CHIGuide

Where To Go For An Early-In-The-Game Date

The best spots to hit up on a second or third date - when you’re ready to commit to a full meal, but don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard.
Where To Go For An Early-In-The-Game Date image

photo credit: Sandy Noto

An early-in-the-game date is a date that’s more than just drinks (or drinks and a light bite), but less than a tasting menu extravaganza. (Save that for your anniversary - seems like things are going well so far.) You need a spot where you can have a great time and get to know each other, without looking like you’re trying too hard. A place with great food, that’s easy-ish to get into, and not too expensive. You need one of the places on this list.

The Spots

photo credit: Sandy Noto

Southern

West Town

$$$$Perfect For:BYOBCasual Weeknight DinnerFirst/Early in the Game DatesLiterally Everyone
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Here is how you have a date at Soule in West Town. You put your name in (because there’s going to be a 30-45 minute wait). Then you go next door for drinks, and/or go pick up a bottle of wine, since Soule is BYOB. You’ll get a phone call (at exactly the time they gave you as an estimate) to let you know your table is ready. Then you can go eat soul food, like shrimp and grits or fried catfish, that’s so delicious you won’t know if you’re having a great time because of the food, or because the date is going well. Make sure to share the warm peach cobbler with ice cream for dessert.


Daisies is a “Midwestern pasta-focused” restaurant. This means that every dish uses fresh, seasonal ingredients, and, well, the menu has a lot of pasta (like beet agnolotti, or tajarin with cracklins). The space itself is small, with really friendly service and a great back patio. So this is a good spot to take a “nice Midwestern person” and share some cheese curds.


This spot is Permanently Closed.

On the surface, Good Measure seems like it’s just a cooler-than-average bar in River North. It’s dark with red lighting, and has an overall dive-y atmosphere. But it also serves really great food - with small plates like curried hummus and a non-boring burrata with pickled peach puree, and larger ones like a fantastic burger and some very good fried chicken. This spot is fun, but you might want to check your date’s opinion on punk music before you come, since that’s all they play.


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Sushi-san in River North has wooden tables, loud rap music, and a mix of traditional and contemporary Japanese dishes. The upbeat atmosphere and reasonable prices will help ensure you have a good night, even if you’ve spent the last 20 minutes analyzing your date’s reaction when you accidentally mentioned your LARPing group. Share a “San-set” (an assortment of sushi), and make sure you get the Japanese pancakes for dessert - even if your date never calls you again, you’ll at least be glad you got to enjoy those.


Because Spacca Napoli in Ravenswood is off the beaten path, and the space is small, a low-key dinner here feels intimate. You’ll find brick walls, cans of tomatoes on display, a wood-burning oven - and, most importantly, authentic Neapolitan pizzas. It’s also in the kind of tree-lined neighborhood that you can go for a very cute walk in afterward.


Mi Tocaya is a laidback place where you can have a fun Mexican meal without spending a ton of money. Their menu doesn’t give descriptions of any of the dishes, so you and your date can work together to figure out what you’re going to eat - and there are plenty of creative things to try (like the peanut butter e lengua, which is beef tongue and peanut salsa). Plus, the menu also has you covered with some excellent tacos and burritos. Whatever you decide to eat, you’ll have a good time here.


Italian is a classic date night option. We’ve all seen The Lady & the Tramp. But a violinist showing up at your table on the second date is awkward (and creepy), and you’re probably not going out with a cartoon cocker spaniel. So it’s a good idea to have a reliable neighborhood joint in your back pocket that’s nice, but not overkill. That’s the situation at Bar Roma in Andersonville, which has simple, great Italian food, and feels cozy despite the fact that it’s pretty big. The pastas are made in-house, and while the cacio e pepe is fantastic, you also can’t go wrong with the day’s special.


Eating at Pub Royale in Wicker Park can be a challenge. It’s busy, and the hosts aren’t particularly helpful. Luckily, they accept reservations, and you should definitely make one if you don’t want to fight for seats. At the very least, strolling past the people waiting in line to claim your table will make you feel like you have your sh*t together. Once you’re seated, you can look forward to excellent Indian-inspired food - get the salt cod samosas and lamb dumplings, for sure.


This West Town brew pub is located in a remodeled old theater, which will give you something to talk about for at least three minutes if you’re feeling nervous. The open and airy space feels historical but still modern, with cool steampunk light fixtures and brewing vats visible in the back. The food and beer are both solid - there are interesting bar snacks like fried giardiniera and chili popcorn, and the burger is fantastic.


The Delta is a bar and restaurant in Wicker Park that’s great for cocktails and small-plate Southern food, and they specialize in tamales. Cocktail-wise, there are a bunch of different “smashes” (made with crushed ice), and also “vases” of drinks that are excellent for sharing. It’s small in here, and gets very crowded, so you have the perfect opportunity for an exit line like, “Wanna get out of here? My place is right around the corner.”


5 Rabanitos is a Mexican restaurant in Pilsen putting out some seriously great food, and if your date can’t appreciate it, you may want to reconsider your future together. It’s affordable, BYOB, and always very crowded. So you should do some planning ahead, and get a reservation. There’s a great selection of tacos as well as a huge vegetarian menu, and they make their own tortillas in-house.


So you agreed to meet after work in River North, and it seems like you have only two choices: an expensive Big Night Out at a place like Chicago Cut, or a sceney sh*tshow full of tube dresses and platform heels. Luckily, there’s Centennial, a low-key spot with a great craft beer selection and interesting bar food. Many dishes have an Indian twist, like a pulled chicken sandwich with curry and yogurt, or the curried sausage crepes. The restaurant looks like the hull of an old ship, with lots of wood and metal, and the space doesn’t get crazy no matter how late you decide to stay. So you’ll definitely be able to hear your date when he/she compliments you on your restaurant choice at the end of the night.


If you want old-school Italian that’s just the right amount of fancy for a second or third date, go to Topo Gigio in Old Town. It has some formal touches, like tablecloths and servers in white button-down shirts, and there are twinkly string lights - but this still manages to feel like a neighborhood spot. Everyone seems to be on a Chianti high, and the service is really friendly. The food is fantastic, too. If the night doesn’t go well, it wasn’t meant to happen.


Bringing a person you just started dating to a special neighborhood spot isn’t something you should do lightly - it’s kind of like introducing them to your family. But sometimes you just can’t wait. Mango Pickle, which serves contemporary Indian food in Edgewater, is the definition of a special neighborhood spot: it’s low-key, has delicious food, and it’s family-run, so you really feel like you’ve been invited into someone’s house.


The idea of a casual neighborhood caviar bar is an unusual one, but that’s exactly what Heritage is. The Humboldt Park space is decidedly not stuffy, with an upstairs that’s bar-like, and a downstairs that feels more formal but still approachable. It’s easy to get same-day reservations (which you should, since it gets busy), and the caviar menu has a wide range of options and prices - starting at $10. They also do some excellent Eastern European food, like borscht, pierogis, and pelmeni (Russian dumplings) filled with ground duck. Throw back some Russian vodka and see where the night takes you.


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