dlpens's Profile
DOWNTOWN HIGHLAND PARK RESTAURANT INAUGURAL RESTAURANT WEEK
I found out today that Highland Park will be hosting its version of a restaurant week from April 19 to April 29, 2012. With the opening of so many fine restaurants in the last year including Benjamin, M and Carlos Nieto's, Nieto's plus a variety of cupcake and gelato emporiums making Highland Park the dessert capital of the North Shore if not all of Chicagoland, this is a great opportunity to try out what our community has to offer. Here is the url for its website: http://www.eatouthighlandpark.com/
There are 35 restaurants and "Wine Walk Wednesdays", Tour de Sweets etc., this looks like it will be a winner. We are already lining up reservations for Nieto's as I have not eaten there since its recent opening. I highly recommend 2nd Street Bistro (Lower level only) and 2nd Street Enoteca, Abigail's, Benjamin and M for finer dining along with Carlos and Debbie Nieto's Central Street Bistro. My wife and I also love Bluegrass and Real Urban Barbeque (RUB). Frost has been crowded since its opening with really tasty gelato And a recently opened gourmet popcorn shop, Highland Pop sounds like a promising business.
Even Walker Bros. is getting in on the action with 25% discounts of some of their most popular pancakes. So it is possible to sample a number of places in one day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and popcorn to take home. Note: I am not affiliated with any business in Highland Park. Just a happy long time resident.
Restaurant Week 2012
Funny, I made the initial post and then had problems getting reservations at the restaurants we wanted to enjoy. My wife and I did get to Demara on Saturday night and had another great meal and the Chicago Restaurant Week menu was a great hit. Not only were the choices excellent but the food was amazing as usual. And for the first time I can remember, there was a line out the door when we were leaving - and this is for an Ethiopian restaurant! Every table was filled.
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Demera Ethiopian Restaurant
4801 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
Restaurant Week 2012
I don't know if this has already been posted but this site shows all of the restaurants, over 200, participating in this year's Restaurant Week with their special menus:
http://www.choosechicago.com/things-to-do/dining/chicago-restaurant-week/
Many wonderful restaurants are participating with dinners and/or lunches, such as Blackbird's $22.00 lunch menu. Enjoy!
Armenian restaurants?
Thanks and thanks again. CASBAH!!! loved that restaurant and my wife and I ate there many times. And thanks for the recommendations. Glenview and Skokie are close enough to try them out.
Armenian restaurants?
I had forgotten about Sayat Nova, where I have eaten a number of times. Problem for me is its location which is a pain to get to and park near when you live 25 miles north of the loop. Thanks.
Armenian restaurants?
I was talking with some friends last night about an Armenian restaurant that closed many years ago and which we loved. It was located on Diversey near the lake. We long for some of those dishes so I am wondering if fellow chowhounders have any suggestions as to where to find fine Armenian food in the north Chicago area or northern suburbs. My friends are from Turkey and they told me that Armenian food is the closest cuisine to Turkish and so each of us are now searching for Armenian restaurants. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
GREAT Dinner at Michael in Winnetka!
Your review is dead on!!! I have been recommending Michaels to many of our friends and each and every one of them who has dined there has raved about the food and the service. So I have been stocking up on Groupons and Restaurant.com coupons for my next visits.
And the restaurant is very conversation friendly and they occasionally feature wine dinners which have been outstanding. Nice to see that I am not alone in my opinion.
Most Authentic Arab/Lebanese/Syrian/Turkish Place?
As has been mentioned, Turqoise is a wonderful choice. And in another thread, Phoenicia in Highland Park, a northern suburb of Chicago, has outstanding mid-Eastern food primarily Lebanese as the owner, Joseph, is Lebanese. Check out that thread and see if it fits what you are looking for. Don
PHOENICIA MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE -- HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS
Phoenicia has been a mainstay in Highland Park for years. Joseph, the owner, is from Lebanon and his recipes are his family's. In the summer he has outside seating. Part of the dinner is the wonderful relish dish with pickles, radishes peppers etc. We always order the combination appetizer dish with grape leaves, hummos, falaffel, babaganoush, tebolah etc. which makes for a wonderful starter. The red snapper (dripping with salt water, as Joseph likes to say) is also one of the most popular dishes along with the kababs. One of my favorites is the chicken with couscous and curry sauce. I can take that sauce intravenously it is so good.
The halavah is like nothing we had ever eaten. He usually makes it in the summer and it is very unusual, not a brick you cut into but a thin stringy melt in your mouth variety. Joseph offers very reasonably priced wines and does allow you to bring in your own wine with a reasonable corkage fee. All in all, a wonderful restaurant with an outgoing and popular owner and a great staff. Highly recommended!
Rijsttafel in Chicago
Thanks again to both Chowhound and nstasy for the information. I jumped on the chance to attend the Oct. 23 dinner and found out this morning that only 10 seats were still available. I took 4 so as of 11:00 today there were only 6 left.
I was introduced to rijsttafel in Amsterdam in 1965 and have looked forward to finding something similar in Chicago. So I am hoping that this upcoming meal will be a success. Don
Best Chicago Wine Store?
I love Wine Discount Centers. Their selection is not as great as Binny's the but wines tend to be very fairly priced and very good quality. Here is their web site. Note that they have a location in Chicago on Elston. http://winediscountcenter.com/
Sunday brunch in Vernon Hills area?
This Sunday my wife and I will want to have a brunch somewhere in the Vernon Hills area as family members will be visiting. I love the brunch at Miramar but that is in Highwood. If nothing interesting pops up here we will probably go to Walker Bros. in Lincolnshire. TIA for any assistance. Don
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Miramar
301 Waukegan Ave, Highwood, IL 60040
Chicago Restaurant Week - February 18-27, 2011
Thanks for the reminder, nsxtasy. Just booked a reservation at Bistro Champaigne which we have enjoyed in the past. And by the way, my wife and I went to Restaurant Michael again on Thursday night and had another spectacular meal. This restaurant is quite a gem and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a fabulous meal on the Northshore. And remember that there is no corkage fee on Tuesday nights! Don
Chicago area winetasting
The Stained Glass restaurant, in Evanston, a suburb just north of Chicago, offers fine food and many excellent wine flights. Also every Saturday, Binny's just outside the loop offers wine tastings with 8 or so wines (at least the Highland Park store offers that many, there may be more in their north side location.
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The Stained Glass
1735 Benson Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201
Good to Excellent restaurants near the Bank of America Theater on Monroe
6 of us are going to see Burn the Floor next Wedn. night. One couple suggested the Grillroom but I have not seen any review of that restaurant that excites me. Any suggestions for a very close restaurant that can get us in and out in about 1 1/2 hour and serves above average food? Thanks. Don
GABRIEL'S AND MIRAMAR IN HIGHWOOD
On Friday night my wife and I had dinner at Gabriel's in Highwood where we have dined on numerous occasions. Gabe met us at the door and our having known him for many years, we had a discussion first about his triumph in scaling Mt. Everest and then about his restaurant Miramar which is very close by. He instituted the discussion especially since he had just returned from a trip to Paris where he ate in French bistros and studied them every day. He wanted us to know that he is making significant changes to Miramar which I, for one, welcome.
The intended changes should be completed by early March. He told us that he is changing the decor to make it warmer and more conducive to actually hearing conversations. He knew that I always objected to the noise level which made dining and talking next to impossible to being heard by members of your party. He also told me that the portions will be larger and the costs lower! That is welcome news. We have always enjoyed his food at Miramar but the noise level kept us away unless it was summer and we could eat outdoors. We intend to give it a try in March and hopefully we will want to host a dinner there at the end of May to include our golf group. I will report back after our first introduction to the new changes.
As for our dinner at Gabriels, well, it is definitely one of the finest restaurants in the entire Chicago area and it has been highly regarded for many years. Gabe's wine steward is a veteran of the wine and food industry, who worked for many years at Ambria until it closed, and his advise is always excellent as is his demeanor and friendliness. Gabe's pastas are outstanding as are the fish courses and everything else on the menu. The profiteroles for dessert posed a great ending to an outstanding meal. We started at 6:30 and left at 9:30 with big smiles on our faces and no room for a single morsel of food.
While we ordered ala carte off of the menu, Gabe offers a 5 course chef's menu for $75.00 per person and $110.00 with wine pairing. I highly recommend his chef's choices!
Both Gabriel's and Carlos, again, just down the street, were snubbed by the Michelin people as they are outside the 20 miles limit that they set for their limits. I cannot imagine their not being awarded stars. For Chicagoan foodies willing to travel the 30 or so miles from the loop to Highwood
dining at Gabriel's will be a special treat as will dining at Carlos's. It is a fast ride up Edens to Half Day Road (Highway 22) and then east to Green Bay and then left to Gabriel's (and Froggy's next door) and to the right over the tracks to Carlos's and Miramar. This is dining heaven. Don
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Ambria
2300 N Lincoln Park W, Chicago, IL 60614
Miramar
301 Waukegan Ave, Highwood, IL 60040
Half Day Cafe
475 Half Day Rd Ste 120, Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Great Restaurants in Evanston, IL or Close By
For what it is worth, my wife and I have eaten at Stained Glass many times and we LOVE their food and service. We always recommend it to friends and have never received one complaint. We have gone there with foodies and have hosted special dinners there and again, we have never heard one complaint about any course whatsoever. And the numerous and excellent wine flights are a real treat. I will not hesitate to recommend Stained Glass to anyone. And they offer excellent values with fix pris menus. Don
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The Stained Glass
1735 Benson Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201
Casual Dinner In Northbrook Area
Abigail's Bistro in Ravinia is wonderful - but it can get very very noisy. When we go there we try to get in very early before the bar fills up and the noise level increases.
Knife Sharpening - Avoid Sur La Table
I have only used Northwestern Cutlery for many years and they are probably the best sharpeners in Chicago not to mention that their assortment of fine cutlery is outstanding. They usually finish my orders while I am browsing around and usually I find something to purchase. I have also bought some very nice Shun knives there. So ditto on your recommendation.
Casual Dinner In Northbrook Area
You also have Blue Grass in Highland Park with wonderful dishes including cajun as the chef is from the south. Very nice atmosphere. And there is Next Door in Northbrook, next to Hole in the Wall with great Italian food although they both can get quite noisy. My wife and I love Beinlich's but remember that it is set up like a 1940's northern Wisconsin bar. They still sell soft drinks from 2 liter bottles! For Pan Asian there is Pacific Rim in Northbrook, which serves up Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese food. The booths by the sushi bar are very comfortable and relaxing. Also consider J. Alexanders in Deerfield. Pick a cuisine and many more recs will appear. Don
Dinner on the north shore for 8 adults
Miramar - definitely NO. I have eaten there a number of times and too often we cannot hold a civil conversation - the noise level is way too high. Froggy's - a definite yes. Wonderful restaurant in Highwood and much more suitable for 8 people. Sage Grill is across the street and offers fine food and live jazz on Thursday and Friday nights starting at 7:00. This would also be a great choice. But note - these are in Highwood. As nsxtasy pointed out Inovasi in Lake Bluff is outstanding as is Restauant Michael in WInnetka. Gabriel's is outstanding and one of my favorite restaurants - but it is very expensive as is Carlos. I would have recommended Stoney River in Deerfield but it just closed its doors as the landlord wants the space for a different direction - retail. J. Alexander's in Deerfield offers excellent food at reasonable cost, has a very nice atmosphere, is quiet and has numerous larger tables - I have eaten there twice this week and on Tuesday I was with 7 other guys and the ability to talk and hear was excellent. Good luck.
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Miramar
301 Waukegan Ave, Highwood, IL 60040
Inovasi Restaurant
28 E. Center Ave, Lake Bluff, IL 60044
favorite byob places
I live in the northern suburbs and have found that on various days individual restaurants offer free corkage such as Carlos's Central Cafe in Highland Park on Tuesdays. Michael's Restaurant in Winnetka also had/has a free corkage day.
Other restaurants such as Stoney River in Deerfield offer really reasonable corkage fees - ten dollars. I normally call restaurants in advance to find out about their corkage policies and I find that many restaurants offer very reasonable corkage of $15 or less. Good luck.
help finding good ethnic restaurants in the North Shore
I have been eating at the Pita Inn in Skokie for many, many years and gordeaux is correct. The combo lunch is hard to beat and their hummos and babaganouj are outstanding. But this is only one of many wonderful ethnic restaurants along the North Shore.
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Pita Inn
3910 Dempster St, Skokie, IL 60076
Intelligentsia Coffee By The Pound - Can Anyone Explain Its Prices?
When I started drinking individual varietals I had no idea of the number of different varieties would become available locally. I have tried ordering "special" coffee on line and have always been disappointed. I learned to love Celebes and Sumatra beans right off. I have tried any number of different beans including Jamaica Blue Mountain and real Kona. They may be great and smooth etc. but for the price I cannot rationalize a steady diet of those beans. Stivers Coffee has been bringing Jamaican Blue Mountain beans to local farmer's markets, Ravinia in particular, and once in a blue moon :) I pick up a 1/2 pound. It is beautiful but at $32.00 a pound it is not a real "value" drink. It is an indulgence for many.
If you want fresh roasted coffee you either roast the beans yourself or do the next best thing - buy from a local roaster. I suggested to my wife that I should try roasting at home but I did not care for her suggestion in response. I try to buy only 1/2 pound bags at a time as I can buy fresh coffee everyday. I am close to or pass by Casteel's and Newport all of the time. That makes a BIG difference. I will look for some Intel coffee today and report back in a day or 2. I will try to be objective. I have also been collecting wines since 1970 so tasting liquids and comparing is something I am used to so we shall see.
For everyone's information, Casteel's has an outstanding number of varietals and blends available. Newport has a much more limited menu. And Whole Foods does a wonderful job roasting and has a nice selection available everyday. I just wish that they would bring back the Costa Rican beans - I have not seen them in quite a while.
Intelligentsia Coffee By The Pound - Can Anyone Explain Its Prices?
I find this thread of real interest. I have been buying whole beans, grinding and brewing for over 30 years since I discovered Somethings Brewing off of Diversey years ago. Now local coffee roasters are all over the place. Up in the northern suburbs we have Casteel's in Evanston, Newport's in Bannockburn, and yes, Whole Foods. I love them all and their most expensive coffees, fair trade and all, does not exceed $13.00 a full pound except for Blue Mountain and real Kona.
When I go to any of these places I look to see which are the most recently roasted and I am not disappointed. That being said, whenever I have the opportunity to buy 12 oz. of Intelligenstia's coffee I back away. For the most part it cannot be fresher than beans roasted that day. How many people can honestly say that they can tell the difference between the same bean roasted by Whole Foods or Casteel's roasted that day or Intelligensia roasted whenever? I will buy a bag of Intelligentsia's coffee and see if I can honestly say that their coffee is better for my taste.
I should also mention another fine local roaster - Stiver's coffee.
Barnaby's Pizza
For those of us who live in the area around Barnaby's in Northbrook, it has been a great favorite for many years. Mention it to my friends and they immediately mention how much they love that thin crust. That being said while it is our favorite thin pizza my preference is still Dues and Malnatis for pan pizza and Edwardos for stuffed pizza.
Avenues Tasting Dinner
Thanks for the head's up on Gilt City Chicago. I just registered on the site without a hitch. Now to convince my wife that we have to visit Avenues. Don
Help with finding good Asian restaurants in Northern Evanston/Wilmette area (Thai, Indian, Japanese, etc)
Add my recommendation for Akai Hana and Ruby of Siam. My wife and I have eaten at both restaurants more times than I can remember and we still love going back for more.
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Ruby of Siam
170 W Washington St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60602
Akai Hana
3223 Lake Ave Ste 17C, Wilmette, IL 60091
Michelin Stars Are Out
From what I have heard, the inspectors did not go beyond 20 miles from Chicago so that meant that Carlos' in Highwood was not visited.
Inovasi is outstanding
Last night 6 of us had dinner at Inovasi in Lake Bluff. We had heard rave reviews about the restaurant for months but somehow none of us had been there even though we all live within 15 or 20 minutes from away. As soon as we entered the dining area, which was beautiful, I noticed any number of friends and acquaintances already seated and so I was able to get a handle on some of the dishes. It made no difference. Whatever we ordered was wonderful and reasonably priced. For some strange reason we did not feel like having wine so our bill was really lower than what we had expected to pay - $56.00 per couple! And no one left hungry.
They offer a $45.00 tasting menu and maybe we will try that next time but splitting soups, appetizers and 4 entrees was enough. I should not be touting this restaurant as I selfishly would like to keep it somewhat hidden like that could happen after the Chicago Magazine voted it as one of the top 20 new restaurants in the Chicago area last month.
So us northerners are now blessed with 2 of the selections the other being Abigails in Highland Park, 5 minutes from where we live.
The owner/chef is very personable and really knows his craft and potential customers and having worked at Gabriel's in Highwood under Gabriel Viti, he really knew how to prepare foods. But unlike Gabriels where a single meat entree could come close to the cost of the entire dinner at Inovasi, this restaurant will not break your bank. Don
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Inovasi Restaurant
28 E. Center Ave, Lake Bluff, IL 60044
