Sweet Willie

Say what you will about chain or corporate restaurants, some can do good food consistently. A few of the restaurants of the Lettuce Entertain You (LEY) group fit this description.

Just some of the Restaurants that are operated by LEY in the Chicago area:

Tru
Everest
Ambria
Brasserie Jo
Vong’s
Nacional 27
Maggiano’s
Café-ba-ba-reeba
Shaw’s Crab House

Rich Melman is a pretty innovative guy. I generally enjoy my meals at LEY restaurants, they are “safe” bets. One pays for this safeness.

Some of his places are pretty weak IMO such as Ben Pao (the satay bar is very good) and RJ Grunts but then there are some very good places such as Ambria, Brasserie Jo and Tru.

A way to make dining more affordable at LEY restaurants is to wait until December. In December, LEY restaurants provide a $25 bonus gift certificate with the purchase of every $100 worth of certificates.

I personally prefer the small, independent restaurant experience but LEY restaurants can be quite good if you need to take out the “mainstream” diner who wants to go to a name place.

indo79

what about Mon Ami Gabi? I would love to try them. Are they good?

Veronica

I've always enjoyed Mon Ami Gabi with all its hustle/bustle of a typical French bistro. But I've only gone to the Chicago location. The Steak Frites is always good.

hb1

In my experience the LEY places vary in quality.

Tru is fantastic.
Nacional 27 is surprisingly good. I am not sure how authentic it is (sort of Latin Amer. fusion food), but it is tasty.
Bras. Jo and Vongs are variable; not bad, but there are better places to go in Chicago.
Foodlife (a high-end cafeteria-style place) is good and fun if you are on Michigan Ave.
Wildfire is a fun, bustling grilled-food and big-dessert eatery; you will leave smelling like a fireplace, but you will be happy.
Maggianos is a red sauce factory; huge portions at a low price, but you get what you pay for.
Papagus, Ben Pao, and Petterinos have all been disappointing.
I am not sure about the rest.

francophile

Wildfire - overrated
Maggiano's - huge portions of mediocre Italian food
Corner Bakery - good place to get some tasty sandwiches and salads at ok prices
Mon Ami Gabi - pretty good
Papagus - ok Greek food
R.J. Grunts - good service, so-so food

Craig6z

Anybody able to explain who actually controls Corner Bakery, Maggianos, and Big Bowl? My understanding is they were started by LEYE, but the large publically traded restaurant firm - Brinker (NYSE: EAT), seems to now run these properties, at least outside of the Chicago area.

Sweet Willie

Big Bowl IIRC is now back under LEYE umbrella.

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Just read in Chicago Magazine that Ambria will be shut for good by LEY/Melman in June. They will retain the space and open a new restaurant.

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tommy777

Many news with Lettuce Entertain You since 2003...

Here are the ones I have visited the last few years:
Corner Bakery is sold and not a part anymore
Can't believe you forgot Joes Seafood, what an awesome place
I have no problems with the food at Maggianos. I'm just happy if I'm lucky enough to get a table.
Ben Pao is "new", high quality Chinese food
Nacional 27 is a lot of fun and the food is great. Dancing after 11
Babareba is also a lot of fun!
Wildfire is overrated

Here's the complete list of LEYE restaurants:

Ambria® foodlife™ R.J. Grunts®
Antico Posto® Joe's Seafood™ Scoozi!®
Ben Pao® L. Woods® Shaw's Crab House ®
Big Bowl Maggiano's® Tru®
Brasserie Jo® Magic Pan Crepe Stand ™ Tucci Benucch®
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!® Mity Nice Grill® Twin City Grill™
Chi. Flat Sammies® Mon Ami Gabi® Vong's Thai Kitchen ™
Di Pescara™ Nacional 27® Wildfire®
Don & Charlie's® Osteria Via Stato Wow Bao ™
Eiffel Tower® Papagus®
Everest™ Petterino's™

paytonc

Corner Bakery was bought by (surprise!) a private equity group that also owns Il Fornaio. I guess that explains the weird "take a number" system that was instituted at the one in my office building.

Incidentally, Brinker still owns all rights to Maggiano's outside the Chicago area. Not that it seemed special before, but the vast heaving groaning bowls of pasta seem even less special now: just a mile from the Italian Market in Philadelphia, you can eat at a clone of a River North restaurant that's aping a (fictional) Taylor Street establishment. Baudrillard would've loved it, but I don't.

I seek out LEYE spots for dinner twice a year:
- My mom, who managed Chinese restaurants for many years, is consistently amused (in a good way) by LEYE's various attempts at Asian fusion. I'm personally amused by the new downtown Wow Bao; wonder what she'll think of it.
- In July, Brasserie Jo's appetizer menu "follows" the Tour de France around the country, which is a convenient way to experience new regional French cuisine.

I'll give LEYE credit for being good trendspotters: Ba-ba-reeba was among the first in what has become an endless line of tapas/small-plates bars; Osteria Via Stato was the third of what will soon be perhaps a dozen Near North wine bars.

braefoot

Thanks to the OP for this valuable thread for a 1st time visitor going to Chicago.
Margaret

ILuvParis

Hmmm. I have never cared for Nacional 27, but haven't been back in several years. It's predecessor, Hatdance, was one of my favorites. But then, I wasn't blown away by Carnivale (not a Lettuce restaurant) either, as many apparently have.

PrinzII

Some may say that Wildfire is overrated but I disagree. I have had nothing but pleasant experiences there with good quality food.

ILuvParis

I would agree, but I'd pay in cash, at least in Glenview. I paid with a card that I hadn't used in a while. The next day, I had several hundred dollars worth of unauthorized charges.

PrinzII

I never went to the one in Glenview but in Oak Brook Court. Never had those kinds of problems at all.

UNITED959

It's "Oak Brook Centre."