lohr

We will be staying at the Palmer House Hilton on a Friday night. Does anyone have suggestions for a nearby restaurants and entertainment? We like good atmosphere and food (don't we all!), pub-type, casual, middle of the road cost range. As for entertainment, jazz, blues, or comedy fits the bill.
In terms of nearby to the Palmer, is anything in walking distance? Is it safe to be out walking in this area at night? What is parking like?
Thanks all. The forum question and answers are great.

lohr

This is the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago by the way. Am I correct in saying it's located in the loop?

Kristi

The Palmer House is in the business district of Chicago so people tend to disappear after work hours. Parking in the city tends to be expensive, they may have a discounted rate for people that stay there. Street parking is hard to find and usually comes with restrictions like not being able to park during business hours, usually including Saturday.

You are within walking distance of the Art Institute, the Fine Arts theatre which shows limited run artsy movies, the Shubert Theatre (currently "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is playing, "Annie Get Your Gun" is playing in Oct.), Grant Park, where most of the festivals are held, Jazz Fest looks like it runs from 8/31-9/3. Most of the comedy clubs are located further north and would require some form of transportation.

The only restaurants I've tried near the hotel are both Italian-La Rosetta which I enjoyed, owned by the same people who own Rosebud, and Italian Village, both are on Monroe Street.

lisa

If you want comedy, it is worth the short cab ride to Second City. Good jazz and blues clubs are going to require a cab ride as well.

x

Millers Pub is very near Palmer House. Otherwise, for pub-type places you will need to leave the business district and take a cab.

Sabrina

A second for Miller's Pub. Just next to Miller's Pub there is a Giordano's, which of course has some of the best deep dish pizza in the city. You're also near Italian Village on 71 W. Monroe, which is excellent. I have to put a bid in for another great new Italian restaurant in the South Loop called Gioco, 13th and Wabash. I took my dad there for his birthday and it was outstanding. If you stay in the South Loop you could also hit Buddy Guy's Legends for some blues. Or I would suggest taking a short cab ride to the West Loop corridor. There are tons of great restaurants on West Randolph St.

lisa

Oh my goodness, I forgot about Giordano's -- their spinach pizza is to die for.

Sabrina

My favorite Giordano's pizza is one I made up: Deep dish sausage and shrimp. Mmmm good!

arjay

If you venture into the south loop, past the palmer house, be sure to cab it.

I know this is late...but maybe you're checking in via laptop (yeah, just what you wanna do on vacation!)

Anyway, I just noticed that the Gold Coast Art Fair is going on this w/e...that's always fun...down around the Rush STreet disctrict of chicago. Head for State and Oak and you'll be in the thick of it!.

Sabrina

We're getting a little off the subject here, but I have to say that I'm really a little fed up with the anti-South Loop/South Side bias that I see in posts regarding Chicago on this site. It's a very skewed, very narrow, very small-minded and inaccurate opinion that somehow anything South of downtown is unsafe and you shouldn't dare stroll there. I would tell the person who made the original post to take a cab to the restaurant Gioco if he or she chose to go there because it's kind of a far hike to walk from the Palmer House; not simply because it is the South Loop.

We are doing travelers a disservice, not to mention perpetuating stereotypes, when we give inaccurate and damaging information/impressions about our great city.