Modern Buddy

Completely un-Buddy related, but any suggestions?

Being thousands of miles from any ocean, Chicago is not all that famous for seafood, ha.

The only seafood restaurant I can think of near OHare is Red Lobster on Thatcher. The O'Hare area is mostly mall-parking-lot restaurants and overpriced hotel restaurants.

Oh, there are a few, looks like mostly chains, though upscale chains:

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=se ... Hare%2C+IL

I could talk at length about most food in Chicago, but I don't really care for seafood, so I'm not much help, sorry.

Maybe you're right about the seafood!

Any hidden gems (any kind of cuisine) within a 10-15 minute drive of O'Hare?

illnoise wrote:Being thousands of miles from any ocean, Chicago is not all that famous for seafood, ha.

Being right on one of the largest bodies of freshwater on the planet, fish such as lake trout and perch should be fairly easy to come by. Or maybe that's only up here in Michigan, away from the urban wastes of Chicagoland.

Is this a "what should I eat while I am laid over for a couple hours?" kind of question or do you plan on spending some time in the city?
And if the answer is yes to the first part, how long of a lay over?
The answers depend on the question.

i live about a 3 min scooter ride from ohare. there is a TON of places to eat around the airport but its mostly all chain restaurants. to get a good little place you got to go a bit away from the airport. if you need a local scoot around let me know

Milktown,
I agree. That's why I asked how much time they have.

Katie,
Working your way toward the city, but still staying pretty north, there are some excellent choices. Some examples that I would include are
Smoque BBQ: BBQ
Kuma's Corner: Rock Solid burgers
Hot Doug's: Dogs and Brats
Hema's Kitchen: Indian

A little further toward the city:

Sultan's Market: Mediterranean
Coast: Sushi

Granted these are not 5 star, white tablecloth places, but they are tops in their respective genres nonetheless.
If you would like more, say the word.
Mike

So I flew in last night around 8pm to meet my hubby who's at a training seminar near the airport. I didn't see the suggestions posted until this morning so we ended up at a place called Elliott's Seafood Grille & Chop House that I saw online had a couple good comments about it. It was pretty good - we gave it like a 7 or 7.5 out of 10. We had grilled calamari, I had stuffed salmon and he had filet marsala. Service was good/friendly and nice ambiance. It was about a 10 minute drive from O'hare maybe.
Tonight we'll be by the Ford Center for Performing Arts for Billy Elliott. I'm not sure where that is but we'd like to get a bite before the musical someplace close by. So suggestions welcome!! Then the next two nights we'll be with my friend who lives in the Wicker Park/ Bucktown area. I'm sure he knows some places but if anyone's knows a can't miss place I'd love to hear it.
I'm going to go look up Coast and Sultan's Market now. Sushi and mediterranean style foods are two of my favorites!
Milktown, come pick me up for a scoot while hubby's in training!

Wish I had seen this thread sooner! Since the invention of jet airplanes, we get great seafood Chicago!

Both Coast and Sultan's have locations in Bucktown/WP

TVB wrote:

illnoise wrote:Being thousands of miles from any ocean, Chicago is not all that famous for seafood, ha.

Being right on one of the largest bodies of freshwater on the planet, fish such as lake trout and perch should be fairly easy to come by. Or maybe that's only up here in Michigan, away from the urban wastes of Chicagoland.

Lake trout and perch? Seafood? No no no... there's fish... and then there's seafood!!!

This thread is making me hungry.

KatieP wrote: Milktown, come pick me up for a scoot while hubby's in training!

now now, we wouldnt want to make anyone jealous. riding on a scooter all day while hes sitting in training, thats just unfair... lets do it!

Once or twice a year I used to fly into Chicago to work an event at the convention center in Rosemont, which right near O'Hare. The Hyatt Regency O'Hare (right across the street from the convention center) had the best restaurants. There was a steak and seafood place and an Italian Place. This post caused me to look at their Web site. They've re-done the restaurants, which is sad.

This hotel, by the way, is famous for several reasons:
1) Major League Baseball owners would meet there for meetings. You'd see baseball players and owners in the place all the time.

2) The lobby had skywalks, which were of a similar design to the Hyatt in Kansas City. In 1981, the skywalks in Kansas City collapsed, causing them to redesign the lobby of the O'Hare Hyatt.

3) This is the hotel O.J. Simpson stayed at the night/night after Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered. (remember the limo driver's testimony)? If I had my bet, the knife is somewhere in that forest preserve behind the hotel.

This post is in no way helpful to the OP or anyone else who reads it. I must be in a funny mood this morning.

Milktown wrote:

KatieP wrote: Milktown, come pick me up for a scoot while hubby's in training!

now now, we wouldnt want to make anyone jealous. riding on a scooter all day while hes sitting in training, thats just unfair... lets do it!

Yeah, he would be really jealous. I'd never hear the end of it. ...So, do you have an extra helmet?

BTW, last night we ended up at Encore on W. Randolph St. It was really good - like an 8 or so. We ordered filet mignon tacos, goat cheese dip, and asian springrolls with noodles and split everything. Yum...

OMG Chicago has the BEST food. Deep dish pizza + me = 4EVER

KatieP wrote:

Milktown wrote:

KatieP wrote: Milktown, come pick me up for a scoot while hubby's in training!

now now, we wouldnt want to make anyone jealous. riding on a scooter all day while hes sitting in training, thats just unfair... lets do it!

Yeah, he would be really jealous. I'd never hear the end of it. ...So, do you have an extra helmet?

BTW, last night we ended up at Encore on W. Randolph St. It was really good - like an 8 or so. We ordered filet mignon tacos, goat cheese dip, and asian springrolls with noodles and split everything. Yum...

only have one helemt but if i got a passenger it goes to them

well I know the OP has come and gone, as far as seafood in Chicago, I liked Shaws Crab House. Kinds pricey but tasty. I enjoyed the oysters (flown in on jet planes) and some local smelts of some sort.

I do have a couple places I must hit when I visit Chicago, but my newest in rotation is Tango Sur. It is Argentinian and BYOB, any MB'ers been there? It is just a stones throw NW of Wrigley Field. It would be a vegetarian's nightmare though.

Let's not forget Hala Kahiki, that sweet tiki bar just south of Rosemont!

Sorry I missed that when I lived there.

peabody99 wrote:well I know the OP has come and gone, as far as seafood in Chicago, I liked Shaws Crab House. Kinds pricey but tasty. I enjoyed the oysters (flown in on jet planes) and some local smelts of some sort.

I do have a couple places I must hit when I visit Chicago, but my newest in rotation is Tango Sur. It is Argentinian and BYOB, any MB'ers been there? It is just a stones throw NW of Wrigley Field. It would be a vegetarian's nightmare though.

tang sur is freaking amazing. meat of all kinds and all sizes they couldnt even fill up a t-rex.

I love the mini Hibatchi that you cook your meats on.
For those of us who have been, should we mention that if you are afraid of Vampires there is no need to worry. Garlic a plenty happening at Tango Sur.

i'll say they are not afraid of garlic!

one of my other fav Chi town spots is *Greek Islands-- Grilled Octopus, lamb ribs, greek wine, olives, flaming cheese (OPA!), all for fair price...what more do you want??

I realize Chi has lots of high end great eats, but I really like how great places can be affordable as well.

* yes I know about the 08 health dept scare. They survived, and so did we.

So my time in Chicago flew by and I'm back home in Cleveland now.

Saturday we went to Sultan's for lunch and had the falafel sandwich and baba ganoush (sp?) It was delicious! Thanks for the tip!

We also went to the Violet Hour which had really good cocktails and Crust which had great flatbreads.

I can't wait to go back - there are so many more restaurants to try!!!

TVB wrote:

illnoise wrote:Being thousands of miles from any ocean, Chicago is not all that famous for seafood, ha.

Being right on one of the largest bodies of freshwater on the planet, fish such as lake trout and perch should be fairly easy to come by. Or maybe that's only up here in Michigan, away from the urban wastes of Chicagoland.

How about?:

Asian Carp: Coming to a Great Lakes city near you! (Also available Spring 2011 in Montreal and other St. Lawrence River/Seaway locations.)

No way, those crafty Chi-townians have figured out a way to electrify the water in a specific area wich keeps the carp out of the river close to the lake.
Now if they have a massive power outage for an extended period of time, then there could be trouble for the lake, and all it's native species.
Think I saw something about it on "Llife After People" on the History channel.
But hey, as any country folk worth thier salt, wil say "It ain't the fish that's nasty, it how ya cook em'"