restaurant week chicago - Some Restaurants Extend Restaurant Week Deal

restaurant week chicago - Some Restaurants Extend Restaurant Week Deal

Chicago's Restaurant Week officially ended yesterday.  However, more than 60 area restaurants have decided to extend their three-course lunches ($22) and dinners ($33 and $44) by a day to a week or more. A couple have extended their offers indefinitely.
A list of participating restaurants can be found on Phil Vettel's blog: The Stew.
Please note, the restaurants are free to update and change these promotions at any time. So it's a good idea to contact them directly for details before hand.

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restaurant week chicago - Best Chicago Restaurants

restaurant week chicago - Best Chicago Restaurants
The Chicago chefs at these top fine-dining restaurants have taken their menus, styles, and cooking methods to a new art form.

These Chicago restaurants are once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences, just be prepared to get out that gold card and suit jacket if you want to sample some of their unique cuisine.

1. Alinea

Chef/Owner Grant Achatz is a culinary wunderkind and is pushing the envelope with food ingredients and presentation -- think truffle-juice ravioli with melted leek and bison with multiple preparations of Iranian pistachios. Chef Achatz's 24-course tasting menu (which takes 5 hours to complete) has quickly become legendary.

• Cuisine: Contemporary American
• Address: 1723 N. Halsted St.
• Phone: 312-867-0110
• Transportation: CTA Red Line to North/Clybourn
• Average tab per diner: $200

2. Charlie Trotter's

Many will argue that Charlie Trotter's is the best restaurant in America -- while that may be debatable, Chef Trotter certainly put Chicago on the fine dining map with his painstakingly complex food creations that often use dozens of ingredients.

• Cuisine: American Contemporary
• Address: 816 W. Armitage Ave.
• Phone: 773-248-6228
• Transportation: CTA Brown Line to Armitage
• Average tab per diner: $235

3. Everest

The service, food, and prices are as high as this restaurant's location on the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange. Chef Jean Joho's seven course tasting menu can feature items like roasted Maine lobster, medallion of venison, and imported Russian caviar.

• Cuisine: French
• Address: 440 S. LaSalle St.
• Phone: 312-663-8920
• Transportation: CTA Blue Line to LaSalle
• Average tab per diner: $165

4. L2O

When some of the best chefs in the world have a craving for the most expertly prepared piece of fish, they take a trip to Chicago's Lincoln Park to visit Chef Laurent Gras at L20. Described by Travel + Leisure as a "seafood temple," diners certainly worship at the altar of Gras' delicate and flavorful dishes.

• Cuisine: Seafood/Contemporary
• Address: 2300 N. Lincoln Park West
• Phone: 773-868-0002
• Transportation: CTA 151 Bus to Stockton/Fullerton
• Average tab per diner: $150

5. Moto

When you realize that the waiters are chefs, and the phrase "molecular gastronomy" is being bantered about, you know you're in for an intense culinary experience. Your magnetic cutlery may be a clue, too. A word to the hungry -- Moto takes contemporary portions to a whole new level of small.

• Cuisine: Global/Fusion
• Address: 945 W. Fulton St.
• Phone: 312-491-0058
• Transportation: Cab or car recommended
• Average tab per diner: $180

6. Naha

Chef Carrie Nahabedian delivers the goods with her creative and complex dishes that live up to her impressive resume. Naha also might be the only fine dining restaurant that offers a hamburger on its lunch menu (to be expected, it's insanely good). Her cousin Michael Nahabedian, also a culinary veteran, heads up operations.

• Cuisine: American Contemporary/Fusion
• Address: 500 N. Clark St.
• Phone: 312-321-6242
• Transportation: CTA Red Line to Grand
• Average tab per diner: $70

7. Schwa

When the folks bringing your food are the same ones preparing it in the kitchen, you know there's some serious pride and accountability on the line when that plate is set down. And Schwa does not disappoint -- Chef Michael Carlson has been described by some as "quirky" (his downright frustrating reservation system is one example), his high level of talent and inventiveness in the kitchen is unquestionable. Schwa is BYOB.

• Cuisine: American Contemporary
• Address: 1466 N. Ashland Ave.
• Phone: 773-252-1466
• Transportation: CTA Blue Line to Division, .25 mile walk north
• Average tab per diner: $110

8. Spiaggia

"Four star Italian cuisine" may seem like an oxymoron in the United States, but Chef Tony Mantuano will convince you otherwise in this Magnificent Mile hotspot. Entrees like braised lobster and strip steak with 50-year-old balsamic vinegar entice, as well as these two words: cheese cave.

• Cuisine: Italian
• Address: 980 N. Michigan Ave.
• Phone: 312-280-2750
• Transportation: CTA Bus #146/147 to Delaware/Michigan
• Average tab per diner: $100 

9. Tru

The brainchild of the married team of Chef Rick Tramonto and Pastry Chef Gale Gand, Tru was planned and designed from the ground up to be the ultimate sacred ground of fine dining. The "collections" (tasting menus), whose composition is decided on by the kitchen when you order, are a gastronomical delight.

• Cuisine: French, Global/Fusion
• Address: 676 N. Saint Clair St.
• Phone: 312-202-0001
• Transportation: CTA Red Line to Chicago Ave
• Average tab per diner: $160 

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restaurant week chicago - Chicago Romantic Restaurants

restaurant week chicago - Chicago Romantic Restaurants

Here are some of my favorite romantic restaurants in Chicago, listed in alphabetical order:

1. Cafe Absinthe

Cafe Absinthe is a Wicker Park staple, and a great place to take your date before a night out at the area's various clubs.

• Cuisine: Contemporary
• Address: 1954 W. North Ave., Chicago
• Phone: 773-278-4488
• Hours: Open for dinner every night.
• Average tab per diner: $60 

2. Geja's Cafe

Geja's Cafe is a long running romantic fondue dining spot, with dark booths and flamenco guitarists.

• Cuisine: Fondue
• Address: 340 West Armitage, Chicago
• Phone: 773-281-9101
• Hours: Open for dinner every night.
• Average tab per diner: $70

3. Signature Room at the 95th

While the food is adequate rather than impressive, the high altitude is the star here, with tall windows surrounding the entire room which provides the best view of any restaurant in Chicago.

• Cuisine: Contemporary/Regional
• Address: John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan Ave., 95th Floor, Chicago
• Phone: 312-787-9596
• Hours: Open for dinner every night. Lunch Monday through Saturday. Brunch Sunday.
• Average tab per diner: $110

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restaurant week chicago - Chicago Hot Dogs

restaurant week chicago - Chicago Hot Dogs
The basic Chicago hot dog starts with a steamed, all beef frank topped with mustard, onion, relish, and pickle, all nestled into a steamed poppyseed bun. Many hot dog joints also add tomatoes, celery salt and/or sport peppers, or even lettuce and cucumber. And remember -- a Chicago-style hot dog NEVER comes with ketchup! Here are my personal favorites to sample a Chicago hot dog.

(Can't make it to Chicago? Try my Chicago hot dog recipe at home.)

Murphy's Red Hots

© Prescott Carlson

Murphy's takes their hot dogs on a "walk thru the garden", adding tomatoes and cucumbers on top of the usual "everything" fixin's, which is why some dub their dogs a "Chicago salad". Try the gut busting char-broiled foot long for a real treat. Hand cut fries make for a nice side.

• Address: 1211 W. Belmont
• Neighborhood: Lakeview
• Phone: 773-935-2882
• Hours: Monday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Tuesday - Friday 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Superdawg

© Prescott Carlson

Even if Superdawg didn't offer up a great hot dog, it's worth a visit for the original 40s-style drive in service (the restaurant opened in 1948) complete with "electronic carhops" and the "Tarzan and Jane" hot dog icons on the roof. All of Superdawg's hot dogs come with a pickled green tomato, and they are very strict about the "no ketchup" rule -- you want ketchup, you gotta put it on yourself.

• Address: 6363 N. Milwaukee Ave.
• Neighborhood: Norwood Park
• Phone: 773-736-0660
• Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.; Friday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

The Wieners Circle

© Prescott Carlson

Don't let the crass behavior of the staff fool you, underneath the gruff exterior they are timid sweethearts. OK, probably not, but that's why people go here as it's certainly not for the just OK food. The drunken late night crowd is there for the spectacle of being called every vulgar name in the book by the workers, and returning ugly insults in kind. Don't order the "chocolate milkshake", you've been warned. Don't believe me? Check out a This American Life video about it (bad language alert). If a Mardi Gras crowd crammed into a tiny shack sounds great, this is the place for you.

• Address: 2622 N. Clark St.
• Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
• Phone: 773-477-7444
• Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 4 a.m.; Friday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 a.m.

Hot Doug's

While owner Doug Sohn serves up a tasty, traditional Chicago-style hot dog, the crowd lines up for the "king of encased meats" specialty sausages like the "Salma Hayek" (a "mighty hot" andouille sausage) and a weekly game sausage. The duck fat fries served on Friday and Saturdays are also a huge hit. Expect a 30-45 minute wait at peak lunch hours.

• Address: 3324 N. California Ave.
• Neighborhood: Avondale
• Phone: 773-279-9550
• Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.; closed Sundays and most holidays.

Portillo's

You won't get the mom and pop vibe here -- Portillo's is pure assembly line and a food making machine. But what you lack in ambiance is more than made up for with quality and consistency. I've eaten at Portillo's across the Chicago area for over 20 years and the food is just as good every single time. Not a small feat being a mini-chain -- and since the flagship Portillo's location in tourist central introduces tons of out-of-towners to the Chicago hot dog for the first time, that's a very good thing.

• Address: 100 W. Ontario
• Neighborhood: River North
• Phone: 312-587-8910
• Hours: Monday - Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.; Friday - Saturday: 10:30 - 12:00 a.m.; Sunday: 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.; Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas.

Gene & Jude's

Gene & Jude's is an institution in the suburb of River Grove about 10 minutes from Chicago city limits, and a convenient stop for a well-planned drive to/from O'Hare airport. Around since the 1950s, this dive serves up tasty and cheap hot dogs alongside piping hot skin-on fries. And if you're with a companion who doesn't like hot dogs, they're out of luck unless they are in the mood for a tamale since that's the only other thing Gene & Jude's serves.

• Address: 2720 River Road
• Town: River Grove
• Phone: 708-452-7634
• Hours: Monday - Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.; Friday - Saturday: 10:30 - 2:00 a.m.; Sunday: 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

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restaurant week chicago - Chicago Restaurant Week 2011

restaurant week chicago - Chicago Restaurant Week 2011

How Much is Chicago Restaurant Week:

Over 130 Chicago restaurants will be offering a 3-course prix-fixe meal for the same price -- $22 for lunch, and $33/$44 for dinner. Beverages, tax, and tip not included. (subject to change)

About Chicago Restaurant Week 2011:

Starting in 2008, Chicago Restaurant Week was created to help boost business at area restaurants in what is typically a slower time of the year. It was such a success the first go around that it's now been turned into an annual event.

Over 130 Chicago restaurants are participating, offering a set prix-fixe menu of 3 courses for $22 at lunch, $33/$44 at dinner. As many of the restaurants normally have entrée selections well into the $20 range, this provides a unique opportunity to sample some great cuisine and get a nice bottle of wine and spend less than $100 for an enjoyable dinner for 2.

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