I’m hoping there is one of our many Chicago Dopers who can help out here.
While in Vietnam this past April on vacation, my wife and I fell in love with Vietnamese food.
Then last month we had the good fortune of eating at Ana Mandara, a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant in Ghiradelli Square, San Francisco. This whetted our taste buds for more.
Now we have tickets to Wicked in Chicago on December 9, and if there is a good Vietnamese restaurant within a reasonable distance, we’d like to eat there. We’re attending the afternoon matinee, so we’ll have time to drive to the restaurant, eat, and then spend some time on Michigan Avenue.
So, is there a good Vietnamese restaurant in near downtown Chicago?
I haven’t been in Chicago in almost 7 years, but I used to live in “Little Saigon,” the Vietnamese neighborhood centered at the Argyle stop on the El (the “blue” line I think? It was called the Howard Line in my day). There are (or were) any number of great VN restaurants within a block or two; my favorite was about a half block south of Argyle on Sheridan. I ate there like 3 times a week for the four years I lived in that neighborhood. Do NOT forget to get the pancakes, whose name I find I have forgotten.
I’m a great fan of that board, Pulykamell, and that thread covers the Argyll Street Vietnamese options admirably, but I’m not sure they’d work for the OP.
Two reasons, I suppose. First, Wicked is showing downtown, and Argyll Street is far north. Second, as great as the food at those places might be, they’re not really get-dressed-up-and-go-to-the-show destinations.
If that’s what Algernon is looking for, he might want to look at this thread (same board) that mentions Le Colonial and Pasteur. LTHForum.com - Been to Pasteur lately? Neither one is downtown, but they’re closer. I like both. Both have influences other than Vietnamese, though.
Other possibilities are Red Light and Le Lan. Been to the former (good), but not the latter. Both are nearer to the theater than the others mentioned.
www.metromix.com allows a search limited to Vietnamese restaurants.
:smack: Missed the “reasonable distance” part of the OP. As for the “dressed up and go to the show part,” well, I guess the Argyll places are somewhere I’d do for a theatre-and-dinner date, but I could understand if others wouldn’t. I don’t think you’d look terribly out of place dressed up in one of these establishments, although–depending on which one you go to, they’re not terribly upscale in presentation.
I have dined at both Le Colonial and Le Lan. Both are upscale and outstanding. They are near the downtown theater district, a short cab ride or red line train to Wicked. Pasteur is way up the North side but I hear more traditional.
In my day, Pasteur skated on the upscale edge of traditional; it was more white-table-clothy and water-goblets than the other restaurants in Little Saigon. So, if it’s get-toable, it’d be a good middle ground.
It still is; think extra-high ceilings and chairs with big rattan backs. Most of the Vietnamese places are little storefronts; yummy and cheap food, but not much in the way of decor. Pasteur is definitely a step up from that, though personally I love the hole-in-the-wall places.
Thanks for the advice. Random was first to implicitly understand what I forgot to mention explicitly – namely that I’m looking for a more upscale restaurant.
For that reason, I think Little Saigon will be a future trip. But it’s good to know that it exists. It’s a relatively short trip south from Milwaukee.
I’ll check out the links. I appreciate you including them.
Based on your feedback, it appears that Pasteur, Le Colonial, and Le Lan are the best options to research.
And if you’re a Vietnamese cuisine fan and you’re in San Francisco, I highly recommend Ana Madara.