Chicago Eating

My mom asked for some recomendations for a friend for eating and Chicago......since she's having email issues right now (as in - I can't email her at ALL! They keep on getting bounced back....grrrr) I figured I'd post it here so she can finally read the info:

Hey Mom

I'm not sure what she's looking for exactly.......I'm assuming restaurants in the downtown area.....Keep in mind most of these restaurants are pretty expensive ($150 for dinner for a couple, if you buy a bottle of wine). But they are TOP NOTCH - fantastic food, well worth the cash. I would recommend reservations.

Fogo de Chao is my all time favorite (that’s where we're going to eat our wedding dinner). For dinner, I think it’s like $70 a person, plus drinks and such, so it can get kinda pricey pretty quickly, but it’s well worth it! It’s a great dining experience, and they won't find anything like it in Michigan!http://www.fogodechao.com/

Another place on the higher end is McCormick & Shmicks - great seafood, and the absolute most heavenly apple pie crispy yummy goodness dessert I have EVER had! Pat likes Joe's Stone Crab better though. It’s a toss up.
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/
http://www.icon.com/joes/

The classic dinner in Chicago is a good hearty steak dinner. Wildfire, Gibson’s, Morton’s, and Sullivan's are all fantastic choices.
www.gibsonssteakhouse.com/
www.mortons.com/

Some more reasonably priced places:
Lettuce Entertain you restaurants: it’s a kind of a chain of restaurants in the Chicago metro area - I've heard great things about almost all of them, and they are a bit more reasonably priced (but still more expensive than Chili’s or Applebee’s)
http://www.leye.com/restaurants/search.jsp
Osteria Via Stado is supposed to be one of the best Italian joints (ok, its not so reasonably priced…..but its part of this chain), but Maggianos is good too. I like Ben Pao too! Wildfire is one of this chain of restaurants too.

Fronterra Grill and Bandera are two classy gourmet Mexican food places. Fantastic! Pat loves the jalapeño cornbread at Bandera.
http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html
http://www.10best.com/Chicago,IL/Restaurants/Lunch/?businessID=51955

Tavern on Rush – I would go here at Lunch Time – they have VERY yummy salads, and its kind of a classy joint. Skip dinner though – it becomes too much of a “let me show you how small my penis is by how awesome and expensive my car is” kind of place.
http://www.tavernonrush.com/

Jake Melniks - bar type atmostphere, cheaper, but yummy :o) One of Pat’s favorites.
http://www.levyrestaurants.com/levy/diningexperiences/restaurants/group2/jake+melnicks+corner+tap.htm

For breakfast or brunch, I HIGHLY recommend Tempo on the corner of Chestnut and State - it’s the place Pat lived right next store to. I LOVED that place! The only drawback – there usually is a line, especially on Sunday morning….and its cash only – but great prices!
http://chicago.citysearch.com/profile/3668380/

Places to stay away from - Ditka's & Cheesecake Factory. Icky food – way overpriced.

If you want to see the entire city of Chicago way up high, you can always check out the Sears Tower, or try the Hancock Building instead. Go up to the top, but instead of paying to go to the observation deck, go up the next floor up to one of the bars and have a drink instead. It will cost the same….$9.00 to see the observation deck, and $9.00 for a drink - I'd rather have the drink, with less people a floor higher up, know what I mean??

I hope this helps a bit! If she has any questions, just give her my email - I’m sure Pat and I can answer them :o) I hope she has fun!