***** (5 stars)
This is my go-to place for a light lunch in Evanston. I completely skip the meats, and have two vegetarian courses. The first I turn into soup, and the second into a stir fry with roti bread. Ingredients are always fresh, and there is a broad selection of interesting sauces. Service is quick, friendly and efficient. I wish there was one of these close to my home!
Flat Top Grill
707 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 570-0100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/flat-top-grill-evanston-3
***** (5 stars)
Wow, the lunch here is a fantastic experience and value. For under $20 you get table service of fresh delicious food that changes from day to day. When we visited we received virtually everything we would have ordered from the menu: samosa, tandoori, masala, korma, saag, lentils, garlic naan. We could have easily spent $100 on this ala carte. And if you finish a dish they just bring more. It’s the variety of a buffet without the warming tray staleness. Service was friendly and attentive. We’ll definitely be back for another sampling.
Jaipur
847 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 526-3655
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jaipur-chicago
***** (5 stars)
This is a superb performance space. The stage is a semi circle, somewhat between a conventional proscenium setup and a thrust stage. The seats are pretty narrow, but comfortable. The show we saw was The Last Five Years, a fairly rare musical. The two leads were excellent, and the male lead belongs on Broadway. The six piece orchestra handled the complex show with great aplomb. I’ve seen the show four times, and this was by far the best production I’ve encountered. In fact, imaginative directing made this better than the Broadway version. Despite being a very long trip from my home, I’ll definitely return when they produce another show of interest to me.
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
111 W Campbell St
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(847) 577-5982
http://www.yelp.com/biz/metropolis-performing-arts-centre-arlington-heights
**** (4 stars)
This is a bustling operation divided into many dining rooms and fronted by a large gift shop. They offer a broad range of wines they barrel age and presumably blend themselves, and we found them sound if not inspired, and reasonably priced. The food was excellent, from the vegetarian flatbread to the fish main courses. The menu is extensive, and I’m sure we’ll return to explore further. Service was friendly and efficient.
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants
798 W Algonquin Rd
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(847) 981-0900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/coopers-hawk-winery-and-restaurants-arlington-heights
**** (4 stars)
We enjoyed the pub like atmosphere of the corner room, which affords a great view of the colorful neighborhood. Salads were fresh and excellent, and there are some nice wines on their list at good prices.
Service was inexperienced but well intentioned.
Basil Leaf Cafe
2465 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 348-7243
http://www.yelp.com/biz/basil-leaf-cafe-chicago
**** (4 stars)
An idyllic setting for a restaurant. When you can sit in the front room with all the wall opened up on a nice evening there is no more pleasant dining venue in Chicago.
We had the tasting menu, and felt that it contained many interesting and delicious ingredients that didn’t necessarily combine into something greater than the individual parts. But each dish had lots going on in it, for sure. The most successful were actually two courses that were added, a amuse bouche of curry and pineapple soup, and a pre-dessert with mace ice cream. The dessert itself was also a highlight.
THe accompanying wine pairing is a good deal. While there are no stunners, the wines work well with the dishes, particularly considering home many disparate flavors there are in each one.
Our waiter, though hurried, was obviously really passionate, and shared an anecdote about each wine.
Overall I’d certainly return, not so much for the wine as for the overall experience.
North Pond
2610 N Cannon Dr
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 477-5845
http://www.yelp.com/biz/north-pond-chicago
**** (4 stars)
This place offers terrific ambiance, with a stylish, open plan that lets you view the 1900 degree robata grill from anywhere in the restaurant. There is also outside seating.
While several of the sashimi items we tried were excellent, the butterfish tataki was the event, comparable to the best sushi restaurants I’ve been to around the world. The other highlight here are the vegetables off the robata grill, which are all excellent. The Brussels sprouts and the mushrooms are particularly notable.
Roka Akor
4999 Old Orchard Ctr
Skokie, IL 60077
(630) 474-5039
http://www.yelp.com/biz/roka-akor-skokie
**** (4 stars)
This authentic Greek restaurant is a sprawling collection of rooms and outdoor spaces located on the rear side of The Laundry complex. There is a very extensive list of Greek wines, plus all the Greek appetizers and entrees you’d expect. We particularly enjoyed the salads and the lamb burger.
Avli Estiatorio
566 Chestnut
Winnetka, IL 60093
(847) 446-9300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/avli-estiatorio-winnetka
***** (5 stars)
There aren’t many small professional theaters left, so it’s great to see this one thriving. The shows are very professional, with live music and talented performers, and since there are only a few rows, there are no bad seats.
It’s particularly nice that there is a comfortable lounge and bar with piano music for hanging out before the show, and the founders are always there to greet guests and make sure everyone has a nice time.
Definitely one of the best theatrical experiences in Central Florida.
Winter Park Playhouse
711 Orange Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 645-0145
http://www.yelp.com/biz/winter-park-playhouse-winter-park
**** (4 stars)
This is a really nice museum facility, but what I particularly like are the special events, especially the annual Spring “Science of Wine” which includes a very informative seminar and the best food of any wine event in town, even including the much more expensive Epcot food and wine festival. It’s great fun to eat and sip beneath the dinosaur bones! Sign up for the mailing list and you’ll find out about these special events in advance, before they sell out.
Orlando Science Center
777 E Princeton St
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 514-2000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/orlando-science-center-orlando