honest restaurant recs

I will be visiting next weekend for a long weekend with 3 of my closest girls to celebrate my birthday!!!!! It%26#39;s been a few years since I%26#39;ve been in town and I%26#39;m staying farther north than usual, so i need some help with must-try eateries.

We will be staying at the James at Ontario and Rush. What restaurants would you recommend within less than a mile from there? I%26#39;m looking for 2 dinner choices. I want one to be pretty casual and inexpensive but one upscale ($50 - $75 per person) Although I like sushi/euro gourmet my travel partners do not, so nothing to outlandish or strange, please. I like american, steak, italian and mexican cuisine, if that helps!!!!!

Thanks for your help!!!! This site is awesome!!

honest restaurant recs

There are tons of choices here that will meet your needs. You can do a dining search by cuisine, budget etc at metromix.com and chicagoreader.com.

honest restaurant recs

Hellooooooooo, mellie. Happy Birthday! Judging by your pic, I%26#39;m guessing it%26#39;ll be your 25th???

I hope I%26#39;ll be in Chicago the same weekend as you and your friends.

As far as restaurants, try Hugo%26#39;s Frog Bar, Cafe Spiaggia, Signature Room (at Hancock Tower), Carmine%26#39;s, or Tavern on Rush.

I would recommend drinks and the view at the Sig Room. Save your money and eat someplace nicer at ground level.

Sorry, can%26#39;t help.

All my restaurant recommendations are completely dishonest.

also call the James and ask for the concierge (either Marco or Billy) Let them know you are celebrating your b-day and they will help you out!

Chicago Chop House is a couple blocks away for steak...plan on $50 a person which includes a glass of wine. It%26#39;s an old school chicago steak joint...nothing trendy. About a mile north on Rush you%26#39;ll find Gibson%26#39;s, which is very trendy and more expensive.

About a half mile away is Cafe Iberico for spanish tapas...the wait can be VERY long and no reservations are accepted, but worth the wait.

While the food isn%26#39;t anything to write home about (it%26#39;s not bad either) the margarita%26#39;s will get your night off to a great start (two will have you feeling pretty lit) at the Blue Agave.

Hi Melliewags

Recently returned from Chicago, stayed just off Rush Street, which is absolutely heaving. All of the restaurants are mad busy we ate in Gibsons which was good for steaks, a 12oz steak which was big enough was $34. Gibsons, Hugo and Tavern on Rush are all really busy, however there is a good atmosphere if you want that, it might be quite lively for your birthday.Reservations are imperative. We also ate in Cafe Spiaggia which was excellent although more sedate and quite upmarket. Good views. Reasonably priced.

It depends on what you want.

We also had a drink in The Signature Lounge at John Hancock Center, it was not quite what we imagined, we were expecting a very upmarket and sophisticated bar.The views are wonderful however the bar is packed with a huge turnover of customers.

Hope this helps.

Happy birthday.

Hey there. Here are my favs, all within walking distance of the James

Traditional Mexican: Su Casa, inexpensive. It%26#39;s at Ontario and State.

Creative Mexican: Frontera Grill (not too pricey, no reservations, long waits...but it%26#39;s run by one of the top chefs in Chicago and the restaurant just won the James Beard Award for best restaurant in the country...I know your friends are conservative eaters, but this is a really great dining experience and pretty reasonable and casual.)

Traditional italian: Italian Village (upstairs or downstairs...don%26#39;t go to Vivere, it%26#39;s fine dining). Reasonable, great food. It%26#39;s about 7 or 8 blocks south of your hotel.

Quartino: creative italian, small plates, just a blast. Good pizza. Go late when it%26#39;s hopping and loud. Not too expensive.

I second Chop House for steaks. Expensive, but worth it. And very traditional eating. Ditto for Hugo%26#39;s Frog Bar. Excellent sea food.

If you want some fun people watching, try Rockit Bar and Grill on Hubbard and state (about five blocks south). The burgers on pretzel buns are incredible, great drinks, interesting bar food and a really fun crowd later at night. In fact, for most places, if you want a more party atmosphere, go late.

Thanks everyone.......that is incredible! Chicago has soooo many restaurant choices and even though there is a wealth of information on various sites, you%26#39;ve helped me narrow it down to a reasonable offering.

I think we%26#39;ll get our pizza fix for lunch....and then Fontera and the Chop House for our dinners. Then we can hit the Sig Room and Frog Bar for drinks!

You all are wonderful.....and thanks for the birthday well wishes....it%26#39;s my 35th actually, or as i like to say my 29th for the 6th time!!!!!

Just for the record we like to eat at Hugo%26#39;s but while we wait we like Gibson%26#39;s bar better. Very crowded but happening. Can%26#39;t carry your drinks outside to Hugo%26#39;s but someone can show you a back way (they are owned by the same people)

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