jbontario's Profile
Help Finalizing My Chicago Itinerary
For beef, there are tons of opinions and entire threads on this board about them. Wherever you go, my favorite is sweet and wet. Sweet peppers, dragged through/dipped in the jus on the way to being wrapped. I also like a combo, italian sausage and beef.
Some favorites in the River North/Downtown area: Mr. Beef (pretty famous), Portillos (local chain, but really good), and Al's Beef (the one in Little Italy versus River North is purportedly better, but I can't tell).
One other note, Barcito is seperate from Tavernita and you cannot get the food menu at Barcito. I would suggest stepping into the restaurant bar where you can also sample the full menu. I really like it.
A final note, Xoco and Tortas Frontera are the same thing. Xoco has more of a menu and the really delicious hot chocolate, but the tortas are the same (albeit $2 more at the airport). What would be an alternative you ask? Hmmm, need to think on that.
Help Finalizing My Chicago Itinerary
I have to diverge from the comments about "great true chinese food." I just got back from a trip to Hong Kong (been to china a few times) and the Chinese food here in Chicago is average at best. I would not go out of your way to try to find great Chinese here. San Fran is really where it's at. The stuff here is one steip better than American Chinese, and all the Lao places (there are three or four now) are better than average, but would not please most urban chinese nationals.
Chicago Bound
Hi, may I ask that you take a cruise through this board which would provide a response. I'm sure we'll all gladly make some more crisp remarks once you've narrowed down your request.
1st time in Chicago-Picky Eaters-Dinner Suggestions Please
A Mado has been closed for about a year.
Maybe you're thinking about La Madia over on Grand?
John Hancock building for a drink with a view.
Yes, you need to enter the building on the south side street and go to the Bar/Lounge at the Signature Restaurant. Cocktails and avoid $10 to ride an elevator.
Chicago transit to the Publican
Regardless, it seems like a waste of time to save $10 when one is on a tight schedule.
You will have a hard time making an 8PM reso if your flight doesn't land until 6PM.
Chicago transit to the Publican
knowing that you are on a tight time schedule and the fact that i like publican so much, here's my suggestion to make your 8PM reso after a 6PM landing.
Take orange line to Library then jump off and get a cab. Midway to Library is 30 minutes and then you'll waste 15 minutes walking over the tracks and waiting for another train that will take 15 mins to go around loop. Cab from Library to Publican will take 10 mins and cost $6 - $8.
Need non-fussy fish or Italian recs near James Hotel for 2-hour window on Saturday night
I have been to the Slurping Turtle 3 times (i was the original recomender) and only waitied once for about 15-20 minutes, other two were 5 minutes. Granted I did not go on Saturday night--two weekday evenings around 6:30 and one thursday lunch. Call first and they'll tell you how long the current wait is, but no reservations. You may be seeing reservations for Takashi, the chef's more upscale french/japanese in Bucktown.
1st time in Chicago-Picky Eaters-Dinner Suggestions Please
For steaks I would also recomend Chicago Cut. I am a huge Cap Grill guy, I love and really mean love the dry-aged kona-rubbed strip with some lobster mac, but yu can get that in any city now.
Chicago Cut is a local place and is really my favorite with Joe's coming in second (also local).
Help! Looking for Slow Dancing in Chicago
Haven't been in years, but Rhumba was really fun. Very good latin (South Am versus MX) and a lively dance floor.
Need non-fussy fish or Italian recs near James Hotel for 2-hour window on Saturday night
Sounds like your wife may have similar biblical restrictions that half my family abides by as well. You may want to try Roka Akor a couple blocks walk with great meat dishes for you and ability to do fish and veggie for her. Japanese robata/bincho grilling and interesting sushi. Great food, cool restaurant and i bet they could accomodate a two hour turnaround. in that area, I live close by, I also really like Slurping Turtle, Epic Restaurant, Joe's, and Sable that could accomodate your requests.
Itinerary opinions please.
Carnivale might fit that bill. It's Latin focused (more South Am than Mexico. but they have great guacamole). Creative and flavorful presentations and there are at least three steak options on the menu every night. It's fun and lively and not that expensive. In West Loop/East Fulton Market.
Help me choose a restaurant for dinner.
My personal favorite is Tavernita. None of them have great outsides as they are on main streets so while there are tables outside and Tavernita has a small (and separate from the restaurant) bar that opens to the street, not great outdoor dining. You could get out of Tavernita for two for $100 but may go a little over.
Help me choose a restaurant for dinner.
i'm mid 30s and live downtown and would recommend Hub 51 which does get lively as the night goes on if you don't mind 50/50 mix of tourists and locals (we probably go there once a month). if i were to go more local, currently on top is Tavernita. Really good Spanish influence small plates, but NOT standard tapas and a solid drink list.
Need sushi tonite,,,,the. Best
Regardles of opinions posted, Roka Akor is really good. It's not cheap and I would recommend the grilled items over the maki but overall its a solid, i think dependable restaurant that you just don't recommend for value.
Friday Lunch w/Dad - Delicious, not heavy, passable wine list?
Go off the reservation after a dinner at publican and hit up Slurping Turtle. Great Japanese noodles, yakitori and other small plates with a very nice beer, sake and decent wine list. Terrific hangover food and a great chef who wanted to make a taste of casual home.
http://www.slurpingturtle.com/
I have now had about half of the noodle choices, all of the grilled items and a few of the appetizers and after having been in Japan a couple times, have never been disaapointed. The Tonkoto (silky pork belly) noodles and the Tan Ten Men (spicy pork sausauge) noodles were fantastic.
Uncle John's BBQ, South Side
Hi, I travel all over the country for work and have enjoyed BBQ in Dallas, KC, Memphis, Raleigh, Richmond, and even Windsor, Ontario (Tunnel BBQ just outside the Detroit-Windsor Border Tunnel is awesome) . So yeah i eat BBQ pretty much anywhere and I can't recommend you spend half a day going to any of our BBQ spots. Uncle John's is good, but only if you had a car and could shoot there and back quickly and on your own schedule. If you really want to see an aquarium smoker, take a cab to Honey 1 (10 mins from loop), it's equally good in my opinion and much closer.
Hot Doug's and Franks 'n' Dogs
Cab from downtown to Hot Doug's shouldn't be more than $20, probably closer to $15. Catching one back might be a little challenging, but if you walk back South (walk out of Doug's and head to the right) about 1/4 mile to Belmont and you'll be able to catch a cab. At lunch, taking the Kennedy (90/94 expressway) shouldn't take more than 15/20 mins from Embassy Suites.
Hot Doug's is great and no need to waste time for duck fat fries, the regular fries are great. Don't waste your time getting a Chicago dog, they are really not that special anywhere, and why waste space when you could have a foie gras sausage. I just looked at Today's Specials on the website and I might need to drive out for lunch tomorrow and hope he still has a "Cherry-Infused Venison Sausage with Fig Mustard and Smoked Provolone Cheese."
Brunch River North - or not too far.
All of these likely to have waits of 20 minutes to an hour after 10:00 AM, I would call one or two as you're walking out the door.
- Standard Greek diner, large brunch menu with great service - Eggsperience on Ontario St.
- Standard breakfast diner, large menu good service - Yolk on N. Wells St. or Bunch on N. Orleans
- Very good Greek diner with interesting menu and higher-end ingredients with good service - Melli Cafe on N Wells (other location in Greektown)
- Very good breakfast menu with ability to have a Gibson's steak and a large drink menu - Lux Bar on E. Bellevue (opt for the ala carte menu downstairs over the brunch buffet upstairs)
barrel aged cocktails
Try Binny's they have quite a broad inventory. If they don't stock your choice, they've been good about finding things for me.
How's My 5 Day Eating Agenda Looking? Help Make My Trip Awesome!
Gilt Bar and Au Cheval owned by same group and have a little bit of overlap, i would forego Gilt for dinner. Frontera does offer up a few reservations each morning for that day if you get lucky. I hate the hard seating and noise at Avec.
I see one of your alternates is Slurping Turtle and I highly recommend. I've been there a few times (and know the chef from his days in Detroit) and really like it. Also no reservations, but it's casual and quick so the waits don't seem to be too bad.
How's My 5 Day Eating Agenda Looking? Help Make My Trip Awesome!
Sorry so start a conflict, but how can you say that Au Cheval is not unique. I have never been presented a menu where I can get a really good matza ball AND a foie gras accented double-cut pork chop AND split a bacon cheesburger. That and a terrific beer list and you've sold me.
Then again, I hate burgers covered in so much crap on huge rolls that you can't taste the burger (ala Kumas and most of the others these days). I'm still going with best burger in the country is the chopped dry-aged steak burger with grilled onions at BLT Grill in NY.
Non-swanky steakhouse downtown?
I think Wildfire will also fall into your price range and if it's a bunch of guys in for a baseball game, this is a great place. Steaks at wildfire more what you're looking for than at Mon Ami Gabi. Grill Room is OK, but at night the place is dead since it's in office land,
C-House
Sorry so say, I ate there once when it first opened and don't really remember anything about the place.
Non-swanky steakhouse downtown?
I hate to sound like a snob, but Ronny's is disgusting. It's like one of those $1.99 Vegas places of the 70s and 80s.
You say that Jordan's, Gibson's, etc are "too upscale for your tastes." Do you really mean too much money or are you not sure about the actual dress code/feel of the places.
If you don't go at least the level of Wildfire, which is jeans and a nice shirt, you will be eating subpar quality steak of the kind that you would get a low-end grocery.
You don't need to dress up to go to a place like Gibson's--don't wear shorts and tshirts, but jackets are by no means required. The quality of beef and the skill of the broiler-man at the reputable steakhouses is much much much higher than the others.
How's My 5 Day Eating Agenda Looking? Help Make My Trip Awesome!
Agreed on burgers at Kuma's, it's a great experience but it's overrated from a true epicurian perspective.
I just had a great bacon cheeseburger at Au Cheval last week. It was a simple burger with some of the best slab bacon i've had in a long time. My best description was that it reminded me of and In and Out burger if made by a Top Chef.
Coming from Canada
Here's an email I sent to a friend asking for recomendations recently:
Various options that are all relatively new and in the middle- to upper-end, reservations highly recommended at all:
- Roka Akor - Japanese Steak seafood and unusual sushi (this is NOT tepanyaki tables, cool place to be seen). All is shareable and I really liked the NY strip and we let the server suggest best maki of the night.
- Publican – High-end gastro-pub for lack of a better term. Don’t miss the home-made spicy pork rinds, great oyster selection and charcuterie. This is in my top 10 restaurants anywhere.
- Chicago Cut - My favorite steakhouse and very local. The bone-in NY strip is the way to go in my opinion. Hash browns and lobster mac and cheese are great sides.
- Naha – great New American/Mediterranean. Been around for 10 years and I really like it, award winning chef. It’s in my top 10 and a backup when my other favorites are not available.
· Frontera Grill or Topolobambo – regional gourmet Mexican. Famous chef who makes world famous mole sauces. Frontera is casual but no reservations, Topo is fancier and takes resos (I like both).
Super high-end, but worth it if you’re really looking for that epicurean once-in-while special treat
- Alinea – the #1 restaurant in the country last year and still my #1 meal I’ve ever eaten. I’m remembering it as I type.
- Spiaggia - it’s hard to choke down an Italian place where you need to wear a jacket, but it’s really great.
Restaurant for a group
Lou Malnati's, which in my humble opinion, is the best of the Chicago deep dish pies, has a location not to far from there. A couple miles away and a great place for a group. If the vegetarian eats pizza, the "Lou" is a great deep dish with spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
Many downtown mid- to higher-end restaurants also have outposts near the airport. Places like Harry Carey's, Morton's, etc.
Downtown Park Ridge, also about 10 mins drive, has a nice little downtown with a bunch of more casual places. Maybe someone else can help with some recs.
RESTAURANTS NEAR N WATER ST CHICAGO SHERATON
Cabs around the city are not very expensive, you can get from Sheraton to most neighborhoods in under $20 and everything in River North, Randolph Street/West Loop, Gold Coast are less than $10 in a cab.
The following are all walkable or less than $10 in a cab and mid-range.
New places that I really like: Slurping Turtle, Au Cheval, Roka Akor.
Recent places (more than one year, less than 5) that I really like: Sable Kitchen (maybe more for the great cocktails), Davanti Enoteca (a few minutes further in Little Italy), The Gage.
