Hello ChicagoLand! I’m coming to your wonderful city in a few weeks for a conference. I’m going to be at a happy hour at Elephant & Castle until around 7PM on Friday, July 10, and then (as we usually do at these conferences) a group of 8-10 of us venture off to get dinner.
This is where you guys come in. I don’t want to eat at Elephant & Castle because it’s a chain. So I’m looking for advice for good places that are moderately priced and walkable from 185 N. Wabash Ave.
Thanks for the help!
The world is your oyster from that location. The trendy River North area is just across the river to the north, a very short walk. What kind of food and price range are you considering? Do you want something with a touristy Chicago “feel” to it? That area is so dense with fine dining it’s almost impossible to know where to start.
From the touristy perspective I’ll offer these:
Harry Caray’s is very good. It’s a signature restaurant that surpasses any common theme restaurant pitfalls. The pasta, especially the Vesuvio, is great and they have a full menu of good, traditional American/Midwestern fare. Steaks, chops, pasta, seafood…basically hearty meat and potatoes type dishes.
Deep Dish Pizza. The big names are all chains but it’s what most people think of when they want Deep Dish. On the linked map you want to find Giordano’s, Gino’s East, Lou Malnati’s and Pizzeria Uno & Due. Everyone has their personal preference and I’m not sure there’s a clear definition of which is best. Personally I like Giordano’s the best, it’s the cheeziest and has the most flavorful sauce. Gino’s has their signature cornmeal butter crust which is good but the place tilts a little to far on the gimmicky side for my liking. Lou Malnati’s ingredients are top notch, it’s probably the closest to a purist’s approach but I find the tomato sauce a little bland and the overall product a little too bready. Pizzeria Due (commonly considered superior to it’s sister Uno for some reason) is my least favorite of the options and their style tends to be a little closer to what I consider a thick crust pizza than a true deep dish. Lots of bread and a modest amount of cheese, the flavors are very good but Chicago-style deep dish I love is basically a Hot Cheese Pie…Uno and Due are the furthest from this.
All that said, if you decide to do the pizza thing I strongly recommend against the sausage version your first time, or at least get a small and mix and match. They tend to really go overboard with the sausage to the point that you get as much meat as you do cheese. Some people love this but I find it a little overdone. Pepperoni is a better experience.
Last, but certainly not least, order a Chicago-style cracker crust pizza to go along with the deep dish. The deep-dish tourist spots don’t make the best versions of this but if you want to get the full Chicago pizza experience you need to try this as well. Many locals think it’s superior to deep dish and the best places to find it make pizza that rivals any in the world. The cracker crust pizza (cut square!) can be truly epic.
Keep Mike Ditka’s in mind. I think the food and atmosphere here is fabulous. I prefer it to Harry Caray’s and their meatloaf is something to be cherished. It’s pushes the limits of walking distance depending on the state of your crew, it’s about 1.25 miles north, but it’s certainly doable if you like the idea of a nice summer evening stroll up the extremely energetic Michigan Ave or Rush Streets.
Morton’s is basically right across the street if you are looking for a classic steakhouse. I actually haven’t dined there, and it’s grown into a chain in it’s own right, but I don’t think you could go wrong with it if you wanted man-food the shortest possible distance away.
Gibson’s is the more famous and more exciting Steakhouse in Chicago but it’s also up north on Rush near Ditka’s. It’s a walk I wouldn’t mind but again it depends on the needs of your group. I love it there and the scene is unrivaled. It’s a celebrity favorite for good reason. If you want to really do it up and make it special this place is worth the trip. Bring a fat wallet and a empty stomach and pound the huge portions and huge martini’s like a fat cat.
I’ll stop there, none of those places are obscure and I’m sure you could have tracked them down on your own but you didn’t give me much to do on. Narrow it down a touch, especially as far as your definition of “walkable” and “moderately priced”. The area is utterly saturated with first rate dining so this thread could go on all day.
Thanks Omni!
Reasonable would be something where you could catch a sandwich for less than ten bucks and a real entree for less than 20.
So that knocks out Morton’s! I forgot that the original is in Chicago. The few times I’ve been in other cities, I’ve loved it.
Walkable would probably be up to a mile, but I’m considering Ditka’s for sure (even though most of their stuff is on the pricer side…maybe I’ll go by myself).
If you can, make the trip to Ditka’s. Great food, not too pretentious and lively.
It appears that my suggestions are pretty well outside your price range so I’ll do some thinking. If you’re willing to walk up to a mile that opens up the entire core of the Rush/State/Ontario/Ohio area where the biggest name places are. Keeping it under $20 for a entree is gonna be a little tricky though if you want to avoid the bar-food scene, you are going to be in a really high rent area.
Stay tuned.
One suggestion that might be over your budget, but not too crazy, is the Park Grill. It’s only 2 short blocks from Elephant and Castle. I’ve eaten there for Lunch and the sandwiches are in the $12-15 range. The dinner menu is certainly pricier and it appears they avoid sandwiches altogether, but it might be worth it for the ambiance. The food was exceptionally good. The kobe burger is especially notable, rated one of the best in the city, but the real reason to go is to dine in Millenium Park in the shadow of The Bean and the rest of the great features of the park. If the weather is nice it will be a fantastic experience for out of town guests.
If it’s too pricey for the group and you decide the walk to Ditka’s takes too much time I recommend making lunch plans there at some point if you can.
Another one-of-a-kind option for the out-of-towner might be a trip to The Bergoff. It’s been saved from the chopping block for now and it’s got legendary, authentic German cuisine. I’ve never dined there myself, an embarrassing admission I concede, but the reputation is massive and the history is rich. It seems to be right in your price point so it might be a quality option.
The only caveat is that it’s in the opposite direction from most of the action. It’s positioned in the heart of the loop in the financial district only about 6 blocks from Elephant and Castle but in that direction is going to be mostly empty office buildings at that hour. If you aren’t looking for “the scene” this might not be of concern to you.
Shoot, the server ate my reply.
I think the Berghoff will be perfect for Friday. Thanks so much for taking the time to think out these options. I really appreciate it Omni.
I think I’ll try to hit Ditka’s and Harry Carey’s later in the weekend/Monday.
Thanks again!
I hope it turns out great. As I noted I don’t have direct experience with The Berghoff so I hope it’s up to it’s reputation, which is considerable. You’ll have to report back. I know there was much hemming and hawing in the media when the family announced it wold be closing and it became the hottest spot in town when it was in it’s farewell tour, so much so that they reconsidered closing. I’m really going to have to get in there myself and try things out, see what all the hubbub is about.
If you can only make one of the two, Ditka’s is superior to Harry Caray’s but Harry Caray’s is more of a destination with all the Cubs paraphernalia and the fact that it’s he middle of baseball season. Do take the time to walk around Millennium Park if you can get away and haven’t been yet even if the Park Grill is not on the itinerary. It’s really got some unique and cool features.
Will do. 
If you are near the Berghoff, you’re also close to Miller’s Pub on Wabash. Nothing fancy, but reasonable prices and a nice, old-school Chicago feel. It’s one of my favorite after-the-theater dinner choices.
But I’d still go with the prevailing advice in this thread and walk northward toward Harry’s or Ditka’s…TRM
Thanks. I’ll look for Miller’s Pub if I get the chance.
If you want REALLY moderate prices and VERY walkable, go to Lower Michigan (the street, not the state) and check out the Billy Goat Tavern…TRM
That’s been on the agenda for a while. Probably for lunch tomorrow actually.
First of all, let me say that I had a GREAT time in Chicago. You guys have a wonderful city.
Food-wise:
Billy Goat Tavern: I should have gone to the original. The one on Wells was closer so I went there. The Italian Beef was good, the fries were exceptional. However, this particular spot had no atmosphere at all.
Berghoff: An absolute home run. The manager I spoke to on the phone before the trip made sure my group (ended up with 16 of us) was happy and well situated. Only one person had a minor complaint about the food. She ordered the skate (why you’d order fish there is beyond me anyhow) and said the texture was weird. As for me, the sauerbraten was a knockout. I heard great things about the wiener schnitzel, rahm schnitzel, and crab cakes. Service was very good…like I said, the manager, Brian, made sure we were well taken care of. Their house dark beer was really good too.
PJ Clarke’s: A chain, but they made a good cheese steak sandwich for a quick lunch. I’m a sucker for a dark wood bar anyhow.
Miller’s Pub on South Wabash: The only real disappointment of the trip. I figured breaded pork chops wouldn’t be a bad choice. They were. Breading could best be described as “slimy” and slipped right off the pork when you cut it. The mixed veggies appeared to have come straight out of a can. Mashed potatoes weren’t bad. Friends said the chicken wings were rubbery. However, I was told the spanakopita was excellent. I wasn’t real happy with the service either. Waitress couldn’t have cared less about us. Busy’s one thing, but you should at least check in once.
Epic Burger: Excellent but expensive. I don’t know that it was epic, but it was damn good. Grilled onions were a nice standard option. Fries were great.
Thai Spoon 601 S. Wabash: I’d been jonesing for Thai for a long time. Prices were reasonable and the food was good. My panang chicken could have been spicer. The basil chicken was top-notch.
Beef N Brandy State street: Good, honest food for little cash. Really liked this place for some undefinable reason. Food was good, the place isn’t fancy, but it was just like a really good diner.
Anyhow, I had a great time in Chicago and can’t wait to go back. The Bean is an amazing scuplture that pictures don’t do justice. I was thrilled that I got to go see Second City. Nearly peed myself for two straight hours. Thanks Chicago!
Thanks for the post-game wrap up! Glad you had a good time…TRM
Glad it all was a success, especially The Berghoff. Sounds like you got a pretty decent feel for things while you were here. The Billy Goat is definitely not worth the trip unless you hit the original. The Burgers and fries are first rate at all the locations, but everything else is pretty average and the new locations have sucky ambiance. They aren’t gritty and old with character like the original but they aren’t new and clean and nice either. They are in that crappy middle ground that just feels half-assed and scummy. Beef N Brandy is fantastic. Been there forever and should be better known than it is, one of those places no one would ever think to recommend but it’s truly unique. Old school diners like that are really rare in big cities which typically get overrun by chains and big money.
It’s a bit of a shame you couldn’t get out of the loop to the north at all, but that’s for next time. The Bean is awesome, I never thought I’d live to see the day when something completely and totally upstaged the Picasso.
Thanks again Omni. You need to make it to the Berghoff.