Chicago this week-deep-dish pizza place with other options
 

Trip has finally come! Diverse group of internet penpals (ladies) meeting for 5 days in Chicago. We're staying at the Homewood Suites. One gal from Ireland insists ona trip to red Lobster. Hopefully, that will be only lunch.Another is craving Pub food- fish and chips. yet another craves pizza...I refuse to eat pizza, can you suggest a place that also serves pasta , etc? Please no Pizzeria Uno, they have that in Louisville, LOL. I also love good Thai food- is there any yummy place close to the hotel that you'd suggest? Any pub favorites?

Star of Siam has good reasonable Thai food and it only a block from your hotel on Illinois. My favorite for deep dish pizza is Lou Malnati's which is only a few blocks from your hotel at Wells & Illinois. There are so many better options than Red Lobster.

Due's (sp?) is down the block from Uno's. The pizza is heaven!

FYI - Due's is the same owner as Uno's.

I second Lou Malnati's on Wells. Great pizza.

I recall that Rosebud (on N. Rush) is a reliably good Italian restaurant-- big portions of tasty pasta.

I shudder that anyone would crave Red Lobster food under any circumstances. There HAS to be a better seafood restaurant somewhere around there...!!

If you feel like French, you could try Bistro 110 (by Water Tower Place). Killer cassoulet (and, if you have very high cholesterol, that could be literal!!).

For Pizza I'd Reccomend Lou Malnati's or Giordanno's

LOL, I'm dreading Red Lobster- but it's a tradition for her when she visits the states. A shame, though, there are SOOO many good restaurants there. I love small ethnic mom and pop places, too. Some of my favorites have been places we sort of stumbled on, actually.

Ate at Giordanno's recently - very good stuffed pizza (a bit different from deep dish, but somewhat similar).

In any event, they definitely had things besides pizza on the menu.

Star of Siam is quite good, and very close. Thai Star Cafe is up the street a little ways, as well.

All the pizza places have a handful of other items on their menus. Please, please don't write off Chicago-style pizza because you've been to a Pizzeria Uno in Louisville (Kentucky, I assume). It's not the same as the real thing.

lexma,
No, I'm not saying it isn't great- I just don't eat it. I'm taking 2 cruises in Sept and January and am trying to lose 8 pounds; pizza just isn't on the plan! My friend who wants pizza is from OK, and I wanted to make sure she had the best available and sometimes chain restaurants don't keep up the quality.

If you can talk your Red Lobster friend out of it, Joe's Stone Crab (not Crab Shack) has great seafood.

Star of Siam is a good option for Thai, You might also have a look at Big Bowl, 2 locations in the city

www.bigbowl.com

The problem with pizza is that the best pizza places in town specialize in pizza and you won't get the best Italian meal. I think the best options for pizza in Chicago are Lou Malnati's for deep dish, Edwardo's or Giordano's for stuffed, lots of people like Gino's East (not the one on Rush St., you want to go to the one on Wells and Ontario). They are all chains but all very good.

Here's an article on fish and chips, the Red Lion and Duke of Perth are up in the Lincoln Park area and would be doable if you were planning on going to the LP Zoo.
http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/s...andchips.story