I did a search and didn't find a specific thread about CHICAGO Idine (now called Rewards Network) restaurants. I'm not sure if this is the right forum. One could argue that this could be posted in the Idine forum, but I'm specifically interested in Chicago spots, so that's why I'm posting it here. An Idine Post would solicit more replies if it were a general question, but I doubt it would get better responsese concerning Chicago.

There are 224 Idine restaurant in the Chicago city limits according to a search I just performed using my UA profile and more in the suburbs. I'd like to be able to find out which ones are worth hitting for the 10 or 20 miles/$ and which ones are worth missing. If you have a lenghty review, feel free to write it, but a quick ^ would be helpful as well.

In another thread, someone recommended Maza (a Lebanese restaurant on Lincoln). That poster said it's the only good 20 miler he's been to in Chicago. As a result of this recommendation, I'm going to eat there in the near future.

India House I went to the Schaumburg location last night. Not bad. It had a buffet which I was happy about. When I had called last week, I had been mistakenly told there was no buffet there. Like mostIndian buffets, tandoori chicken and nan were brought to the table. The tandoori chicken was a little overdone but it tasted okay. There were no lamb dishes, but there were two chicken dishes. They were a little spicy (which I like), and they were boneless, which I was extremely happy about. I'd been to Khyber Pass in Oak Park (used to be an Idine place), and I didn't like how their food wasn't spicy and how the lamb and chicken curry had bones My water was filled constatly, so I was happy with the service considering it was a buffet. It was about $11 a person for the buffet which was a good price. The magno lassi (sic?) was $4.25, which I thought was pricey, though.

Frank's Pizzeria : on Belmost in Chicago. The place is a kind of a dump, but apparently that's to be expected of 20 milers (with the supposed exception of Maza above). I haven't been to any other 20 milers so I don't have a good comparison yet. The stuffed pizza was decent and if I lived in the area, I'd probably order it once in awhile and enjoy the free miles. Service: The plates were too small and drinks were served by the can. The dining room was small but the waitress came around too infreqently for my tastes (though it looked like she was also doing the phone orders and other stuff).

Nancy's The one in Elmhurst participates. I know this is a chain so there are other locations, though I don't know if they participate as well. The stuffed pizza is good (but I love almost any stuff pizza so I'm biased). I live in the area and it's the only Idine pizza place that's close so I hit this place often. Service was adequate in the one time i ate there . Pasta servings were good sized.

Charlie's Charhouse A fairly new steakhouse place in Elk Grove Village. The ambiance was very nice. The place was very busy on the Saturday I went there so I"m sure they are doing well. The pasta servings (girlfriend ordered that since she doesn't eat beef) are huge. The New York Strip steak I ordered wasn't great (I think Outback's is better), but the portion was huge. My mother's porterhouse was better. I'd probably go here again. Service was great, though they did mess up my girlfriend's order. The waitress didn't argue and immediately apologized and brought a replacement dish within five minutes. I think one would spend about the same here as an Outback dinner, but despite my experience with my steak, I think this would be a better dinner for the money (though I'll still go to outback for the chese fries ) Getting a baked potato "loaded" cost extra money. I didn't think this was a big deal, but the waitress should have mentioned this when we ordered so I didn't have to question it when I looked at the bill. Again, the waitress apologized for her failure to do so. I still say the service was great b/c the waitress apologized, and b/c they kept my waters filled, brought extra bread, often.

El Sombrero Mexican food place in Mt Prospect. A few weeks ago, this restaurant was noted as a "Benefit Alert" restaurant, but apparently they renewed their deal since then as it's no longer listed as exiting the program. The place was decent. I ordered a Queso Fondido appetizer which I thought was horrible but the enchilads were fine. The service is mediocre.

La Hacienda The Roselle location on Irving Park Road participates. I believe this is some sort of chain restaurant as I know of other locations bearing the name. I was happy with this place. I thought it was better than El Sombrero (for what that's worth).

Photo's Hot Dogs Mt Prospect. I haven't been there recently but I was there in 2002 (before I even knew that Idine existed). It was your typical fast food/hot dog stand type place. The food was what I expected from such a place, so I'd definately go there again if I were in the area (free miles after all)>

Thipi Thai La Grange. As the name suggests, a Thai place. I've been there twice. The food was good, though not as good as this place I love in Evergreen Park (Chi Tung, which sadly does not participate in Idine). I've always gone here right before closing so I got great service. My only complaint concerns my visit with a friend of mine and his then fiance (they ended canceling the marriage btw). Anyway, we had some leftovers. I had some pad thai that I was looking forward to eating the next day. When I opened my bag up at lunch the next day, I found that they had given me the other couple's food Despite this mishap, I went there again.

Tsunami near Division and Dearborne, Chicago. I went there before I knew about miles. The food was good but I felt it was overpriced for what I got. I like to eat a lot of sushi, and I now know that I should only hit an all you can eat place like Todai's (unfortunately not an Idine place). I think I spent $80 on sushi that day.

That's all I have for now. I know my reviews sound alike, but that just because I'm not very picky when it comes to food. I just like a large quantity of food and as long as the food isn't bad, I probably be happy eating there. As for service, I tip well as I used to work for tips, and my expectation is that my water is always filled as I drink a ton of it. With the old Idine, I didn't go to as many restaurants b/c some didn't seem worth it for 5 miles/$. Now that all of the restaurants are either 10 milers or 20 milers in the UA elite program, I feel like I'm getting a good deal if I have a good experience at the restaurant.

I'm hoping reading some reviews from people will help me have more great experiences, help me avoid any negative ones, and help me get thousands of extra UA miles per year