FirstTimeToAsia

Hi,
I am planning a girl's weekend trip in July. There will be around 7 or 8 of us and we are looking for a special yet fun restaurant for a nice dinner out. There seems to be so many choices! We are staying at the Avenue Hotel on Huron St--so would like it to be within walking distance if possible. Thanks!!

bniemand

Hi FTTA,
Can you tell us a bit more about what you mean when you say "special yet fun"? You're right, there are many great choices around your hotel location.

It would help if we knew:
Max price per person you're willing to pay?
Cuisine type (Italian? American? French? Steakhouse?)
Contemporary or Traditional?
Elegant/formal or more relaxed?

Good luck with your planning! I planned a girls weekend for 5 a couple of years ago and it's not easy to keep everyone happy!

bniemand

Oh, also, if your group favors cute high-heeled sandals "within walking distance" equals how many blocks?

(Two taxis divided by 8 people is pretty cheap so I wouldn't rule out going a bit farther than walking distance.)

JJ5

Yes. Any fussy eaters in the group? Would you share multi numbers of ethnic plates and sangria, as in a tapas? Price range is important.

FirstTimeToAsia

Ah yes..great questions! We are a high-heeled group (what is a girl's weekend without cute shoes?? We wouldn't mind jumping in a cab if necessary.

Price range is important--I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to try Alinea--but that is out of our price range. Let's say between $50-$70 per person.

Contemporary over traditional and relaxed elegance (dressy jeans allowed). Most of us consider ourselves foodies--so going to a popular restaurant with a well-known chef would be fun (but not absolutely necessary). Hard to answer the cuisine question---most of us like it all. Perhaps not a steakhouse of a straightforward, Americanized Italian place. Sharing plates is fun and a great way to taste various dishes.

Some places I have heard a little about: Publican, North Pond, Urban Belly, Frontera, Topolobampo (sp?), and Cafe des Architects. Don't know much about any of them, but they seem to pop up on various websites.

Would love opinions from locals or people who visit often and know Chicago.

Thanks!!!!!

bniemand

Thanks for the details! This really helps!

All of the restaurants you list are very popular and good choices. Frontera takes very few reservations, so if you want to go there make reservations ASAP or plan on a long wait at their bar (not a bad thing!)

Urban Belly is BYOB, I haven't been there but it gets raves. Publican is great if you are into beer and pork. North Pond is wonderful and elegant but not so much hip/fun.

Here are a few others that meet your description:

Eve (Contemporary American)
http://evechicago.com/

Graham Elliott (Contemporary American)
http://www.grahamelliot.com/

Hub 51 (American)
http://hub51chicago.com/

Sunda (Asian)
http://www.sundachicago.com/

La Madia (Italian, great thin crust pizza)
http://www.dinelamadia.com/

Carnivale (Latin / Spanish)
http://www.carnivalechicago.com/

Province (Contemporary American)
http://provincerestaurant.com/

Coco Pazzo (Italian, but not too traditional)
http://www.cocopazzochicago.com/

Café Iberico (Spanish Tapas)
http://www.cafeiberico.com/

Follia (Italian, very cool interior)
http://www.folliachicago.com/

Aja Steak (Steak, Sushi)
http://www.danahotelandspa.com/restaurant/index.cfm

Let me know if you have any other questions! You guys will have a great time in Chicago.

FirstTimeToAsia

This is fantastic! I can't wait to check out your recommendations! Thanks!

exiledprincess

With all due respect, many of the above places will probably exceed your $50-70 budget range, depending on what you choose. I'll make some suggestions, but they'll probably be higher than your budget (excluding alcohol), but, hopefully, only slightly so.

Please keep in mind, though, that wherever you go, with a group that large, a gratuity of 17%-20% will (no doubt) automatically be included in your bill.

Brasserie Jo on W. Hubbard. The executive chef is Jean Joho (of Everest, one of Chicago's premier restaurants, French). The cuisine of Brasserie Jo is also French, of the Alsatian region. The restaurant is right around the corner from Andy's Jazz Club.

If you were looking for nightlife, as those wearing high-heels often do, you might consider going to Le Colonial, as LePassage is right next door. LePassage is attached to The Drawing Room, which has small plate options available. The consulting chef is Shawn McClain, a James Beard Foundation award winner.

Aria is located in the Fairmont Hotel, over by Millennium Park. Now we are talking fusion comfort food here. Take a look at their website to see their decor, and look at the menus to get ideas of their offerings. If you are looking for something to do in this area afterwards, you are very near the Loop Theatre District and the Jazz Showcase and Buddy Guys Legends are a very short cab ride away.

If you wanted to get out of the Mag. Mile/Loop/River North areas (and I think you should), consider Boka and/or Landmark. Boka is a restaurant (opens at 5 p.m.) and, since 2007, the chef has been Guiseppi Tentori. Many allocades and awards. Landmark Grill & Lounge (which also opens at 5 p.m.), on the other hand, is a nightclub with a restaurant. Both are in the immediate vicinity of the Steppenwolf and Royal George Theatres. You can see photos of Landmark's interior on their website.

Chef Tentori also is the executive chef of Perennial, located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood by the park itself - and I sincerely hope that you choose this option for dining when you are here. The cuisine is American contemporary. Isn't much around it by way of nighttime entertainment though - unless you wanted to cab it over to Second City. Just wonderful food.

Also in this vicinity of Lincoln Park: If you wanted to splurge over that stated budget and go to one of the very best restaurants in Chicago, you could always stop in at L20, in the Beldon-Stratford. They have a 6-course "tete a tete" tasting menu, priced at $90. (They also offer a four-course prix fixe tasting menu at $110 and a 12-course tasting menu at $165.) Laurence Gras is the executive chef.

exiledprincess

Oh, I didn't see your comment about dress ("dressy jeans") above.

Some of these places I've mentioned will be OK and some won't. For example, L20 is elegant - jackets recommended for men.

ChgoGal

Hi FirsttimetoAsia,
I went to BOKA on North HAlsted for my birthday dinner with a bunch of my girlfriends and had the best time. Absolutely wonderful food - extraordinary flavors and beautiful presentation without being pretentious and fussy. Pricey, but I believe you could stay under $70/person (with a glass of wine). Then after dinner, if you skip dessert at Boka, you could stroll up to Armitage to window-peek and get Italian ice or ice cream at Anthony's.

I can recommend Topolabampo and Frontera Grill - wonderful.

I'd pass on Publican for your group - cool decor, food was great, but the place is noisy and uncomfortable. More a place to grab some great beers and snack on appetizers than a sit-down experience with your friends.

I'm sure you'll find the perfect place... so many wonderful restaurants in CHicago. Hope you have a great time!

bniemand

I agree with the comments about Boka. It's a wonderful place, especially if you can get a table outside on their pretty patio.