Categories:
1. Places to meet people for a "nice" dinner
2. Places to grab a meal, with or without friends; not fancy
3. Places to drink
Blackbird, on Randolph just east of the expressway. Expensive, but some of the very best food in town; and excellent service. And my daughter works there!
Southcoast, on Michigan at 17th Street or so. Really good sushi and a surprisingly nice but "hip" atmosphere. Tables spaced well; a good bar; nice but not overpowering music. Service is only a "B."
Chez Joel, Taylor just east of Racine. A true French restaurant. Excellent food, attentive service, reasonable prices.
Clarke's on 53rd Street. "Oh, my! You should eat!" I got to know this diner when my daughter Jessica was at Northwestern and we'd meet for breakfast once in a while. Now it has a Hyde Park version, identical in all the important respects: open 24 hours, and the best pancakes anywhere. Also wonderful sweet potato French fries.
Osteria Via Stato on State near Grand (in the Doubletree Hotel, technically)
Riccardo's, on Clark near Dickens (or is it Webster? or are those my dogs?)
Kasey's 701 S. Dearborn (OK, it's just a bar; but Sarah will order you whatever you want from Hackney's, down the street, or from Bar Louie (ditto); and Flaco's Tacos is right there, too.
La Scarola, on Grand just east of Halsted/Milwaukee. Noisy and crowded; but some of the best Italian food around.
Plymouth, on Plymouth, naturally, just north of the Van Buren Street El Tracks. Diner, with a nice rooftop bar in summer.
May Street Grill, RIP
Carmine's on Rush. Sit outside, of course!
Perennial, where Lincoln Avenue begins, at Clark and Wells. Beautiful people. Update summer 2011: closed, to open under new management.
Raj Darbar, on Halsted a couple blocks south of Diversey. Neighborhood Indian food; straightforward and devoid of atmosphere, but good. Update 11/4/2011: new decor, and the food is still good. But the waiter, who, I am sure, was not a waiter at all, maintained that although they had gin, they didn't have martinis. And the service was mediocre at best. For now, I'm putting this down to a staff problem: somebody didn't show up, and the owner was pressed into a very unfamiliar role.
Nookies, in Old Town and in Boys Town. Quality diner.
The Medici, of course, on 57th.
The Golden Nugget, Clark south of Diversey. Ultimate neighborhood diner.
Le Colonial, on Rush. French-Vietnamese, and spectacular. Sometimes I just stop upstairs at the bar for a Vietnamese coffee. Wonderful.
Balsan, in the Elysian hotel at State & Walton. Great food; still trying to find it's atmosphere; moving (in mid-2011) more towards trendy & consequently a noisier atmosphere, with background music. Menu is not large but is surprisingly varied; and the quality is uniformly very high. Look at Yelp! for some caveats relating to the service; but that has not been my experience.
Sushi Samba, on Wells a few blocks north of the river. Atmosphere! and Excellent food.
312, on LaSalle at Randolph.
Whiskey, on Rush, on summer late afternoons & evenings. Outside only!
Manny's, on Clinton a few steps north of Roosevelt. In a class by itself.
Valois, on 53rd; what Manny's would be if it couldn't be Manny's.
Wildfire, on Erie at about Orleans. When you want a steak.
Jimmy's, on 55th. A legend.
P. F. Chang's, on Wabash at about Grand. Sure, it's a touristy chain; but really good quality Chinese food.
Vermillion, on Hubbard just west of State. Really expensive; but really good Indian/South American fusion.
Klay Oven, on Orleans a block or two north of the river. Good Indian food.
Nacional 27, Huron west of Franklin. Sorta south-of-the-border; good atmosphere and really good food. Used to be called "Hat Dance."
Tempo, on State at Chestnut. Diner food.
Sayat Nova, Ohio east of Michigan. I admit I haven't been there in years; but it's really good Turkish/Armenian (hold the genocide) food.
West Egg, on Fairbanks at, I think, Ohio. Diner, with long lines on weekends.
Big Bowl. The one at Rush, State, & Cedar has more atmosphere in the summer; but the one on Ohio at about Dearborn is also really good; oriental food.
Oysy, on Grand at Dearborn (or so) and on Michigan at 8th Street. Excellent sushi.
Indian Garden, upstairs on Ohio near Fairbanks. Good Indian food, Slightly odd atmosphere; very solicitous owner. don't try to slide your drink on the plastic-covered table; it'll catch, and spill.
Sunda, on Illinois between Clark & LaSalle (or maybe Dearborn & Clark). Beautiful people; big, busy, wonderful high-class Asian food; nice people.
Fogo da Chao, LaSalle ab about Erie. The original Brazilian meat-graze place, with probably the biggest salad bar in the city. Hard not to over-eat. The best meat you can find, and all you can eat of a dozen different kinds. This one is a chain, also; but so what?
Coco Pazzo, on St. Clair at roughly Ontario --very near Northwestern Hospital. A no-nonsense place, but convivial. Good Italian food, if a limited menu.
Shanghai Terrace, in the Peninsula Hotel. Eat outside, in summer, on the terrace maybe 6 or 8 floors off the street. Wonderful, expensive food. Outstanding service. Great drinks.
Bistrot Margot, Old Town. Excellent French food. Indifferent, if friendly, service.
Yoshi's Cafe, Boys Town. Very good food, with a good variety; attentive service, uncrowded inside and delightful, in summer, in the outside seating area, no matter that it's on the curb.
Prasino's, about 2100 Division Street. Lively, nice atmosphere if a bit noisy. Food is good to very good, service ditto. Drawback: they have an odd conceit about localism when it comes to alcohol. No familiar bar brands (at least, not my brands); their substitutes are inferior.
