You hear my opinions every week. This time, I’d like to hear yours.
In a nifty bit of role-reversal, we’re asking our readers to select their favorite restaurants in 20 categories. The restaurants receiving the most votes
in each category will be designated Chicago’s Choice winners, and will bask in the glow of your support (though I suspect the winner in the Most Overrated category won’t be shouting the news from the hilltops).
Just use the handy accompanying ballot or you can vote using the electronic ballot at metromix.com/go/choice.
I know this sounds like a sneaky way for me to take a week off, but believe me, I’ll be working twice as hard in a few weeks, sorting through all the ballots.
And of course, we have a few inducements to encourage your participation. Two randomly selected winners will receive $250 each, which should be enough to pay for a truly memorable dinner. One extra-lucky entrant will receive the $500 Grand Prize, enough money to buy a meal so fine, I can only hope the winner invites me along.
I’m handicapping some of the most intriguing (to me) categories. And I’ll be weighing in with my preferences in the remaining categories during the duration of the contest.
– Best steakhouse
The first category is a tough one, simply because there are so many great steakhouses out there. Will the winner be one of Chicago’s established home-grown restaurants, such as Morton’s of Chicago, Eli’s the Place for Steak, Gibsons, and Gene & Georgetti? Or newer ventures, such as Magnum’s, Iron Mike’s Grille, Tavern on Rush or Carmichael’s? Or will it be one of the top imports The Palm, Capital Grille, Ruth’s Chris or Smith & Wollensky?
My prediction: A lot of votes spread out among a lot of restaurants. The people at Sullivan’s, the under-construction establishment that is months behind its hoped-for opening date, are going to be sorry they weren’t around for this one.
– Best pizza
You think picking the best steak in town is tough? Asking people to pick the best place for pizza is tantamount to asking them to name their favorite religion. You’ve got your deep-dish orthodox, your New York-style Eastern Rite, your stuffed-pizza reformed, your thin-crust protestants, and those loony gourmet pizza devotees those California types who, some of us suspect, are just in it for the tax breaks. This one ought to be a doozy. Are venerable Chicago pizzerias Pizzeria Uno, Lou Malnati’s and Original Gino’s East still the big dogs in this pack?
– Best place to dine after midnight
I’m awake after midnight maybe 20 times a year, so this is not my category. I would imagine that some of the new restaurants/nightclubs, including Pasha and 56 West, will get a fair number of votes, as will The Living Room in the suburbs. But don’t overlook those 24-hour hangouts that are always available when you need that pre-emptive anti-hangover strike. The winner could be, oh, Nookies Tree, or El Presidente, or even Omega House.
– Best Italian restaurant
An intriguing category. Will the winner be one of the budget-busting, fine-dining Italians, say, Spiaggia or Coco Pazzo or Vivere or Va Pensiero? Or will it be one of the big, bustling pasta palaces, such as Rosebud or Maggiano’s? Or maybe a neighborhood trattoria on the order of a Mia Francesca, Topo Gigio or Rose Angelis? So many Italians, so many votes.
– Best new restaurant (open since Oct. 1, 1997)
Another tossup. Why? Here’s a partial list of restaurants that opened in 1998: Aubriot. Carmichael’s. Cohiba. Famous Dave’s. Fog City Diner. La Sardine. Mon Ami Gabi. North Pond Cafe. one sixtyblue. Pasha. Savarin. Smith & Wollensky. Souk. Tagine. Tavern on Rush. 312 Chicago. Thyme. Trocadero.
Add to that late-1997 entries Blackbird, Bluepoint Oyster Bar, Blue Stem, The Clubhouse, 56 West, Fly Me to the Moon, Rhapsody, Toque, Volare and Wham Bongo Bar, and you’ve got 28 solid candidates. And the winner might be another restaurant entirely.
– Best suburban restaurant
True, Le Francais and Trio and Carlos’ have suburban addresses. But these, to me, don’t belong in the suburban category. I’m thinking of places such as Campagnola in Evanston, 302 West in Geneva, Emilio’s Tapas Bar in Hillside, Gabriel’s in Highwood, The Greenery in Barrington, Courtright’s in Willow Springs, Montparnasse in Naperville and Biloxi Grill in Wauconda.
You, of course, may have other ideas.
– Most overrated restaurant
You’re on your own, folks. I’ve got enough chefs mad at me already.
– Most romantic restaurant
The best and most expensive restaurants are generally very romantic, and if that’s your pick, fine. But we’re hoping to learn about some lesser lights, too places that are quiet and intimate and perhaps not so well-known.
– Best restaurant for breakfast
I go out for breakfast only rarely, though I love Elaine & Ina’s and adore Wishbone. Lou Mitchell’s, Pauline’s and Bongo Room are a lot of fun too. And there’s Sarkis and Walker Bros. and Ann Sather, too. Which one wins the Golden Spatula?
– Best chef
The usual suspects in this Top Toque designation would be Charlie Trotter (Charlie Trotter’s), Jean Joho (Everest, Brasserie Jo), Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo), Roland Liccioni (Le Francais, Les Nomades), Gabino Sotelino (Ambria, Mon Ami Gabi), Arun Sampanthavivat (Arun’s), Sarah Stegner (Ritz-Carlton Dining Room) and Paul Bartolotta (Spiaggia, Cafe Spiaggia).
But what about such outstanding chefs as Pierre Pollin (Le Titi de Paris), Peggy Ryan (Va Pensiero), Alan Wolf (Carlos’), Michael Taus (Zealous), Patrick Robertson (one sixtyblue), Shawn McClain (Trio), Alan Sternweiler (Harvest on Huron), Mary Ellen Diaz (North Pond Cafe), Bernard Cretier (Le Vichyssois), Paul LoDuca (Vinci, Trattoria Parma), Steven Chiappetti (Mango, Grapes, Rhapsody), Joel Findlay (302 West), Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand (Brasserie T), Suzy Crofton (Crofton on Wells), Francois Kwaku-Dongo (Spago) or Tony Mantuano (Mantuano Mediterranean Table)? And a score of other chefs I’ve probably (and accidentally) overlooked?
ABOUT THE POLL
It’s the first in a series of opportunities for you to weigh in on Chicago’s best. Watch for upcoming polls on entertainment, nightlife and attractions.
HOW TO ENTER
Use the ballot on this page or a 3×5 card to vote in at least one category, or vote online at metromix.com/go/choice
Deadline: Nov. 2, 1998.
THE PRIZES
One Grand Prize Winner chosen at random will receive $500; two other winners will each receive $250.
THE RESULTS
We’ll announce the results here, with appropriate fanfare, on Nov. 13. Or, for a sneak peek, visit metromix.com/dining on Nov. 11.
MORE WAYS TO JOIN IN
On CLTV, Tribune Restaurant Critic Phil Vettel takes a look at the best suburban restaurants from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings on “Around Chicagoland.”
On WGN Radio (720 AM), listen to “Foodtime,” Chicago’s only radio cooking and dining show, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. this Sunday. Join host Dean Richards and tell him your “Chicago’s Choice” favorites.
On WGN-TV, check out Paul Conrad’s “Chicago’s Choice” dining updates on “The Morning News.”
THE RULES
Send your entry ballot, or a 3 x 5 card, with your name, address, phone number and your choices in any or all categories listed on the accompanying ballot to: Chicago’s Choice Dining Poll, P.O. Box 802048, Chicago, Ill., 60680-2048, or vote and enter on the Internet at metromix.com/go/choice. No purchase is necessary, but you must be a United States resident to enter. All entries must be received by noon on Nov. 2, 1998. Only one entry per person. (Tribune Company employees and their families are not eligible.) One Grand Prize winner and two additional winners will be selected at random from eligible entries and their names will be published in the Chicago Tribune and metromix.com/go/choice on or about Nov. 13, 1998. Winners will also be notified by telephone. The Grand Prize winner will receive $500; the two other winners will each receive $250. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Entries become property of Chicago Tribune and will not be returned. Entrants agree that disputes will be resolved by Chicago Tribune, and that Tribune’s decisions are final. Entrants agree to allow use of their name, photograph, likeness and all information submitted with their entry ballot, in print or any other medium of communication, without additional compensation. Winners must execute an affidavit of eligibility and release of liability prior to receiving the prize. Winners assume all applicable tax liability for the prize. Winners must claim their prize within 60 days of being notified of winning. Sweepstakes is sponsored by Chicago Tribune Co. P.O. Box 802048, Chicago, Ill. 60680-2048. For the names of the winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope after Nov. 2, 1998, to: Chicago’s Choice Dining Poll Winners, Chicago Tribune Company, P.O. Box 802048, Chicago, Illinois, 60680-2048.
The Chicago Tribune is not responsible for lost, incomplete, damaged, illegible, late, postage due or misdirected entries, or for errors in mechanical transmission, technical difficulties, or the inability to transmit Internet entries. Void where prohibited or restricted.
1998 CHICAGO’S CHOICE DINING POLL
VOTE for one choice in any or all categories. Restaurants must be in the Chicago area.
Send your ballot, or a 3 x 5 card, with your name, address, phone number, and your choices, to:
Chicago’s Choice Dining Poll,
P.O. Box 802048,
Chicago, Ill., 60680-2048,
or vote and enter on the Internet at metromix.com/go/choice.
1. Best steakhouse
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2. Best pizza restaurant
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3. Best place to dine after midnight
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4. Best Italian restaurant
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5. Best restaurant to celebrate winning the lottery
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6. Best Asian restaurant
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7. Best restaurant bathroom
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8. Best restaurant for kids
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9. Best bistro
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10. Best new restaurant (opened after Oct. 1, 1997)
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11. Best suburban restaurant
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12. Best Mexican restaurant
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13. Best restaurant for a cheap date
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14. Most overrated restaurant
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15. Best restaurant for wine lovers
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16. Best restaurant for spicy food
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17. Best romantic restaurant
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18. Best restaurant for breakfast
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19. Best restaurant for decor
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20. Best chef
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Mail to: Chicago’s Choice Dining Poll, P.O. Box 802048, Chicago,
Ill., 60680-2048, or vote and enter on the Internet at
metromix.com/go/choice.
YOUR NAME ——————————————————
ADDRESS ——————————————————–
CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE ——————————————
PHONE ———————————————————-
E-MAIL ADDRESS
