My wife and I are going to Chicago for a weekend staying at the Intercontinental on Michigan N. of the river.

Any suggestions for ethnic or good nighborhood restaurants within easy walking distance from the hotel.

A few weeks back we visited the Russian Tea Time and Berghoff and enjoyed both very much.

If you're in the mood for what's said to be pretty authentic Mexican food, try Frontera Grill or Topolobampo, which are in the same building and owned by the same guy. They're both very good but certain to be crowded and service can be so-so at times. Frontera is the more casual of the two. I think you can get reservations at Topolo but not Frontera for a small party. Shouldn't be more than a 5 or 10 minute walk from your hotel.

Sayat Nova, 157 E. Ohio. 312.644.9159
Armenian/mid-east. Had a great shrimp/lamb kabob. Baba ghannouj(sp?) was very tasty. A puree of eggplant and spices I believe.

Vong, thai/french. 6 W Hubbard, 312.644.8664.
While I have not eaten at this location, I have at the London one. VERY good. I really like the mixture of these two cuisines.

By the way, Frontera is very good for upscale (not your typical fajita or burrito spot) mexican dishes. located at 445 N. Clark, 312.661.1434

Didn't Vong just close?

Brasserie Jo (French) is always fun.

I also like Ben Pao (upscale Chinese). Their blackened scallops with Broccoli and seven flavor chicken are outstanding. The banana cheesecake (which didn't sound particularly good to me) is, in my opinion, one of the better desserts you'll find anywhere.

For a cheap, fun lunch, with a menu made up of dishes from various Latin American countries, try Mambo Grill on Clark Street.

Another place you might find interesting is Zinfandel. It features alternating regional American cuisine.

All are within easy walking distance of your hotel and the neighborhood is safe. You can get the addresses in the phone book. There are also several decent Thai restaurants nearby which you can look up in the yellow pages by cuisine. Singha is one that comes to mind.



[This message has been edited by ILuvParis (edited 08-25-2001).]

One of my favorites in Chicago is about 7-8 blocks away, Blackhawk Grill. American fare--stuff like mustard crusted rainbow trout. Great place. Agree with Frontera Grill--not 5-10 mins away though. It is one block from the Intercontinental, on the same side of Mich. Ave. Their cornbread is the best.

Djlawman

djlawman, I think you're thinking of Bandera (you have to go up an escalator). The cornbread is great. I've had a good meal there and a so-so one.

I also heard something about Vong closing in Chicago and being reincarnated as a more casual, less expensive place. Not sure if it's closed yet. Have been there a couple of times. Quite good.

Yes, Vong did close for retooling and will reopen. Agree that Ben Pao is an excellent choice. For anyone visiting Chicago, you should look at the Lettuce Entertain You website. Both of the above restaurants are part of this group, and each member restaurant is top-notch (they also have a very user-friendly frequent-diner program). Here is the address:

www.leye.com (http://www.leye.com)

A couple other recommendation for ethnic cuisine in River North: Chilpancingo, a really fine, fun upscale Mexican place. And on the same block is Reza's, which has excellent Persian food (kabobs galore) at reasonable prices. Both are on Ontario, a quick cab ride from Michigan Ave.

Thank you all!!

We just came back from our trip, and would like to recommend Maggiano's at the corner of Clark and Grand. Great restaurant and much better Italian food than we can find here in Kansas City.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by julleflyer:
We just came back from our trip, and would like to recommend Maggiano's at the corner of Clark and Grand. Great restaurant and much better Italian food than we can find here in Kansas City.</font>

Maggiano's is especially good for larger groups because you can order family style and get big plates of lots of food!