Chicago food help

[Edonidd]

I think I asked for opinions here or maybe in the main forum last year, but I don't remember what people said.

This Wednesday I'm going to a stupid convention in Chicago with a bunch of people from work. We have a schedule to follow but we do get about 2.5 hours for dinner at like 3:30 pm. Last year all the freaking women wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory. I'm not riding a bus for 5 hours to the best food city in America and walking 10 miles around McCormick Place for 4 more hours just to eat at a chain restaurant. I had one girl who wanted to at least go get sushi, but she "didn't think her husband would approve of her going out to eat with another man." And nobody else would go with. I finally convinced a couple people to go with me to Giordano's for pizza.

This year I don't care if I have to go alone. I'm eating something good.

We're getting dropped off downtown near the water tower at sometime around 3-3:30 and getting picked back up at 6 sharp. Miss the bus and I figure out my own way home. I don't know everyone even on the bus, so no idea how many may or may not come with me. So no reservation. Plus it's late lunch or super early dinner mid week, so hopefully not needed. I'd really like a big fat Chicago dry aged steak. But the only steakhouse I know is in the area is Ditka's and I know they're one of the few places that wet age their steaks. Oh, and I don't want to chance it with taxis or uber. Walking distance is greatly preffered. If there is anything really great in the area I want to know, even if it's not steakhouse.

 

[Omar 382]

Only been in Chicago once. Don't know what you're looking for (I'm too lazy to read through this), but I remember going to Geno's and Lou Minnito's (sp?) for pizza. Both were great, but Geno's was much better, and they had tons of other good looking food

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Francesca's on Chestnut

 

[Edonidd]

I usually take the kids to Chicago at least once a year to go to Shedd's and/or the Field Museum, and that always involves pizza. Geno's is good, Giordano's is better. They like "neighborhood style" or Chicago thin crust, so that's what we usually get. I'd love to try Lou Malnatti's sometime, I hear great things. But this year I want something more than pizza.

Although somebody on facebook the other day was saying something about pizza pot pie in chicago and it was some new thing even better than deep dish. I could definitely be convinced to try that. If I don't try walking to Burke primehouse or w/e with his Himalayan salt block dry aging that I've wanted to try for so long.

 

[outofyourmind]

all the freaking women wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory.

What the fuck is wrong with people.

and by people, I mean women

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

I haven't been to Chicago in a number of years...But hopefully this list can help you at least a little...

The 38 Essential Chicago Restaurants, Fall 2016

 

[Edonidd]

I haven't been to Chicago in a number of years...But hopefully this list can help you at least a little...

The 38 Essential Chicago Restaurants, Fall 2016

I looked at a couple lists too. But I don't know the city all that well, I have no idea what's walking distance from the water tower.

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

I looked at a couple lists too. But I don't know the city all that well, I have no idea what's walking distance from the water tower.

Maybe check out Yelp??? Put in the general address you'll be at and it should give you all of the best options in the area. Of course, some will just be deli's and things like that, but you should be able to find something really good that way...

 

[moxie]

On my To Do list next time I'm in Chicago
BIG & little's Restaurant - The Official Homepage - Order Online!

Google says the New Orleans location is a 20 minute walk from the Water Tower

 

[moxie]

Gibson's is an 8 minute walk... touristy, but it's iconic and the food was pretty good.

 

[wood20ks]

I looked at a couple lists too. But I don't know the city all that well, I have no idea what's walking distance from the water tower.

Ditkas is just a hop-skip and a jump from there on Chestnut.........Been there 4-5 times.
Best meal I had was a bone-in-ribeye........Well done.Thats just my taste tho.

 

[wood20ks]

I think I asked for opinions here or maybe in the main forum last year, but I don't remember what people said.

This Wednesday I'm going to a stupid convention in Chicago with a bunch of people from work. We have a schedule to follow but we do get about 2.5 hours for dinner at like 3:30 pm. Last year all the freaking women wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory. I'm not riding a bus for 5 hours to the best food city in America and walking 10 miles around McCormick Place for 4 more hours just to eat at a chain restaurant. I had one girl who wanted to at least go get sushi, but she "didn't think her husband would approve of her going out to eat with another man." And nobody else would go with. I finally convinced a couple people to go with me to Giordano's for pizza.

This year I don't care if I have to go alone. I'm eating something good.

We're getting dropped off downtown near the water tower at sometime around 3-3:30 and getting picked back up at 6 sharp. Miss the bus and I figure out my own way home. I don't know everyone even on the bus, so no idea how many may or may not come with me. So no reservation. Plus it's late lunch or super early dinner mid week, so hopefully not needed. I'd really like a big fat Chicago dry aged steak. But the only steakhouse I know is in the area is Ditka's and I know they're one of the few places that wet age their steaks. Oh, and I don't want to chance it with taxis or uber. Walking distance is greatly preffered. If there is anything really great in the area I want to know, even if it's not steakhouse.

Awesome food and its just around the corner the corner app. 1-2 blocks.

Another place would be Lawry`s.........never had it,but its on my to do list. its farther south from the water tower.............

Seafood,try Schmicks...........half a block from Ditkas..........

This should help if steak is what you want:

Steak/Seafood

And everything there on the Magnificent Mile is pricey...........Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Smart]

You are limiting yourself a bunch with your location. Most of the top non-ethnic restaurants will be north towards Lincoln Park area or west towards the West Loop/Fulton Market area.

I think The Purple Pig is widely considered the best "accessible foodie" restaurant in River North/Streeterville, and it's been very good the times I have been there. Eatily is pretty incredible for the pure enormity and chaos, but you are definitely paying for the names and investors. It's worth stepping into even if you only buy a pastry. I think Quartino is one of the best places in the neighborhood and has been for a number of years. I've never been a big fan of I'm not a steak person, but the ones that I know love Gibson's and Bavette's. Portillo's and Giordano's are both beloved Chicagoland chains with outlets nearby but not exactly upscale. Niu has very good asian food for a trendy place in the neighborhood.

All of the above are good bets. I've been to a pretty large number of the older non-underlined places and they are that way for a reason. But again, truth be told, Streeterville is a bit of a food dead zone. If you have any specific questions, let me know. My parents lived in The Loop from 2009-2011, and I lived with them when I wasn't in Madison.

 

[Edonidd]

The thing is we're joining an already rented greyhound style bus, the local college is sending all their students. They're offering to let the clinical instructors from each affiliated hospital go as a teaching experience. We kind of begged I guess to get 6 spots on that bus for decision makers from 2 hospitals since we're ordering new updated equipment soon. Somehow I got included. I'm way down the totem pole from our hospitals, and not involved with teaching students hardly at all. I only know the 6 students who are at my hospital out of like 50 students or something.

So when they say this is the Timeline and the itinerary, I say "how high?" Trust me 3:30 (local time, really 4:30 for us) dinner is not my idea. And getting dropped off at the water tower isnt my idea either. But do you know whats right there? Cheesecake Factory. My first thought was Burke's Primehouse like I said, but they dont even open for dinner until 530 local time. I'm definitely frustrated following he rules. First of all I'm always frustrated following the rules, but in this case they're especially restrictive.

Right now I guess I'm leaning toward Bavettes, I'll have to look where it is though. I've heard of it before, and it consistently gets good reviews. Ditka's is still in the running, but it just doesn't feel all that special when going to a food capital like Chi town. I mean we have a Ruths Chris locally, and I'm not sure Ditka's is even better than that.

 

[Edonidd]

Ended up just getting sushi with a couple people at a place called Niu Sushi or something like that. They sold out of Otoro tuna earlier that day, but the chef came to the table to apologize and say they were just unloading an order of Uni from the truck right then and it looked amazingly fresh. So I had a couple pieces of that nigiri style and a couple pieces of some kind of premium fatty Norwegian salmon. Both were really good. So again on his recommendation I got a sushi roll of smoked fatty salmon skin. Which was probably the best sushi I've personally ever had.

But I've only had sushi 25-30 or so times in my life, so I'm not an expert or anything.

 

[outofyourmind]

Wait.
You go to the Pizza and Steak Capital of the World and you get Sushi???

 

[moxie]

Wait.
You go to the Pizza and Steak Capital of the World and you get Sushi???

Yeah, I think that deserves at least a 7 on the retard scale.

 

[outofyourmind]

Yeah, I think that deserves at least a 7 on the retard scale.

Well at least it wasn't the Cheese Cake Factory