Where would you take 'tourists' to dinner in Chicago...
 

to totally, non-tourist places?

I have some friends coming to town soon...I want to bring them to places that are off the beaten path...

Some that come to mind:

- Meritage Cafe
- Le Bouchon
- Pasteur
- Frontera Grill/Topolobampo (okay, kind of touristy)
- Kaze

Isn't there a restaurant near the top floor of the John Hancock building with panoramic views from the floor-to-ceiling windows?

It's called The Signature Room at the 95th. I can't speak for the food, but I am sure the views are nice.

http://www.signatureroom.com/

I would suggest setting a budget before figuring where you want to go...some reccomendations such as Alinea or Moto can get quite expensive. Others, like Mr. Beef on Orleans are cheap and delicious.

Goodness gracious, have you no couth?

It's Chicago and the Old Chicago Chop House or one of the other "local" (NON-CHAIN) steakhouses is obligatory. They're not traveling to Paris or LA (but could eat steaks at Morton's or S&W or Ruth's Chris elsewhere. I can't remeber the name of the one that occupies 3 sides of a narrow wedge corner several blocks North of the Loop, but I can always find it.

I'd take them to Lou Malnati's. Or to Portillo's.

But that's just me.

Keefer's perhaps?

I recommend it.

If you're going to go to the Signature Room, I'd recommend going for lunch. My opinion is that it's not worth it for dinner. Lunch is reasonably priced at the Signature Room, but dinner is expensive. You can look at the menu for exact prices. The dinner prices aren't ridiculous, but in my opinion, for the amount of money you'd spend having dinner at the signature room, I'd think you'd be better off going somewhere else. For example, the menu on their website shows a $40 New York Strip Steak. I've never had that at the Signature Room, but I bet the steak is better at Gibson's, Morton's, or Ruth's Chris.

How about White Castle? :p

I suggest Spiaggia or Cafe Spiaggia, since I'm thinking Italian food today (along with the sliders). Nice location and views, and still getting good reviews..

I'll speak for the food, The Signature Room is VERY mediocre and is WAY WAY WAY overpriced. Go to the 96th for drinks & view, but steer clear of the 95th restaurant.

My personal belief when it comes to food is to experience regional/local dishes/items that one can't get anywhere else or at the least are not executed well in other parts of the U.S. Next would be top notch restaurants of Chicago that have some very talented chefs.

For Chicago:
Italian Beef Sandwiches
PAN pizza (not stuffed)
Chicago Hot Dogs
A steakhouse
Mexican Taqueria or for an upscale Mexican place like Frontera Grill, Salpicon, Chilipanqo(sp?), etc.
Vietnamese (Argyle Street)
Indian (Devon)

Some top restaurants that have some of Chicago's best chefs might include: Arun's, Avec, Tru, Alenia, Spring, Blackbird


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You might be thinking of Gene & Georgettis? For steak, you're spot on about the non-chain local steakhouses.

For Italian...Taylor Street

There are some really great local places that don't have to scream "tourist!!!" Just helps to know a bit more about what you're really looking for w/r/t types of food & budget

off the beaten path? ;)

Breakfast Club (breakfast, duh)
Rosded (Thai food)
Gin Go Gae (Korean)
Renga Tei (Japanese)
Tre Kronor (Swedish)

Weiner's Circle!

Seriously though, Flat Top Grill is a FT favourite (we had a lunch there today!).

As for the steak houses, I'm sure they're all great. Frontera Grill is excellent, there are many, many local "authentic" Mexican places (El Mariachi on Broadway).

There are also some standards -- Mon Ami Gabi at the Belmont/Stratford in Lincoln Park is a fun Lettuce Entertain You French bistro; Ambria next door is wonderful, and they don't bat an eyelid if you go in black tie. North Pond Cafe is hit or miss IMHO. And X/O on Halsted is amazing, but if you're planning on eating there during the Gay Games, reserve!

I like the Signature Room for brunch, and have had a lovely dinner there (though I didn't see the bill). It is a great view.

Signature Room is definitely a tourist trap. Good to go there for a drink to appreciate the view, but dining is certainly not their specialty.

I forget about Salpicon and Chilipacigno (sp? :D ) -- those places are great.

Chillpancingo is gone. It closed I believe in May.

I agree with the Signature Room lunch suggestion and it is worth asking for and waiting to get a table by a window(preferably lakeside). Yes, the food isn't all that great - but you can't beat the view and it's just lunch!

Personally, I say skip the food here...go up at night and have a few drinks. Celeb spottings are common, and I think the city's night lights are impressive.

My two bits:

- Meritage Cafe: Yummy, I enjoy dining on the patio on Summer evenings.
- Le Bouchon: Typical Bistro Fare, Dont get me wrong it's good, just there are many like it with less stuffiness.
- Pasteur: I like it, but are your guests open minded?
- Frontera Grill/Topolobampo (okay, kind of touristy): I like Adobo Grill better myself (less commercial feeling) and there's one is Wicker Park as well.
- Kaze: haven"t tried it yet


Of those 5, my favorite is Meritage. Here are a few others for your short list:
LeLan
Spring
Nine (yeah, I like the eye candy with my red meat)

Off the beaten path, there are quite a few good restaurants out there...

I visited the Green Zebra last week--excellent vegetarian food, along with a few meat selections (usually a chicken and a fish). A hip restaurant with attentive service on North Avenue, a short drive or cab ride from the Loop. While one can sometimes walk in, it's much better to reserve ahead:

www.greenzebrachicago.com

Because Chicago is such a great food town, unless you are looking for a specific signature Chicago restaurant, the Chicago Reader is a great online source for reviews searchable by cuisine, location, etc. This might be a good choice if you have guests who love food.

www.chicagoreader.com

On the casual side of things on the north side, Julius Meinl is an Austrian coffee house that has great coffee, a limited but good selection of dinner items (so one could have a tasty casual dinner there, if desired), its own pastry chef (think excellent pastries/desserts, such as one might hope to find in one of the old Viennese or Budapest coffee houses), and some music on Friday and Saturday evenings. No need to reserve.

http://www.meinl.com/southport/home.html

And if your guests are staying a bit west, towards Oak Park/Forest Park, La Piazza is a great choice for innovative & sometimes experimental Italian cuisine--plus there are a bar and jazz/music stage in the basement (call to see who will be playing--the customers downstairs tend to be there for the music and also have a drink, rather than coming there to drink). All of the food, from the pasta to the prosciutto, is made in the restaurant, and Chef Gaettano is often trying out a new idea. Because of the restaurant's popularity, reservations should be made ahead. One can take the el to the Des Plaines stop (or another line to the Harlem stop) and walk, but it is a bit of a hike--better to drive, if possible:

http://www.piazzacafe.com/

There are plenty of excellent Chicago restaurants other than those, of course...

-Hayden

It's on Chicago Avenue, but I'm willing to pardon the "out-of-towner." :D :D

I see this thread is a couple weeks old. Have the tourists come and gone? If so, where'd you take them?

My aunt was in town recently for a couple days, and she wanted ethnic food that she can't readily get in her neck of the woods ("down by the shore" NJ, about an hour from Manhattan and Philadelphia). We didn't want to break the bank, so we headed to Ethiopian Diamond on N. Broadway, "Little" Three Happiness in Chinatown and Perez on W. Randolph. Pasteur and any number of Indian restaurants up on Devon were also under consideration.

No wonder it was closer to the Loop than I thought. :) Chicago and Ashland, I guess.

It had been a couple years since I'd been by the Cabrini Green area, and although I knew there have been big changes there, it was something of a shock to see that the Cabrini DMZ near the old Montgomery Ward buildings is now redeveloped condos.

-Hayden

They'll be here next week.

Uniquely Chicago--Lunch at Hot Doug's.

Al's #1 Italian Beef on W. Ontario & Superdawg on N. Milwaukee. The original Pizzeria Uno is near Ontario & State. If you want Indian, you may want to try Gaylord's at 678 N. Clark.

I second Hot Doug's! ^

I took some visting friends to May Street Market last month and they (and I) really enjoyed it. Good food, good wine, nice ambience.

Are you seriously serious? I guess I can't speak to the Chicago Flat Top Grill, but there is one here in Fort Wayne that's TERRIBLE! I *always* have mystery food that comes off the grill that I did NOT put in my bowl. I am allergic to mushrooms. The last time I went there, I used the "white stick" for food allergies, because I'd been getting mystery food on a pretty consistent basis. Well, even with the "food allergy" stick, I still got a mushroom in my food somehow.

Thier advertising slogan is "What's in your bowl?" And every time, it's a mystery!!

Anyway, personally, I would stay away from Flat Top Grill.

To answer my OP, we went to Volare and Meritage. Had great meals at both.

Hey chigoeditor - is Ehtiopian Diamond the same place that used to be Addis Ababa?

Either way, was it any good?

Ethiopian in Chicago
 

Mams's is my favorite


Mama Desta's Red Sea
3216 N. Clark St., Chicago
Tel: (773) 935-7561

mmm...I tried Lou Malnati's when I came down for a Saturday and it was VERY good -It was a little bit of an uncomfortable walk from the el at night though (I didn't realize the Loop got so deserted at night)

No, it's not what used to be Addis Ababa (that was closer to Wrigley Field but has just reopened in Evanston where New Japan used to be located). But Ethiopian Diamond was great when I was there. I've always been a Mama Desta's fan, but I think I'll move my business to Ethiopian Diamond...the menu is larger, the space is much nicer, the staff was as friendly if not friendlier and the food was great.

Oooh... not a fan, personally.

Never happens to me at FTG on West Washington. My bowl comes back with my bowl stuff in it, and no surprises. What's more, we're there for the lunch rush and I'm amazed I get my bowl at all, with so much going on at the grill, but it always does and it's always delicious (ok, not always, sometimes I experiment a bit too much).

Do you like Greek? On Halsted there is a place called Athena's. Free valet parking and a menu and service level you would enjoy.

Can no longer recommend Blackbird. Blackbird, the restaurant that throws too many items into the pot, complex does not always make better IMO and last night confirmed my personal belief that Blackbird is too complex for their own good. I had not been for quite a few years. Went last night with my parents as my Mom had wanted to go to Blackbird for awhile. Dined on the following.

crispy confit of swan creek farm suckling pig with cavollo nero, shaved chiogga beets, horseradish and banylus vinegar, so good we ordered two, but could have done without the cavollo nero, it did not add but subracted.

braised octopus with fresh hummus, charred ramps, sesame brittle and chickpeas, VERY tender and flavorful octopus but the rest, ehh.

sauteed maryland soft shell crab with smoked onions, roasted beets, horseradish cream and juniper, parents both had this dish and did not share so I'm assuming good.

sauteed wild king salmon with local asparagus, candied black olives, saffron caviar and califlower almond puree. overcooked salmon, seemed like something off of a steam table.

roasted half grimaud farms muscovy duck breast and confit with fresh hearts of palm, mustard greens, pepperoncini and amaro. excellent

slow roasted sunset farm baby lamb with fried moels, favas, herbed ricotta, spring radishes and wild flower honey. excellent but lamb was VERY rare when MR was requested.

braised pork belly and knackwurst 'choucroute' with fingerlings, crunchy sauerkraut and celery root puree. Knackwurst seemed store bought, nothing special. Pork belly was delicious.

buckwheat 'crepaze' with rhubarb consomme, candied celery and sicilian pistachio ice cream. Excellent crepaze with carmelized sugar coating the individual layers of the crepaze, skip the candied celery.

meyer lemon mousse with white chocolate, anise and winter citrus - nothing special, very so-so.

I had the cheese course, only standout on its own was the blue persille de malzieu, outstanding.
capriole farms 'julianna' - goat's milk, greenville, indiana - with pickled grapes
colorouge- cow's milk, fort collins, colorado- with plum mostarda
big bang -raw cow's milk, westfield vermont - with candied kumquats
hopeful tomme-raw cow's and goat's milk, thomasville, georgia -with smoked almonds
persille de malzieu- sheep's milk, france- with caramelized onions

Service was good until the dessert course, then forgotten coffee, forgotten liquors, etc etc. Very much solidified my not returning.

--

I can't believe this restaurant has been around for so long. It's been a good 4 years since I've been...there are too many other places to try.

OMG how much did you spend at Blackbird?

4+ bills, as a family we LOVE wine and always order 2 different bottles to start so that is a fixed cost ;) Pop treated this time, I get to treat for upcoming Father's Day at Osteria di Tramonto http://www.cenitare.com/
We've dined at RT lounge and it was wonderful, looking forward to this place even though I'm not a big fan of Italian.

If you havent been, try Zealous. I was amazed at how great the food was.

I was going to write this long diatribe, but I'm just not enough of a foodie. I'd be curious to hear others thoughts:

• I love the Charlie Trotters 'experience', but have gotten sick each time I've eaten there (maybe 3?). I'm assuming that it's just because some of the ingredients don't agree with me; nobody else got sick. I also find eating there a bit of a chore at this point given that so many of their favorite dishes are fish and squab. While they're clearly prepared in the best ways possible, if you're not a fan of those fare, it's just not the same dining experience as eating something you crave.

• By contrast, I absolutely LOVED Tru. I found the menu much more mainstream, and the focus on dessert made the entire experience that much more fun.