While enjoying a lunchtime nibble in the open-air environs of the stylish River North spot Les Chiens de Cote D’or recently, I was reminded that soon Chicago’s outdoor dining season will be in full bloom.
It’s a wonderful time, made precious by its fleeting nature. A perfect outdoor dining day is as rare as a Cubs winning streak. But when the weather behaves, dining al fresco can be lovely.
But I am here to preach the value of adaptability. Even when the weather is less than clement, outdoor dining can be fun if you’re reasonably flexible. While researching this story, I nibbled shrimp contentedly outdoors while unpredictable gusts of wind whisked placemats, napkins and even silverware from nearby tables. If you wait for the perfect day in Chicago, you’ll never dine outdoors, because on that one perfect day the entire world will be snatching up all the good tables.
If it seems to you that practically every restaurant with 10 square feet of unused pavement is rigging up a sidewalk cafe this season, that’s pretty much the case. This frenzy of imitation is good in that it adds to your dining options, but the glut does tend to cheapen things.
For there is more to outdoor dining, in my humble opinion, than tossing a few resin chairs onto the sidewalk. A good outdoor-dining spot ought to be just as comfortable as dining indoors-weather permitting-and certainly ought not involve a tradeoff in quality with the main seating indoors. Clean chairs, unwobbly tables, decent napery and sturdy flatware aren’t too much to expect.
The profusion of outdoor dining options this summer makes a complete catalog inadvisable, if not impossible. So let’s focus on 20 or so of my favorite spots that you ought to try-even when the weather isn’t perfect:
Avanzare, 161 E. Huron St., 312-337-8056. For years, this Streeterville restaurant has provided one of the city’s best sidewalk cafes, and this year the place is even better. Clear glass panels surround the cafe’s perimeter, providing extra buffer from the breeze without cutting down on the people-watching opportunities. The menu, from new chef Rick Tramanto, is exciting as well.
Bacino’s, 1504 N. Naperville Blvd., Naperville 708-505-0600. A rooftop cafe in Naperville? It sounds strange, but it works. The rooftop cafe is roomy, and though you’re not very high off the ground, the traffic noise seems muted enough. And if you time it right, you get a nice view of the sunset too. The pizza is always a solid bet, of course, but the Italian entrees and solid wine selection shouldn’t be overlooked either.
Bistro Banlieue, 44 Yorktown Convenience Center, Lombard, 708-629-6560. This cozy, lively bistro is one of the best restaurants in the western suburbs. Adjacent to the dining room is a pleasant, fenced-in patio area that fronts a little-used side street. Just a lovely little spot.
Blackhawk Lodge, 41 E. Superior St., 312-280-4080. The dining room’s vacation-lodge decor is carried through in the outdoor patio, a screened-in porch of a design you might expect to find in a summer home. The screens serve a practical purpose too, keeping curious bugs away from your food.
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, 2024 N. Halsted St., 312-935-5000. A courtyard adjacent to the main dining room provides a nice summer addition to Ba-Ba-Reeba’s seating. The only problem is that the courtyard is very popular (first-come, first-served seating only) and people tend to linger, savoring the tapas cuisine and enjoying the Spanish music. Which makes Ba-Ba-Reeba perhaps a tougher ticket outdoors than indoors.
Carlucci, 2215 N. Halsted St., 312-281-1220. Dine in a lovely garden, full of pretty plants and shielded, somewhat, by trellises. And revel in the sophisticated food of chef Luigi Negroni, whose new menu includes a few dishes created for the outdoors.
Coco Pazzo, 300 W. Hubbard St., 312-836-0900. A newcomer to the outdoor dining field, Coco Pazzo unveiled a cozy, 35-seat sidewalk cafe adjacent to their dining room. The cafe features a separate menu of antipasti, pizzas, salads and light entrees. It isn’t the full Tuscan menu of the dining room, but the prices aren’t as high, either.
Esplanade Express, Sheraton Chicago, 301 E. North Water St., 312-464-1000. Dine on the banks of the Chicago River at this outdoor cafe. It’s open daily, serves until 9 p.m. and, on Friday and Saturday nights, offers live Caribbean and samba music. Light menu features pastas, sandwiches and salads, and all the items are available for carryout.
Gypsy, 215 E. Ohio St., 312-644-9779. This Mediterranean-influenced restaurant inherited a very favorable design when it opened here. The overly wide sidewalk and recesses of the building combine to form a perfect niche for an outdoor cafe. Thus is born Gypsy Cafe, a space framed with iron railings and flowers, which sits directly in front of the dining room windows. A special cafe menu includes goodies such as a grilled fish sandwich, barbecue chicken pizza, antipasti and a fruit and cheese platter, and a special selection of wines by the glass is available. For heartier eaters, Gypsy’s regular menu is available outdoors too.
La Creperie, 2845 N. Clark St., 312-528-9050. For more than 20 years, this inexpensive, unpretentious cafe has delighted patrons with its delicious entree crepes and dessert crepes (I’m still addicted to the chocolate-strawberry). And summertime is best at La Creperie, where a fenced-in back yard, softly lit with tiny lights strung along the fence, makes a romantic little hideaway.
Maggiano’s Little Italy/Corner Bakery, 516 N. Clark St., 312-644-7700. This sidewalk cafe, done up in flower boxes, potted shrubs and awnings, is open from early morning until late evening. On really nice days, come by for breakfast, from the Corner Bakery menu, and watch the city wake up. For lunch and dinner, Maggiano’s full menu of Italian-American favorites is available outdoors.
Melange, 305 Happ Rd., Northfield, 708-501-5070. When the weather is nice, Melange swings open the doors leading to its 60-seat Garden Room, and patrons can dine to summer breezes, if not exactly outdoors. But in front of the Garden Room doors is a smallish outdoor area seating an additional 30, for those who must see stars for the experience to be complete. Menu includes lots of light dishes, and a special bar menu of appetizers is available outdoors and in the Garden Room as well.
Melvin B’s, 1114 N. State St., 312-751-9897. The people-watching is great at this outdoor cafe, at the convergence of Cedar, Rush and State Streets. Munch on barbecued ribs and watch the beautiful, the serious and the weird parade on by.
Mill Race Inn, 4 E. State St., Geneva, 708-232-2030. There probably are prettier places to be when the sun sets than at this venerable restaurant, on the bank of the Fox River. Stretch out on the outdoor deck (which stretches out a good bit), sip some good wine and toss the occasional pretzel nibble to the very appreciative ducks who congregate in the water below. Lovely.
Mirador, 1400 N. Wells St., 312-951-6441. This restaurant has a quirky little dining room and an even quirkier upstairs lounge-both can be fun. In summer, there’s also an outdoor deck behind the restaurant, tucked in from the Wells Street traffic and full of potted plants. The full French menu is available outdoors.
O’Brien’s, 1528 N. Wells St., 312-787-3131. It’s been a busy year for this Old Town favorite. First the empty building next door was razed, and the space converted into what is now O’Brien’s outdoor garden, the newest on the block. The massive patio area is brick-lined; large, comfortable teakwood chairs and matching tables are grouped under oversized umbrellas of green canvas. A gazebo bar gives the patio a true summer look. And in the evening, the patio doors leading to the restaurant will open, so the sounds from the piano bar will drift outside.
Papagus, 620 N. State St., 312-642-8450. Grilled fish and vegetables and light mezedes (appetizer plates) seem designed for the outdoors, and that’s just what you can get at this stellar restaurant.
River Edge Cafe, Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Dr., 312-565-1234. From a staircase at the Michigan Avenue Bridge (at Wacker Drive; northeast corner) you can walk down to this casual cafe, set amid plants and trees just a few feet from the Chicago River. Sandwiches and salads are offered, but the real appeal is the view. Open for lunch only.
River Street Crossing, 31 N. River St., Batavia, 708-406-9822. The banks of the Fox River provide the scenery at this outdoor cafe, which likes to call itself the “Port Batavia Yacht Club.”
Rue St. Clair, Richmont Hotel, 640 N. St. Clair St., 312-787-6907. Summertime is when this charming bistro seems to come to life; its sidewalk cafe is pretty and spacious, and when the doors to the dining room are swung open the entire restaurant becomes an open-air bistro. The restaurant only serves food during lunch, but the sidewalk cafe is a nice place for an early-evening drink too.
Thai Touch, 2628 N. Halsted St., 312-404-1160. This tiny, 46-seat restaurant-a satellite of the Thai Touch restaurant on Lawrence Avenue-nearly doubles in size when its 40-seat outdoor garden is available. The menu, featuring chef/owner Art Lee’s artfully presented classic Thai fare, is identical at both restaurants.
Villa Fiori, 18225 S. Dixie Hwy., Homewood, 708-957-3463. Dining under the stars near a quiet street, while the strains of a strolling accordionist fill the air-what could be more pleasant? Of course, the accordionist likes to favor listeners with such tunes as “Layla” and “Phantom of the Opera,” but it’s very pleasant in a funky way. The playfulness of the music does not extend to the kitchen, which is quite serious about its good, contemporary-Italian food.
Winnetka Grill, 64 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, 708-441-6444. You never have to worry about the weather when dining at this restaurant’s outdoor garden, because it’s climate-controlled. Tables are set atop a wooden deck, underneath a huge tent with sides, so no rain gets in. There are even air-conditioning and heating units on hand to control temperature extremes. The menu includes everything from softshell-crab sandwiches to burgers and steaks, as well as casual versions of the restaurant’s regular entrees. Live music on Monday and Thursday evenings.
