Hey, I’ll be traveling to Chicago for three very short days/nights at the end of November. I’m looking for restaurant recommendations for Evanston (where I’ll be staying near the Chicago Ave. El stop), and ChiTown / Loop or Near North area. Preferably by the El or subway … no taxi budget is available.
Nov. 30 I’m dining at Buddy Guy’s Legends, FWIW.
I’m interested in all kinds of intl. cuisine. Would prefer a cocktail before dinner, also.
What can you local Dopers suggest?
Russian Tea Time is in the Loop and a good stop. It mostly caters to the theatre crowd and is a bit shabby, but their tea is delightful, they have tons of house-flavored vodkas, and the food is tasty-if-predictable.
For your Loop/Near North dining I highly recommend Carmine’s on Rush Street. Great ambiance, great bar, and awesome Italian food. Only downside is, five or six days later, you’ll be hungry again.
If you want a small/local place that serves GREAT Greek food, I suggest the Athenian Room on Webster just off the corner at Halsted (near north side). I’ve been a customer since the late
1970’s. When I’m back inChicago once or twice a year I still make a point of going there. Not a big menu, but everything, especially the Gyros and the Greek Chicken, is excellent. You can have a drink, but you have to go through a door just inside the entry which will take you into Glascott’s Groggery, a fine establishment in its own right. You can attempt to walk it off taking in Halsted St. Great neighborhood.
Here’s some Yelp revues. I didn’t bother to read them as I suspect 99% are all good.
There is no Chicago Ave. El stop. Do you mean the Main Street stop (which is right off Chicago Ave.)? If so, check out Cross-Rhodes. It isn’t fancy, but the Greek fries are to die for (I like them dipped in tzatziki). Burgers are good, roast chicken is good…but most of the Evanston restaurants are downtown, off the Davis St. Purple Line stop, but that’s only 2 stops from Main St. (or a 20-minute walk).
For River North, international, drinks before dinner, I like Cafe Iberico.
Along Michigan Avenue I would suggest either The Gage or The Purple Pig. Easily two of the best restaurants in the city IMHO.
Around Evanston:
Reasonably Priced:
'Spensive:
Those are the ones that occur to me offhand. We used to eat in Evanston a lot, still go there maybe once a month or two months. There are lots of little sushi places that are very good, too.
In CHICAGO:
Don’t miss Chicago’s Greektown, on Halstead west of the Loop. Almost any restaurant there is terrific; we like the Parthenon best. Also, if you want to experience Chicago deep-dish pizza, no one anywhere outside Chicago does it well. Lou Malnati’s is one of the top-rated (but we prefer a small take-out place in our suburb.)
Actually, now I think of it, the CHICAGO READER has a dining guide on its website (our mother page) www.chicagoreader.com that covers Chicago and environs very well.
You can take the red line to Argyle and hit up Sun Wah for dynamite Chinese:
If you like duck, you’ll looove the Peking Duck service.
There are a number of neat, interesting yet inexpensive Asian restaurants clustered around that area. Try Tank Noodle for pho.
Hopleaf is a pretty well regarded Belgian tavern and restaurant, also a couple blocks from the Argyle red line stop.
That’s just one stop on one train line. 
In Evanston, there’s a breakfast place called Lucky Platter practically across the street from the Main Street station. It’s just beyond the empty lot. If you like tapas, there’s a place called Tapas Barcelona about a mile north of there.
Hey, great suggestions from all, and I thank you!
But yes, I DO know about the Chicago Reader’s Restaurant Reviews, etc. (How else would I have learned about The Straight Dope and SDMB?)
I will also confess that I grew up in a western suburb & lived in Lincoln/Fullerton/Halsted for 10 years. Plus having family in Evanston. But I departed the city for points south and north in 1986 … hence, I need current info from y’all …
The more the merrier! Of course I will be eating 6+ times a day & night to stuff in all these new places that you’ll be telling me about.
Bring 'em on! 
Friend of a friend owns Mt. Everest in Evanston. We had lunch there (with friend and owner, so it probably wasn’t the typical experience) and loved it. The Yelp reviews are really good on the whole.
Check out the LTH Forum, especially its Great Neighborhood Restaurant awards. LTHForum.com - Announcing the Fall 2011 GNR Renewals
I’m also looking for hole-in-the-wall ral Mexican. No edible Mexican food at my present location (coastal Maine) …
Thanks again for all the tips! I’m googling like crazy.
I don’t have any specific recommendations, but there are a ton of little Mexican places on Clark just a mile or so south of Chicago’s border with Evanston.
Hole in the wall Mexican? I got it! There is a joint called Allende on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park that is el fabuloso. Actually, there are TWO locations, both on Lincoln Avenue. One is just north of Webster (at 2221 North Lincoln) and one is just north of Fullerton (at 2408 North Lincoln). Both are cheerless little Formica-plated dives with awesome food, friendly servers, and open until the weeee hours.
I will heartily second this recommendation. This may be a little off the beaten path you mentioned in the OP but Allende is well worth it.
Yay! These two are in my old stomping grounds. W/luck, I can squeeze in a visit.
FWIW, I’ll be printing out ALL these restaurant tips before I head out at the end of the month … then, it’ll be decision-time. Where to eat :too:little:time and too:small:tummy
This is fantastic advice.