<$50pp dinner/lunch suggestions - Staying in Evanston

I'm staying with a friend in Evanstan for a Saturday - Wednesday evening.

They really aren't foodies, so I have no desire to drag them around to Everest or Alinea as they wouldn't enjoy the meals. I'm looking for suggestions on lunch/dinner places which are less than $50 per person.

We have a car as well as a rail pass and none of us are apposed to driving for food.

I've been to Hot Dougs and Alinea already. Was thinking about stopping into Xoco or Cafe de Architectes for lunch when we are down in the loop sight seeing, but are there any gems out on the north side that we just have to go to?

Also, I've done a search but I'm looking for a great dessert/sweet shop/bakery.

No Asian or Mexican food suggestions please. I'm from Houston and am really want to have things that are uniquely Chicago.

Thanks!

-----
Alinea
1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

Hot Doug's
3324 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

stockboy85 in Chicago Area

[HOU] Any good old school Chinese/Cantonese restaurants??

My family came the United States in the late 1800's (my mother's side) and in the 1940's (my father's side). Both branches of my family are from Toishan. For truly authentic, homemade type of Cantonese food, my family likes to go to either Hong Kong Food Street on Bellaire (the food is really good here, but the service is like being in Hong Kong - there isn't any) or to East Wall, also on Bellaire. East Wall is probably our favorite family restaurant (it is clean, they are fast, the owners are very nice and the food is fairly inexpensive. Order off of their lunch menu for 5-7 dollar dishes. They have things like salted steamed ground pork, bittermellon, good wonton soup, etc on their menu that are very authentic.

stockboy85 in Houston

Chef's Tasting Menu - Houston

Need some help...

I'm trying to find a restaurant for 5 or 6 people the Sunday before Christmas. We want to do a chef's tasting menu of some sort. We've tried Brennan's and loved it (the original kitchen table before they did the new glass room) and we've been to Quattro and loved that as well.

The choices as of now are:
Mark's
17
Chez Nous
Rainbow Lounge

Any one have any comments on the choices above? or know of anywhere else to go that could be better?

Thanks
-C

stockboy85 in Texas

Finding REAL Dr. Pepper

Central Market usually has both the cans and the glass bottles.

Most of the Kroger's and the HEBs in Fort Bend County have the 20oz plastic bottles in the front coolers (you have to buy them in individual bottles - near the cash registers).

My sister also loves them...I had to take 60 of them with m the last time I visited her in Orlando - talk about weird looks from the desk attendant at the airport :)

stockboy85 in Texas

Dining in New Orleans for One

I got back on Monday from a trip to NOLA (I was alone).

My tasting notes from all of my trips:

Herbsaint has a great bar to eat at if you are alone. The bartender is very nice and the service is pretty decent.

Stella is totally fine for a table for one. I went on a Sunday and they were not busy at all so the service was good as well as the food. I don't know how a Friday or Saturday night would compare though.

Luke - i went there Friday night. I won't be back for a long time. I went with my Harrah's Casino Host and we were both not impressed with the service. The food was fine and parts of the meal were excellent (the boudain sausage and sauce for the ribeye was fantastic) but the service was sub-par. We had a 9:30 reservation and were actually seated promptly. However, our server didn't bring us water for 10 minutes after we sat down, never introduced himself, told use about the restaurant/if there were any special and didn't even ask for our drink order. I had to tell him that I wanted a Dr. Pepper before he went and got it for me. The service was horrible and while the food was good, it wasn't enough to make me go back for a very long time.

I visit NOLA very frequently by myself and have never had a problem eating alone.

Non-expensive places to eat:
Gordon Birsch (Harrah's Hotel)
ACME Oyster House
Mother's Sandwhiches

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Houston Pre-Prom Restaurant?

My favorite pre-dance restaurants (for large groups) are Quattro in the Four Seasons Downtown. They have 4 different theme rooms that you can book at no cost for larger parties. They aren't too terribly expensive (I'm assuming that these kids aren't doing three course meals - probably only entrees and dessert maybe?). McCormick and Schmick in Uptown Park is nice, but not terribly over priced. All of the Papadeauxs have party rooms available for booking, or they can setup a large table in the main restaurant if the room isn't availalbe. The rooms also cost nothing and it is a place that is "nice" but not crazy expensive either.

stockboy85 in Texas

Stella

it really only matters to me when I have somewhere to go after dinner - the theatre, a party, etc. Othertime, I say, whatever.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Stella

I actually found the glove thing to be a nice touch, kind of like when you go to Delmonico and they bring you black linen if you are wearing dark pants. It is a detail thing so that your silverwear isn't all fingerprinted/smudged up. I actually found the personal interaction nice. Every course was explained and the chef actually delievered two of my courses to the table and inquired about the food. But I guess everybody's experience is different.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Stella

No, I'm sorry, my comments weren't directed to you, they were directed to Debbie and Malenky. I still haven't gotten used to the way this website threads conversations - I'm used to a different forum format and sometimes forget to hit the reply button for the actual comment I'm refering back on, not just hit any reply button.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Stella

I completed the 7 course tasting at Stella two Saturdays ago. The service was impecible as was the food. I did the wine pairing and except for one of the pairings, i thought that they were all good choices. IMHO Stella's atmosphere seems to be more laid back and informal than August, but with very polished service. The waiters wear serving gloves to bring you sliverwear, have the correct glass type for whichever wine you are drinking, bring you the correct silverwear for each course, etc. They have a lot of personal touches, and the chef even stopped by my table twice to see how my meal was going. On the food front, I loved everything they made. However, it is a place where everything that is placed on your plate is there for a reason. Garnish is not simply to be thrown aside, it is truly garnish in the sense that it is the finishing touch on your dish. You have to be fairly adventerous IMHO to eat at Stella.

However, I would say the same thing for August. Being somewhat adventerous at August is a must as well. You aren't going to just find a grilled steak and a baked potato on the menu, it will definitly have some sort of twist to the dish that is unexpected. I've always enjoyed this, because if I just wanted a steak and a baked potato, i would make it at home :)

stockboy85 in New Orleans

can someone please give me the 411 on these places?

I don't think that you lose anything when you do a prix fixe. A lot of times, the things that are on those menus are on the regular menu as well, so it isn't at all different if you were to order a la carte. I'm actually doing a 4 day tasting tour of NOLA starting tomorrow and will be hitting mostly places that have tasting/prix fixe menus - Galatoire's, Bacco, Cuve (Degu menu), Stella, Cafe Giovanni...I think the only restaurant in my entire four days of eating that isn't a tasting/prix fixe menu is when I go to the NOLA Cooking School for lunch/class on Saturday and Herbsaint; I'm planning on making Herbsaint a tasting anyways by ordering all of the appetizers on the menu and then just sampling as they come out.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Delmonico

I've been to both the LV and the NOLA versions of Delmonico. IMHO I found that the LV one was a lot better. the LV version just felt more polished in everything they did, from the servers to the food. Also, the LV one isn't nearly as loud.

I'm heading to NOLA this weekend and am bypassing any of Emeril's Restaurants mainly because I've been to all of them before, but also because since I'm going on a tasting tour, I really would like to actually eat food prepared by the chef that owns the restaurant or that the restaurant is known for. I'm not saying that it is horrible of Emeril not to be cooking in his own restaurants (a lot of chefs don't), but a city like NOLA has so many great chefs/restaurants, that it seems like a waste to go and visit but not eat any of their food.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

I Miss Herrera's in Dallas - Seeking Houston Equivalent

Try Los Tios on Westheimer and Tanglewilde. It sounds kind of similar in atmosphere and food to what you are looking for in a tex-mex restaurant.

stockboy85 in Texas

New to Houston, what's your favorite restaurant in town

I like Fleming's more for atmosphere and the fact that the food and service is consistently good. I've never tried Hofbrau, but for me, going out for a steak isn't supposed to be a ranch experience - I own a ranch, if I wanted that experience, I would just go there - it is supposed to be a "nicer, fancier" meal than sitting at home and cooking a steak myself.

I'm sure if we get into a debate about the best steaks in Houston that The Taste of Texas and Pappa's Steakhouse will come up. To me, both of those are a letdown compared to Flemings. But that is just my opinion.

stockboy85 in Houston

Solo eating in NOLA

I'm told that Herbsaint's bar area is a good place for single diners to have a meal. I will be eating at the bar area in a couple of weeks when I'm there for vacation.

NOLA also has a really nice "chef's bar" area that you can sit at and have a good meal if you are alone. It is probably a little bit more than the $20 entrees that you were looking for, but not by much.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Houston Fish Monger, any suggestions?

The Waterfront District in Seabrook has good fresh seafood at really reasonable prices.

stockboy85 in Texas

Tasting/Degustation Menus

Sounds great! I love to people watch, so I'm hoping to get a table downstairs, but if I can't, getting tipsy upstairs will do :)

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Tasting/Degustation Menus

I will probably be back in NOLA before the end of the year for another 3 or 4 day business trip. Cafe Giovanni was actually one of the top three places on my list for this trip. One of my co-workers recommended it and the reviews seem to be favorable, so I wanted to try it. I kind of like the adventure of a non-set tasting menu which is something that you don't find at many restaurants anymore.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Tasting/Degustation Menus

I don't really care where I sit as long as I get to drink the afternoon away.

I often dine alone when I'm out of town on business. A lot of restaurants are accomodationg for a lone diner, but in my experience, lone diners are often ignored. I'm not one to sit back and just let that happen though. If I feel that the service wasn't up to par, I definitely say something.

I frequently return to the same cities for business and have to take out large groups of clients to dinner (tables of 10 - 12 are normal). I like to pick restaurants that I think will fit the tastes of my clients which means that I will only take clients to restaurants where I have previously eaten. And since usually that first dining exprience is alone, if I didn't get good service that trip, then I won't bring a group of clients back to that restaurant the next time. I certainly don't want to take clients to a restaurant where the only topic of conversations is how horrible our service was - I want to conversation to be concentrated on furthering our business dealings.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

New to Houston, what's your favorite restaurant in town

I'm a native Houstonian as well...here are my favs:

Dim Sum: Golden Palace
Chinese BBQ: Sinh Sinh
General Chinese: East Wall/Golden Palace
Viet Sandwhiches: Lee's
Steak: Fleming's
Salad: Amazon Grill or Cafe Express
Bar Food: Armadillo Cafe
Sushi: Miyako on Westheimer or Oishi
Fine Dining: Tony's
Seafood: Kemah Boardwalk/Gaido's in Galveston
Late Night Eats: House of Pies
BBQ: Goode Company
Honduran: Cafe Red Onion
Upscale Dining: Glass Wall
Happy Hour: Benjy's Lounge
Lunch Special: Berryhill Fish Tacos ($1.99 each Monday and Friday)
Fun Dining Experience: Courses Restaurant at the Culinary Art Institue - They do an a la carte lunch 3 days a week, a 5 course tasting with wine 3 days a week, and they have a to-go area 5 days a week. The tastings are the best IMHO - $45ish/person, always good food and a lot of fun.

stockboy85 in Houston

Tasting/Degustation Menus

Cafe Giovanni no longer takes reservations online.

It took three more calls (the first one I got a busy signal, the second one I got put on hold for 15 minutes and the person never came back on the line, the third one I was able to actually make my reservation) but I finally got a table for the evening.

The phone thing doesn't put the restaurant in the best light for me, but the reviews of the restaurant are wonderful, so I'm not going to let that stop me from going.

I think Cochon is going to be on the list for next trip. I've already made reservations for all of the days that I'm going to be there. So unless I skip Galatorie's on Friday, there isn't enough room in the schedule for Cochon.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Tasting/Degustation Menus

I've heard mixed reviews for Friday Lunch at Galatorie's. I know that traditionally you wear a jacket, but as I said eariler, that isn't going to be happening...especially in hot, humid August weather.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Tasting/Degustation Menus

The only problem with going to the Widsor Grill is that they require jackets. I'm a die-hard foodie, but hate wearing a jacket for any occasion. Plus, I don't even think that I have one in my closet that fits, which would mean that I would have to go and purchase one which is not going to happen unless I win a lot of money at the casino while i'm there :)

Here is the new schedule
Lunch
Friday - Galatorie's
Saturday - Luke
Sunday - Bacco - Lunch Tasting
Monday - Herbsaint

Dinner
Friday - Cafe Giovanni - Let Chef Duke Feed You
Saturday - Brigsten's
Sunday - Stella Tasting
Monday - Cuvee Degu

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Tasting/Degustation Menus

LOL

Yea, I've been to Emeril's and Delmonico. Emeril's the food was great but it was so packed that the service wasn't up to par. We were a group of 7 and the service was just really slow. The food and service at Delmonico in NOLA were both very good when I ate there last year, but the one in Las Vegas was better IMHO. The LV version was just a tad nicer and very much less crowded even on a Saturday evening.

I like the look of Luke's menu, but I'm a really big stickler for service eventhough I'm eating alone. I just don't think there should be a difference for a party of 1 or a party of 4. I might put it off for my next visit next year.

That's true - Couchon is a totally different concept than Herbsaint. However, I don't like the menu at Couchon as much as I like it at Herbsaint. Couchon's menus is just a little too off the beaten path for me.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Tasting/Degustation Menus

I'm a 275 lb guy - I can eat a big lunch and it not be a problem for dinner ;)

I love that they told me they weren't that type of restaurant too. He said that they were upscale/fine dining, but traditional New Orleans. That everything is fresh and that the best way to enjoy Brigstens is to let the chef do whatever it is that he does and order off of the menu. I'm going to take him at face value and reserve judgement until after my meal :)

I was thinking that all of my lunch choices were pretty light? Bacco is the only tasting menu and that is a 3 course - soup/salad, entree, and dessert.

Would Eat New Orleans be a better choice than NOLA or Luke for Saturday lunch?

I hesitate to go to Cochon because I'm going to eat at Herbsaint and they are like sister restaurants.

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Tasting/Degustation Menus

I was told at Brigsten's that they would do a tasting menu if I requested it, but that they really weren't that type of restaurant. The reservation person recommended that I order 4 or 5 appetizers if what I wanted to do something closer to a tasting menu.

I've made reservations at Bacco, Herbsaint, Brigstens and I'm going to go to Stella on Sunday night instead of Riche. I left a message for Cuvee and will call Cafe Giovanni later tonight (their message machine says to call back instead of leaving a message and them calling you back - which is unusual for a fine dining establishment). Saturday lunch still has me stumpted. I'm thinking either NOLA or possibly Luke?

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Tasting/Degustation Menus

I'm going to be in NOLA from August 10th-14th. I'm flying in Friday very early and leaving mid-day Tuesday. I basically need to plan lunch/dinner for Friday - Monday which is 8 meals in total and am looking for recommendations. I love tasting/degustation menus, especially paired with wine. Cost isn't really a factor either.

This is the list of the restaurants that I have been to in past trips. While I know that most of these restaurants have rotating/daily changing menus, I would like to try new places if possible.
Restaurant August - good food, okay service
Besh Steakhouse - okay food, good service
Bayona - good food, good service
Commander's Palace - okay/good food, good service
Antoines - bad service/bad food
Court of Two Sisters - was overrated
Emeril's - good food/slow service
Delmonico - good food/good service

The list as of right now is:
Lunch:
Friday - Galatoire's
Saturday - Bayona "light lunch" - I'm only going to go here again if someone can't recommend another restaurant
Sunday - Bacco Tasting Lunch
Monday - Herbsaint

Dinner:
Friday - Cafe Giovanni - let Chef Duke feed you
Saturday - Brigsten's (do they do a tasting or degustation menu?)
Sunday - Riche by Todd English ??? (would it be better to do this for sunday breakfast/bruch and do bacco tasting dinner instead?)
Monday - Cuvee Degustation

Anything that I'm missing or anything that people would recommend I change in the line-up?

TIA
-C

stockboy85 in New Orleans

Saturday Lunch

Bayona does their "light lunch" on Saturdays. There is a menu of about 12 items (some are savory and some are sweet) and you get to pick 3 for $20. I was there in January and I throughly enjoyed it.

stockboy85 in New Orleans