicago for PJ20

MSnider44

Flying in for PJ20. Get in Friday afternoon and staying downtown at the Hyatt right in the loop. It's my girlfriend's birthday as well - she's coming with. Anyone on this board with a good recommendation for a nice, modern restaurant on Friday night near where I'm staying would be greatly appreciated. Price is not a problem. Thanks in advance!

Indifference71

MSnider44 wrote:

Flying in for PJ20. Get in Friday afternoon and staying downtown at the Hyatt right in the loop. It's my girlfriend's birthday as well - she's coming with. Anyone on this board with a good recommendation for a nice, modern restaurant on Friday night near where I'm staying would be greatly appreciated. Price is not a problem. Thanks in advance!

If you're looking for a steakhouse type of place, Joe's Stone Crab is the best in the city in my opinion. It won't be cheap, but well worth it. Some of the best meals I've ever had.

http://www.joes.net/chicago

Dissidentman

http://www.kumascorner.com/

Viva La Weiner

http://www.chicagochophouse.com/

Dynamite Steaks.

Indifference71

Dissidentman wrote:

http://www.kumascorner.com/

Awesome burgers! It's right by my place...I go here way too much.

Mamasan23

My personal recommendation is Ruth's Chris Steakhouse:

http://www.ruthschris.com/Steak-House/7734/Chicago

It's pricey but delicious and will definitely impress your girlfriend

Dissidentman

Indifference71 wrote:

Dissidentman wrote:

http://www.kumascorner.com/

Awesome burgers! It's right by my place...I go here way too much.

You only need 1 meal a day when you eat there...

81

gibsons

mortons

lot of great places downtown.

i highly recommend hitting up the hancock for a beer on the 95th floor. they have a restraunt there as well. we had lunch there once that was udnerwelming. but a beer for the view is worth the elevator ride.

benjs

When I'm going with my dad for EV, we're going to a place called The Publican, which looks and feels like a beer hall, and are known for pork, beer, and shellfish. The owner of that place also has two other well-recommended restaurants in Chicago, called Avec and Blackbird - Blackbird is actually a Michelin-star holding restaurant, and they do a $22 prix fixe lunch which I hear is delicious. Blackbird is arguably the most modern of the three.

Indifference

Alinea.

Viva La Weiner

81 wrote:

gibsons

mortons

lot of great places downtown.

i highly recommend hitting up the hancock for a beer on the 95th floor. they have a restraunt there as well. we had lunch there once that was udnerwelming. but a beer for the view is worth the elevator ride.

"Top of the cock" is a great place to grab a beverage.

benjs

Indifference wrote:

Alinea.

I've heard this is an absolutely stunning meal as well... haven't read a bad thing about the place besides the obvious price deterrent.

CServant

81 wrote:

gibsons

mortons

lot of great places downtown.

i highly recommend hitting up the hancock for a beer on the 95th floor. they have a restraunt there as well. we had lunch there once that was udnerwelming. but a beer for the view is worth the elevator ride.

Now that's some GREAT advice from a local! Thanks for sharing.

voodoopug

My personal favorites are Ruth Chris, Gibsons, and Gene and Georgetti.

High Fidelity 2000

I think the place is called Cafe Baba Reeba... Not Baba O'Riley... but awesome tapas food. Vegetarian or carnivore, you'll find some food you love.

DEReam13

Topolobampo - Rick Bayliss mexican restaurant is sooo good. Pricey but worth it.

Chicago is a great foodie town. If you have a certain cuisine in mind, we could give better recommendations.

Up Here In My Tree

Giordano's for sure. Supposed to be the most popular old style pizza joint in Chicago. Went there last summer for Lollapalooza and Lady Gaga showed up. Eddie's is rumored to frequent the joint as well.

81

Up Here In My Tree wrote:

Giordano's for sure. Supposed to be the most popular old style pizza joint in Chicago. Went there last summer for Lollapalooza and Lady Gaga showed up. Eddie's is rumored to frequent the joint as well.

Lou's is better.

Giordano's is BK right now.

dimitrispearljam

nice thread,,ill use the infos,ill be a Chicagoland for my birthday!!!

loveontwolegs

Dissidentman wrote:

http://www.kumascorner.com/

+1

Wma31394

greek islands in greektown. Not just saying that since im greek...well maybe but the food is outstanding!

H.Chinaski

Was just in Chicago this last weekend and loved Kuma's Corner, listening to Electric Wizard while you eat some burgers is the shit. Not really a b-day dinner sort of joint though. I second the Rick Bayless place amazing chef. Try Xoco for the Hot Chocolate and churros in the morning.

Mamasan23

81 wrote:

Up Here In My Tree wrote:

Giordano's for sure. Supposed to be the most popular old style pizza joint in Chicago. Went there last summer for Lollapalooza and Lady Gaga showed up. Eddie's is rumored to frequent the joint as well.

Lou's is better.

Giordano's is BK right now.

I prefer Gino's

GivenToLukinKP

Ruth Chris for sure...Mortons is great too, but it feels old and musty in there to me...

Depends on what kind of place she likes...

the Capital Grille is superb, great steaks and seafood-but pricey...
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/about/main.asp

Italian?? Must go here:
http://www.spiaggiarestaurant.com/

I have not been here yet, but hear that Table 52 is pretty good too...
http://tablefifty-two.com/
Its got a southern-type food menu,

Topolombampo is excellent, as someone before me mentioned. Rick Bayless has a way of doing fancy but also making it authentic and very tasty:
http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/topolobampo.html NOTE- if you want any hope of getting in here, make reservations NOW. I know that sounds crazy, but seriously they book up quick.

there are plenty of little casual type places all over the city that are excellent, but if you want something special, my opinion is to go for one of these.

Good luck!

(p.s.: if you arent from Chicago, and haven't been spoiled with excellent pizza your whole life, any of the pizza places people mentioned would be just fine...they are all great...I personally also like Edwardo's (stuffed cheese and spinach is the best)

dimitrispearljam

Wma31394 wrote:

greek islands in greektown. Not just saying that since im greek...well maybe but the food is outstanding!

no way ill go to chicago to eat greek food!!!!!!!

PureandEasy

My brother always told me if you go to Chicago, you have to go to Webber's Grill.

How come no one has mentioned that? Is it not good?

81

PureandEasy wrote:

My brother always told me if you go to Chicago, you have to go to Webber's Grill.

How come no one has mentioned that? Is it not good?

i've been to the one by the office for lunch. it's not as fancy as alot of the other ones that have been mentioned. food is solid, but imo, if you are going for a full on classy joint, you go some place else.

and every time i've gone, i've left with that charcoal smell on the clothes.

81

dimitrispearljam wrote:

Wma31394 wrote:

greek islands in greektown. Not just saying that since im greek...well maybe but the food is outstanding!

no way ill go to chicago to eat greek food!!!!!!!

i see you as a tilted kilt kind of guy.

GivenToLukinKP

PureandEasy wrote:

My brother always told me if you go to Chicago, you have to go to Webber's Grill.

How come no one has mentioned that? Is it not good?

Its not horrible or anything, just that in a city as big as this one that is a "foodie" town, its just nothing special. There are a lot better places, in my opinion.

81

GivenToLukinKP wrote:

Mortons is great too, but it feels old and musty in there to me...

went to the schaumburg location...it smelled like a locker room there with urlacher eating.

Mamasan23

One more suggestion - I went to this restaurant while I was in Anaheim for a tradeshow, there's a couple of them, including one in Chicago, but I have to say that it was without a doubt THE BEST MEAL OF MY LIFE:

http://roysrestaurant.com/locations/IL/chicago.asp