Cocktails and Dinner (Please help plan my Chicago trip)
 

We'll be travelling to Chicago in June for a long weekend. We are in our late 30's/early 40's and are staying at the Hotel Amalfi. Our husbands plan to catch a Cubs game (the purpose of our visit. But I am looking for your favorites:

1) Bar

(Not into loud clubs - The Signature Room is on the top of our list. We don't really care about prices. We'll go anywhere for a good drink in a nice bar)

2) Steakhouse

3) Chicago Pizza

4) Greek Restaurant

I've been scouring the web, but it's so overwhelming.

I'd appreciate any input. Thanks in advance.

Chicago steakhouses have been discussed here many, many times. If you search up top for chicago steak you'll get lots of opinions.

Same for pizza. My favorite so far is Giordano's. Not a big fan of Gino's. Lou Malnotti's was good. Haven't had Uno's or Due's in Chicago in about 10 years, but have enjoyed Uno's elsewhere, though not nearly as much as the others I mentioned.

Though it's a restaurant, and I'm not sure if they have a bar, margaritas and the tequila selection are tops at Adobo Grill in Old Town.

Steakhouse - Las Tablas is my favorite, but Chicago Chop House and Gibson's are good also.

Chicago Pizza - Lou Malnati's deep dish buttercrust with sausage and mushrooms. None others even come close.

Greek Restaurant - Greek Islands.

1. Favorite Bar: Pops for Champagne/Star Bar

2. Steakhouse: Tango Sur (go west from Wrigley Field 5-6 blocks to N. Southport, turn right (north) go 3 blocks, just past The Music Box theatre).

3. You didn't ask for this, but I'll throw it in for your consideration - If you don't want to go to Tango Sur for dinner, there's a nice sidewalk cafe area just to the east of Halsted on Cornelia - Cornelia's (Italian). Will warn you, you are right in the "Boystown" district there but the clientele is mixed. It's a nice place to sit in the sun after the game on a warm evening.

4. Lastly, don't know which weekend you are coming, but the Gay Pride Parade is the last Sunday of June. It's a hoot to watch, but traffic gets really snarled up from it.

Have fun.

P.S. In post above, "warn" is a poor choice of words on my part, I should have said "wanted to mention to you". Sorry.

Have you checked out Metromix? Great reviews of restaurants...you can do a search by type of cuisine. http://www.metromix.com

Narcisse on Clark by Huron is one of my all-time faves. No sign on the door...just look for the champagne-colored awning. Given your taste in bars...you might want to check out bars like Tavern on Rush in the Gold Coast.

Steakhouse...there's Morton's (very good) in the Gold Coast, Gene & Georgetti's in River North, Carmine's by me in the West Loop, I'd avoid Gibson's (way overrated). Also, I really like Wildfire a lot.

Chicago pizza...I'm a Chicago native born and raised, and number one deep dish is Giordano's, followed by Gino's East. (Gino's by Michigan Ave. is a fun place for tourists to go with it's graffitti-laden dive atmosphere.) Stay away from Uno's and Due's...no self-respecting Chicagoan ever eats at either of those. (If you walk by there, you'll note that most everyone coming and going from there is an out-of-towner.)

Greek restaurant...Greek Isles is good. Also, in June it will hopefully be nice out (keeping my fingers crossed for a decent summer), so Athena has an awesome outdoor seating area with a great view of the Chicago skyline.

I don't know if you're into Italian, but we have plenty of great ones here. Hope that helps.

Steakhouse-for a casual reasonably priced steak, Wildfire is my favorite, they have a horseradish crusted filet that is awesome. If prime rib is your thing, Lawry's does it well. The Chophouse is good. I've actually never been to Gibson's or Morton's, just can't bring myself to pay that much for a meal. Just a note on Tango Sur, it's several miles from downtown, it's BYOB and doesn't take reservations. We were there a couple of weeks ago, our friends are still raving about it, we thought it was good.

Chicago Pizza-there are two kinds, deep dish, where all the ingredients are on top of the pizza and stuffed, where the ingredients are baked under the crust. For deep dish, I really like Lou Malnati's on Wells in River North. I love Pizzeria Uno's Chicago Classic pizza (sausage and fresh tomatoes) but I usually get it from the suburban locations as the one downtown always has a wait. You might try Due's instead, very close by and the same owners. For stuffed pizza, you can't go wrong with either Giordano's or Edwardo's. I haven't been to Gino's in years, do NOT go to the one on Rush Street, the Gino's East that is famous is now on Wells and Ontario.

Greek-head over to Greektown, my personal favorite is Greek Islands, Santorini is good if you are looking for fish, their specialty.

1) Bar - I'm a big fan of Fulton Lounge...which you may want to try after you head to Greek Town (955 W. Fulton Market)

2) Steakhouse - I'm a big fan of Capital Grille (going there tonight for my B-Day actually ;-) ) I know it gets mixed reviews, but I've never had a bad meal there, ever. Also, Nine is nice, a good place to go - good appetizers...not a big fan of their duck there, I wasn't aware that people really do eat rare duck, lol...sooo get the steak!

3) Chicago Pizza - Pequods... I don't care what anyone else recommends, Pequods is a MUST...it's truly amazing and they have a pretty good salad there as well! I suggest pepperoni only and don't overload on toppings, there's just something about their pepperoni, it's nice deep dish, carmelized cheese onthe crust, oh man...maybe I want Pequods ofr my B-Day dinner instead ;-)

4) Greek Restaurant - I'm gonna suggest a lunch type place first (even though they do serve dinner, unfortunatly the service there at night is complete crap, lol), Artopolis, it's great, have good sandwiches, decent priced..have yummy artopita and individual pizzas too actually - but with interesting toppings, not your typical pizzas. Then dinner wise, I like Greek Islands and Rodity's...I will say that sometimes service isn't so great at either of those, but other times it's fantastic...but really, you're going for the food and it's good at both of those places!

If you enjoy Sushi...I could suggest Sushi Wabi which isn't too far from the Fulton Lounge I suggested...I'd be glad to help you with any other food ideas, etc!

I'll second the Capital Grille.

I'm not a big steakhouse person, but in the past year, for business, I took groups to Morton's, Gibson's and the CG. They are all excellent, if you like pounds of meat for dinner, but I give CG the edge for having a better decor/atmosphere. It's clubby but open, whereas Morton's, for example, is a cave. CG is newer, too.

Where ever you go, be prepared to part with some serious bucks.

I forgot to mention cocktails.

One of my favorite places for a little upscale hour or two is the lounge/bar off MoMi in the Park Hyatt. It's gorgeously decorated (modernist) and when you order a glass of wine they bring out the bottle and pour it for you at your seat. Very "classy," ya know? (BTW, I wouldn't bother with NoMi; apart from the view of the Water Tower, should you be lucky enough to be seated near the gigantic picture window, the food and service are lackluster.)

For a cozier bar, I like Stefani's at Hubbard and Rush. The big mural behind the bar is a kick and repays attention, and the tall tables are linen-draped. Friendly staff. (If you're tempted to eat there, I've never had a better Alaskan king crab dinner. It's not as popular as Shaw's or Joe's Steak & Crab down the street, but I think the food is better than both.)

I am surprised no one mentioned Keefer's right in your hotel. They have great steaks among other good food. For Greek, I really like Athena in the summer. They have a pretty outdoor patio. For pizza, my favorite is Lou Malnati's if you want a Chicago deep dish pizza. If you can get tickets to a Cubs game, there are many good restaurants in the area. I really like Francesca's and Tuscany for Italian or Platiyo and El Jardin for Mexican. Platiyo is more upscale Mexican and not traditional but it is very good and also has a beautiful patio outside. If you like Cajun, Heaven on Seven is close to Wrigley and is also pretty good. If you go to the Signature Room, try to go early there is usually a long line to go up there later in the evening.

I meant to mention whereever you go make reservations early. Many of the steakhouse like Gibson's and Wildfire you need to make the reservations a few weeks ahead of time. However, I also think Gibson's is way overrated.

Hi!

1. I am from Chicago and going home next week. My husband, who is British always wants to go the Signature Bar for drinks. Anytime I had friends visit, it was always one of the highlights of their tip. You will enjoy the view. I also like Ghost Bar on Randolph.


2. My favorite Steakhouse (both are chains) are Smith and Wollensky and Ruth's Chris. You can't go wrong at either. Like others have said Gibson's is so overrated.

3. As for pizza, I have never liked Gino's. I love Edwardo's spinach pan pizza and Lou Malnalti's as mentioned before. Giordano's is very good. Connie's Pizza on Archer is very, very good, but the location is not easy to reach unless driving.

4. I used to live near Greektown and my hand's down favorite is Pegasus. The food is so good.

Enjoy your trip!

Frontera Grille makes the absolute best margaritas ever! Be warned, they pack a punch and sneek up on you. The food's great too but you didn't mention eating Mexican.

Greektown- We love Roditys and Pegasus!

Gino's is an overrated tourist trap with lousy pizza. Your first choice should be Giordano's, though Uno's or Connies would be fine choices as well. The Archer location is actually pretty easy to reach, just take the No. 62 Archer bus, which runs frequently 24hrs. a day from downtown. It's not far from Chinatown if you want to go for a stroll after. Also nearby is the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Pilsen, which is awesome. If you're looking for something different to do, you might go there before dinner. Take the Ashland Ave. bus, which interesects with Archer.

Gino's is still waaaaay better than Uno's, which has the worst crust ever. And I don't think any locals actually go to Uno's. Edwardo's is good, as is Lou Malnati's, but we're not big fans of the latter's sausage "sheet" (what is with that?). My #1 fave is definitely Giordano's. Best sauce, crust, as well as cheese to crust to sauce to ingredients ratio.

As someone else pointed out there are two types of pizza: deep dish and stuffed. I'm not a huge fan of stuffed, too much cheese. I've literally choked on the pizza at Giordano's. The best stuffed I've had is at a local dive called Manzo's, but deep dish is still my favorite. I really would not recommend Edwardo's. I don't know any actual Chicagoans who eat there, mostly suburbanites who don't have many other choices. Gino's was good a LONG time ago, but no more. Uno's and Due's are for tourists. You can get Uno's in Boston, no need to waste your time in Chicago there.

really...seriously...you want Pequods! ;-)

I can't think of a single pizza that compares...for goos thin crust, I like Tony & Lil's way up in Portage Park...but we'll drive there if we're craving a yummy thin crust!

Hi! I live in Chicago and can suggest a couple places in the general area. The Signature Room is nice, but can sometimes be very empty. The view is great though. Any one of the bigger hotels on Michigan Avenue will have a nice bar, usually with some jazz music. My favorite for this type of experience would have to be the Peninsula Hotel bar. It just 'feels' nice there. If you're willing to travel further away from your hotel, there are a million other places that would fit the bill.
As far as pizza, I'm a big fan of a place called My Pie on Clark St in Lincoln Park. I've just never really liked any of our pizza 'institutions' all that much (i.e. Gino's, Uno/Due, Giordano's, Malnati's).
Greek food--I would have to say Pegasus. They also have a fabulous rooftop deck/bar with a view for appetizers and cocktails. Service is also top notch. Athena is also great for dining al fresco--they have a huge beautiful patio. I do like the food at Pegasus better though.

Let me know if you'd like other recommendations!

I second syd's recommendations for margaritas at Fronterra Grille. I also agree that Keefers is a good restaurant. Nine is hip and lively (and good food) with also a good bar scene and a champagne bar in the center too. I also found the bar at the Sofitel hotel to be pretty cool. I don't think you could ever go wrong with Morton's, Capital Grille, the Palm, or Ruth's Chris...but they have them in so many cities, so if you go to those restaurants at home I'd try something new!

My husband likes Eli's for steak, which is next to the Water Tower, I like Smith & Wollensky because the food is great and the restaurant is on the river, so make a reservation, and request a table by the window.
Greek Isles. or Athena.
We always take our out of town guests to the 96th Floor of the John Hancock building for drinks and the view of the entire city. Hope that helps.

Although I could start an argument over some of the posts, I won't. Rather, I will try to make some recs that are within walking distance of your hotel, rather than sending you off into the neighborhoods.

1) Bar
Rockit which is on Hubbard (one block north from Amalfi). The upstairs can get very loud, but the downstairs is much quieter.

O'Callaghan's is just a good old Irish bar across from Rockit.

The Casbah at the House of Blues Hotel. It's in the Hotel mind you, not in the HOB itself. Live music at night with no cover. Definitely stick your head in here. Avoid the Backporch at HOB.

For something different, directly above the Casbah is 10 Pin. Yes it's a bowling alley, but with a very upscale lounge.

Smith and Wollensky. You can sit outside by the River if the weather is nice. See if the bartender named "Shawn" is working. He is a riot. If Shawn is not upstairs, he may be downstairs at Wollensky's Grill.

Finally, Petterino's on Dearborn and Randolph which is about 3-4 blocks south of the Amalfi. This is another place where the bartender is the real draw. "Ed" is considered one of the best in the City, as is Shawn at S & W. I truly appreciate the work of a genuine professional bartender rather than some 20-something hottie pouring beer (I appreciate them in a different way).

2) Steakhouse
S & W, Ruth's Chris, Sullivan's, Keefer's are all within a stone's throw. Stefani's and Morton's are also close. Morton's just opened a new location on Wacker. Most steakhouses in the City get their meat from one of two main purveyors, so they all really are pretty equal -even the chains. Keefer's is very good but bring money. $9 for soup.
A bit further, but only about 4 blocks is Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab on Grand and Wabash. They have something for everyone. Took my parents there in December and they still rave about it.
Finally, if you want to experience a meat orgy, try Fogo de Chao at 661 N. LaSalle St., probably a 6 block walk. All you can eat Brazilian churrascaria. I would recommend a late lunch there. The lunch has the same menu as dinner, but it's abut $20 cheaper than dinner. Plus, I find that I need the rest of the day to burn off all that meat before bed.

3) Pizza
Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as the quintessential Chicago pizza. It can be thick or thin, stuffed or deep dish. Lou Malnati's, Uno or Due, Gino's East are all good and I eat at all of them, but it's really what the tourists eat and then think of as "Chicago pizza". If you want to avoid the tourist crowds I would suggest Bella Bacino's at 75 E. Wacker Drive. It's right next to Hotel 71. About a three block walk from the Amalfi. A little place on the south side of the River that has great thin or stuffed pizza. I wouldn't get anything other than pizza and a salad though. My second choice would be Malnati's. It's about 3 or 4 blocks west of the Amalfi on Wells.

4) Greek
Although you could walk to Greektown, I suggest a cab. I've been to every place on Halsted and the best are Costa's, Santorini, and Greek Islands. Costa's and Santorini are more sedate while at the Islands you can get drunk and boisterous without raising any eyebrows. A fun time. You can eat outside at Athena, but the food is a notch below the others I mention.

Hope this helps, for more research check out metromix.com.
Please report back after your trip. I am interested in your feedback.

Buzzer: Do you know - Is that the original mural at Stefani's - the one from when it was Riccardo's? (Several different panels by several artists.)

As a regular visitor to Chicago, I'll mainly weigh in on cocktails....many of the hotels have very nice, relaxing bars and good people watching. Some of my favorites are the NoMi in the Hyatt off Michigan and the Peninsula Bar.

Rush/Division Area: Sofitel Hotel's Le Bat Bar and the Sutton Place Bar (which is a Whiskey/Randi Gerber bar) These last two lounges are within walking distance of each other.....also in this area are numerous bars and restaurants such as Tavern on Rush, wine bars (Cru?), etc. One of the top steak restaurants is located here as well.

The following list should be fairly close to you but not as far as the Rush/Division area. Although you mentioned steaks, etc. one of our favorite places for drinking and dining is Tizzi Meloul which is mediteranean (may be spelled wrong) or Fontera Grill -- a Chicago institution for unique Mexican food and margaritas. Rockit Bar is a new hot spot listed on your hotel site -- I wouldn't call this quiet but it has two levels of bars and gets quite the crowd. Also near to your hotel for cocktails or food is the new Blue Water Grill (formerly Spago's), Ben Pao's (chinese but good bar), and Brasserie Jo (french). The last group I mentioned are all fairly close to one another and may be walkable if the weather is nice.

Lastly, check Metromix and search what is around your hotel. Good luck and enjoy Chicago!