When holiday shoppers finally drop, it’s altogether desirable that they drop into a comfortable chair with easy access to a beverage and possibly some food.
In this space, at this season, for the last two years I’ve explored dining and snack possibilities for shoppers on or near Michigan Avenue. Our exploration continues, but with a change of venue.
The target area this year is River North, where the popular boutiques and galleries are outnumbered only by eating places — a remarkably broad range of them. They should appeal as well to office groups looking for an inexpensive spot to have a pre-holiday celebratory lunch.
Somewhat arbitrarily, I’ve drawn the borders of River North at the Chicago River and its North Branch on the south and west, Chicago Avenue on the north and Dearborn Street on the east. Even more arbitrarily, motivated by a desire that this survey not turn into a series and the realization that most shopping is done during the day rather than in the evening, I am omitting the area’s fine-dining restaurants in favor of places that are more casual in mood.
To suit your needs, dining places in the list that follows are divided into four categories: snacks and fast food, for adults with children, casual ambience and places to get away from it all. (My favorites are listed first within each category.)
Snacks and fast food
Big Bowl Cafe, 159 1/2 W. Erie St. (near Wells Street), 312-787-8297: This is an “Asian cafe” where noodles, soups and stir-fry dishes are presented in bowls. Snack on an order of potstickers (four types available), try sinus-clearing, Szechwan-style chicken noodle soup or a custom-made vegetable stir-fry. Refreshing teas and homemade ginger ale.
Cafe Iberico, 739 N. LaSalle St. (near Chicago Avenue), 312-573-1510: A wonderfully relaxed Spanish bar that features sherry and sangria, bull-fight tapes on TV and tasty tapas such as baked goat cheese with warm tomato sauce, grilled octopus and grilled vegetable salad. The paella is a meal in itself.
Corner Bakery, 516 N. Clark St. (at Grand Avenue), 312-644-8100: Very European, except for the crowds. Most buy the spectacular breads and depart. But those who occupy the narrow fringe of tables are enjoying Mediterranean turkey sandwiches, curried couscous salad or coffee and a muffin.
Mambo Grill, 412 N. Clark (near Hubbard Street), 312-467-9797: Whether the cause is the island music, the Brazilian cocktails or an eclectic tapas menu that encompasses food from at least three continents and the Caribbean, this joint is jumping. Good lunch choices include the portabella mushroom sandwich, seared tuna salad and grilled chicken adobo with black beans.
Brett’s Kitchen, 233 W. Superior St. (at Franklin Street), 312-664-6354: Want some warming soup and a simple American sandwich classic? This is the place. Turkey, tuna and chicken salad are popular favorites.
California Pizza Kitchen, 414 N. Orleans St. (at Hubbard), 312-222-9030: If American surfers were hanging out on the beaches of Naples, they would probably order barbecued chicken pizza, Thai chicken pizza or other original creations that have made this a yuppie favorite.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, 439 N. Wells (near Hubbard), 312-828-9800: Here, in contrast, is a showcase for old-fashioned pizza, both deep-dish and thin-crust pizza, prepared with rich tomato sauce and lots of cheese. You can order sandwiches and pastas as well as pizzas.
Al’s 1 Italian Beef, 169 W. Ontario St. (at Wells), 312-943-3222: No frills here and no question what you should eat — the juicy Italian beef sandwich is firmly ensconced in the Little Italy cucina hall of fame. Handy for grab-and-go food shoppers.
For adults with children
Ed Debevic’s Short Orders Deluxe, 640 N. Wells (at Ohio), 312-664-1707. Time stands still in this re-creation of a 1950s diner that could have been a set for “Happy Days.” Sassy servers deliver nearly a dozen hamburger choices and a meatloaf deluxe plate, and the milk shakes and malts come in several flavors.
Hard Rock Cafe, 63 W. Ontario St. (near Clark), 312-943-2252: Customers can gaze at the guitars and other rock-memorabilia decor, listen to the music and consume quantities of nachos, watermelon chicken and hot fudge brownies.
Michael Jordan’s, 500 N. LaSalle (at Illinois Street), 312-644-3865: It’s not training-table fare, but lots of customers opt for the buttermilk-battered onion rings, the “Big Mike” burger or a half-slab of hickory-smoked baby back ribs. It’s a memorabilia-garnished restaurant.
Planet Hollywood, 633 N. Wells (at Ohio Street), 312-266-7827: Who says kids with stars in their eyes aren’t adventuresome? The lunchtime best sellers in this cinema theme park are Cajun chicken, margarita pasta and barbecued pizza. Or is this what the kids’ parents order?
Bertucci’s Pizzeria, 675 N. LaSalle (at Huron Street), 312-266-3400: The draw is bargain-priced, mildly seasoned pizzas — 18 of them. Among the most popular, chicken with spicy barbecue sauce and the primavera, with tomato, broccoli and two cheeses.
Portillo’s, 100 W. Ontario (at Clark), 312-587-8910: This local chain is famous for its hot dogs but also sells lots of sandwiches, such as Italian beef and breaded chicken breast. Barnelli’s, 312-587-8930, is under the same roof. Pizza is the big attraction there, but you can order pasta or ribs as well. Cafeteria-type service with a drive-through window for families on the go.
Casual ambience
Frontera Grill, 445 N. Clark (near Illinois), 312-661-1434: Mexican food at its most authentic. The dining room is always crowded, but sometimes seats are immediately available at the bar. Regulars favor the chicken quesadillas, pork tacos and grilled catfish. There’s a terrific brunch here on Saturdays.
Tuttaposto, 646 N. Franklin (at Erie), 312-943-6262: Sit at the bar or the large community table with a view of the open kitchen. The pan-Mediterranean menu features grilled vegetable pizza, gnocci with mushrooms and couscous royale.
Hubbard Street Grill, 351 W. Hubbard (near Orleans), 312-222-0770: It’s frequented by a lively young crowd that loves conversation and chef David Schy’s contemporary creations, such as spinach matzo ball soup, steak and wild mushroom salad and the ahi tuna burger.
Zinfandel, 59 W. Grand (near Clark), 312-527-1818: “American” is the operative word here, where there is an emphasis on fresh, regional ingredients. For lunch, the manager suggests salmagundi (a main course salad), the wood-grilled salmon club sandwich and warm butterscotch pudding.
Club Creole, 226 W. Kinzie St. (near Wells), 312-222-0300: The New Orleans patina is not particularly authentic (too little spice), but the decor is relaxing, and plenty of customers not seeking a spice fix enjoy dishes such as creole jambalaya, crawfish etoufee and Bourbon Street gumbo.
To get away from it all
Scoozi, 410 W. Huron (near Orleans Street), 312-943-5900: A very successful re-creation of the grand cafes of Europe, this is a place to order a glass of wine, unwind and sample at random from the Italian menu. To consider: mezzaluna bandiera (ravioli with three sauces), Caesar and fried calamari salad, and very-thin-crust pizza with goat cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
Hat Dance, 325 W. Huron (at Orleans), 312-649-0066: Leave your troubles at the door, have a seat at the curved bar and enjoy the white, cloudlike atmosphere. The food is Mexican in concept and features items such as chicken fajitas, carne asada (grilled skirt steak) and quesadilla con sopa (chicken or vegetable quesadilla with soup).
Tapas Barcelona, 111 W. Hubbard (near Clark), 312-467-1091: Narrow, dark and cozy, with lots of bar seating, it offers a broad range of tapas including Spanish ham and cheese with tomato bread, warm goat cheese with tomato sauce and a marinated chicken breast sandwich.
Bar Louie, 226 W. Chicago (near Franklin), 312-337-3313: The decor is down-at-the-heels — sagging plywood and flashing beer signs — and the regulars like it that way. They also like the muffaletta sandwich, the Fat Boy burger and the chicken club salad.
Green Door Tavern, 678 N. Orleans (at Huron), 312-664-5496: The decor outside is very, very Christmas-like, but inside Scrooge and a lot of his friends are consuming lots of beer, cheeseburgers with fries or chips, Mama Parents’ meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and New Orleans-style jambalaya.
Hooters, 660 N. Wells (at Erie), 312-944-8800: A time-trip back to the beaches of Ft. Lauderdale in the ’60s. The food includes the Hooters salad (chopped egg, bacon, cheese and lettuce), a Philly cheesesteak sandwich and the “gourmet special” (20 chicken wings with a bottle of Dom Perignon for $125).
