My favites from Madison, WI are The Casbah (Meditteranean) and Red Pepper (Chinese). I just moved to Chicago, so I haven't been to enough restaurants to have a favorite yet.
Welcome to Chicago JacL!!!! Where in Chicago are you living?? I live in the NW Suburbs of chicago and I know ShopChicago33 lives in the city. We are the only 2 that I know of so far that are from Chicago. Anyway, my favorite restaurant in the city is Italian Village. I think it is soooo charming and has the best italian food!
My fav restaurant in the suburbs and of all time is called Stoney River. It's a steak house in Deer Park. Their food is AMAZING! It is where hubby and I go when we have a really special occasion and want to splurge. We always get a bottle of Ecco Domani Merlot, I always have burbon soaked beef medallions with sweet potato stuffing and garlic mashed potatoes. But the best part are these things they have called stone puppies. They are like deep fried donuts, gourmet style, served with this homemade warm apple butter. They serve these before your meal and I don't know why because they are like dessert. Hubby and I are fat pigs when we go here and always have 2 baskets of them!!! Oh my god I am drooling all over my desk!!!!
Welcome to Chicago JacL!!!! Where in Chicago are you living?? I live in the NW Suburbs of chicago and I know ShopChicago33 lives in the city. We are the only 2 that I know of so far that are from Chicago. Anyway, my favorite restaurant in the city is Italian Village. I think it is soooo charming and has the best italian food! My fav restaurant in the suburbs and of all time is called Stoney River. It's a steak house in Deer Park. Their food is AMAZING! It is where hubby and I go when we have a really special occasion and want to splurge. We always get a bottle of Ecco Domani Merlot, I always have burbon soaked beef medallions with sweet potato stuffing and garlic mashed potatoes. But the best part are these things they have called stone puppies. They are like deep fried donuts, gourmet style, served with this homemade warm apple butter. They serve these before your meal and I don't know why because they are like dessert. Hubby and I are fat pigs when we go here and always have 2 baskets of them!!! Oh my god I am drooling all over my desk!!!!
Actually - jacL and I know eachother!! But I know rlutz, Collette, shopgirl82, Farrah, and Vanessa are all in Chicago too.
One of my favorite Italian places in the city is Sopranos - it's right down the street from where I live and everything I've ever had there is amazing.
For steak I really love Keefer's - I had one of the best steaks I've ever had in my life there.
I love Tapas too, and Cafe baba Reeba would have to be my favorite for that type of cuisine.
I'm sure the other girls in Chicago can name a few more favorites!
I'll mention mostly chain restaurants since their is atleast one of these in everyone's hometown.
I love Flemmings Steakhouse (owned by outback corporation). They have a great calimari with a thai sauce. Decent selection of wines.
I like Cheesecake factory for it's variety and good strawberry martinis. I went to Grand Lux in Chicago recently and it was somewhat like a upscale cheesecake factory.
Six Tables (hands down - my favorite) Supposedly its a chain but a very small chain. They have two seatings on the weekend which you need for the six to seven course dinner. As the name states, there are only six tables. appetizer course, soup course, salad, sorbet to clean your palate, main couse, cheese course and finally dessert. Ughh - i'm stuffed.
I live in Cary. No one's really ever heard of it so it's between Barrington and Crystal Lake. We go to Oakbrook all the time though. Do you ever go to Woodfield? That's my favorite mall that's close to me.