Restaurants listed in the Tribune Article:

• Full Moon Cafe, North Chicago. A colorful, 24-hour mix of drunken sailors, truckers, North Shore teens, bikers and innocent travelers on U.S. Highway 41.
• Freddy's Pizzeria, Cicero. Interesting grocery story, great pizza, yummy homemade gelato.
• The Country House, Willowbrook. Not only serves a great burger, but it's reputed to be haunted.
• Oceanique, Evanston. Outstanding French seafood.
• Jack Gibbons Garden, Oak Forest. Wonderful old-fashioned steakhouse with a neighborhood feel.
• Bistro Banlieue, Lombard. Best bistro in the suburbs.
• 302 West, Geneva. An old bank building converted into a stylish, romantic restaurant. Contemporary American menu has great fish, greater desserts and a quirky but first-class wine list.
• La Bella Winnetka, Winnetka. Fun, informal restaurant with elaborate tented seating in summer; the wisecracking owner is a hoot.
• Le Vichyssois, Lakemoor. A long drive for most of us, but the fine French food is worth the haul.
• Costa's, Oakbrook Terrace. Greektown food and atmosphere in the suburbs.
• Lao Szechwan, Westmont. Best suburban Chinese, hands down.
• Pancake Cafe, Naperville and Lemont: Lots of pancake houses in the suburbs, but these are the best.
• Dr. Zushi, Northbrook. A wacky mix of Japanese, French and Italian influences, but the food's great.
• Tin Fish,Tinley Park. Informal and fun south-suburban seafooder near the Tweeter Center.
• Carlos', Highland Park. Best fine-dining French on the North Shore.
• Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket, Willowbrook. Great fried chicken with nostalgia on the side; the restaurant's smack dab on Route 66, and they're not shy about telling you.
• Les Deux Gros, Glen Ellyn. The spirit of the late Le Francais resides here.
• Va Pensiero, Evanston. Best Italian in the suburbs (nearby Campagnola is a close second).
• Edelweiss, Norridge. Like Oktoberfest all year with 13 kinds of German beer on tap and German bands as the regular entertainment. Dancing is optional.
• Algonquin Sub Shop, Algonquin. Puts Quiznos, Subway, Potbelly and Jimmy Johns to shame with its unique decor and huge array of menu choices, all of them delicious.
• Cida, LaGrange. Unheralded little Thai place with great catfish curry.
• Mt. Everest, Evanston. Best Nepalese food east of the Mississippi.
• Gina's Italian Ice, Berwyn. Great ice; amazing wall of customer photos.
• Chowpatti, Arlington Heights. Vegetarian, with a 20-page menu!
• Hamburger Heaven, Elmhurst. Stubborn, very popular, tasty little hamburger stand with a memorable color scheme: brown and white.
• Ciara's Place, Aurora. Down-home cooking — the catfish and chicken are great — served in a quiet storefront location.

Have been to some of these and have written a FT Dining post (just do a search): Full Moon, Oceanique, Le Vichyssois, Carlos', Va Pensiero, Chowpatti, Hamburger Heaven. My favorite on the list is Hamburger Heaven and Chowpatti, both are just delicious.


[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 08-07-2003).]