The Chicago Challenge Thread
 

Calling all Windy City Folks, I have one night in Chicago coming up and my hope is to dine at an authentic Chicago landmark. This meal carries a few stipulations:
1. Non-Chain
2. Budget minded, $30-40 range
3. A place you would call "The Real Chicago"
4. Downtown location

I have dined at The Chop House already.

Thanks for any suggestions.

G

The Berghoff comes to mind immediately - maybe because of the other recent thread!

The Italian Village is not budget, but fits your other criteria and is an excellent place to eat.

If it's breakfast you want, try the place where I once saw Jimmy Carter 10 feet away from me eating with the dining room full of Secret Service (let me tell you, I was glad I didn't sneeze or blink!) - Lou Mitchell's on West Jackson Blvd.

The problem with downtown eating is that there really aren't many landmark places left. Most of them have been gutted and rehabbed, or simply torn down and replaced with sports bars.

The Pump Room may be an option, but that's Near North Side/Gold Coast.

Gandalf - Welcome to the Windy City!! I'm sure that SweetWillie will be able to reign in with at least as good a suggestion as mine!, but for: Real Chicago, downtown, and not too expensive......
My call is for the Berghoff.....many, many years of serving real, old time Chicago German food....
Hope that's of help, but whatever you choose, do enjoy your stay in our fine city!
Best wishes.....

funny guy bseller http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/smile.gif

Isn’t that the case, for years if someone requested quintisential I would say Binyon’s, my grandfather, who worked in a beautiful old building on Van Buren (the kind w/an elevator attendant), used to take me to Binyon’s for turtle soup. YUM. Another two of my grandpa’s favorites no longer around, Golden Ox and Jimmy Wong’s (certainly not premiere Chinese food, but as a kid the place was way cool).

Berghoff is a good suggestion, so might be Gene & Georrgetti, Cape Cod Room @ the Drake, Some Greektown restaurants, Rosebud on Taylor St,

The fact that you are saying one night rules out “my” Chicago landmark, Manny’s

As close as Milwaukee is to Chicago and having eaten at Mader's and Karl Raustch's (probable typo)in Milwaukee, I'm thinking some of the folks on this board may have tried these two restaurants. Does Berghoff's meet or beat these?

I am jonesing bad for sushi and some of S.W.'s reviews may swing the pendulum. I don't mind eating out alone, except at Sushi bars for some unknown reason.

G

I agree with the Berghoff suggestion. It has the very first liquor license on it's wall from when Prohibition ended.
Great food. Reasonably priced. The place has plenty of character.

My trip ended up being a day trip only. I took the EL from O'Hare. I got off at at the Jackson Station and walked down Monroe, I believe. I saw restaurant off to the left at the corner of Michigan and Monroe that started with a B, I thought maybe I had stumbled across Berghoff's. Long story short, and I feel like I'm confessing here, I had lunch at BENNIGAN'S. I will chalk it up to being to busy to follow up on all of the FT Dining notes and gettting directions.

Needless to say, Michigan Ave is still in class by itself.

G