CHIGuide

Where To Go For Dinner When It “Doesn’t Matter” (But It Really Does)

Nine places for when someone says they don’t care, and it’s probably a lie.
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Maybe you’re going out to dinner with your loving but critical parents, or someone from corporate in Highland Park made a surprise visit to the Chicago office. Or you’re meeting your fiance’s sister who’s allegedly “very chill,” but a carefully curated social media presence leads you to believe otherwise. In other words, you need to pick a restaurant for someone who’s acting like it doesn’t matter, but you know very well that it does.

Somewhere that’s reliably good so you know what to expect, and nice without looking like you’re trying too hard. Plus you want the option to make reservations, because no one is OK with waiting hours for a table, no matter what they say. You need one of these spots.

THE SPOTS

American

Logan Square

$$$$Perfect For:Casual Weeknight DinnerDate NightDinner with the ParentsVegetarians
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Daisies is temporarily closed while they move to their new location down the street. An updated review is coming shortly.

If tasteful linen pants were a restaurant, they would be Daisies in Logan Square. This charming spot in Logan Square is bright and airy, and focuses on pastas using seasonal local ingredients. So when your mother-in-law visits who (you’re pretty sure) hates Chicago, take her here to show that this city has more going on than meat, cheese, and dark bars. It’s the kind of place where the servers tell you all about the produce you’re about to eat—like the farm it came from and its 23&me results. The menu has dishes like beet agnolotti and mushroom pappardelle. But (just to prove your mother-in-law right), there are also appetizers like fried cheese curds.


When you’re having a celebratory meal for an occasion someone claims isn’t a big deal - like a birthday they’re too excited about, or for a promotion they think was long overdue - consider Etta. This restaurant is a good example of what Chicago does very well: large, crowded restaurants that are always busy, hosts with earpieces, and general managers wandering around with a chambong and/or a stroller depending on the night. But most importantly, it has great food. Order any of the pizzas, pasta, or something (like the steak or roast chicken) from the wood-fired hearth.


Galit is great for several reasons. One, the Middle Eastern food is absolutely fantastic. Two, it’s not very expensive (the prix fixe menu is four courses for $84). Three, it feels casual enough that no one will suspect you had to reserve a table a month in advance. So, when you need a place to impress your company’s “Hey everyone just relax—I’m a regular person just like you!” visiting CEO, take them here. In fact, just to be safe, you should always have a reservation in your back pocket for any impromptu trips they make to fire someone from the Chicago team.


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Consider Amaru as a secret weapon restaurant. It looks like your typical neighborhood spot in Wicker Park when you walk in—meaning small and narrow, minimally decorated, with a bar dominating the space. In other words, whoever you take here probably won’t be expecting the food to be as fantastic as it is. Everything on the Latin American menu is delicious and is very affordable. In fact, the giant $13 bowl of ceviche is some of the best we’ve had. And thanks to extra touches like flaming cocktails and the fact that they play old-school hip hop, a dinner here always ends up feeling like a good time.


You’d like to impress your boyfriend’s parents by having them over for dinner, but your oven is used mostly for storage—in fact, you never turned the gas on after you moved. Going to Gather in Lincoln Square can be the next best thing. A meal at this spot feels like eating what you imagine someone cooks after a trip to the farmer’s market—honey ricotta, charcuterie, glazed baby carrots. Get some pastries to-go (this place mills its own flour) and hope you have some clean plates back at your house.


This spot is Permanently Closed.

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It’s easy to miss Parachute - it’s on a quiet street in Avondale, with only a “P” above the door to let you know it’s there. But the Korean food here is always excellent, and while it’s great for a weeknight dinner, it’s also a good bet for impressing out-of-towners. The menu constantly changes, but you can expect dishes like seafood pancakes, perfectly fried japchae tempura, and bibimbap that’s always delicious. Parachute also has the kind of service that will remind you why Midwesterners have a reputation for being very nice.


While not as overcrowded as the West Loop, Logan Square has gotten a lot of popular restaurants over the past few years. But before them all, there was Lula Cafe. It opened in 1999 and had a farm-to-table menu before that was even a thing. You can get everything from a smoked trout scramble to broccoli salad to dishes like tagine with freshly baked bread. The feel here is very “urban garden-meets-cafe,” and it’s the perfect spot to take anyone for breakfast, lunch, or dinner who you don’t want knowing you do most of your shopping at 7/11.


Au Cheval always has a long wait, and there is nothing low-key about Bavette’s. That’s why if you have someone you need to subtly impress (like an uncle you want to borrow money from), you should know about Gilt Bar. It’s owned by the same team, but it’s been around longer and is essentially a shortcut to some of the best things on both other spots’ menus. It has a great ribeye, the exact same tenderloin tartare, and even a replica of the Au Cheval cheeseburger. The dimly-lit environment is also very similar, and you can almost always just walk in and get a table. Plus the good judgment you show picking this place might convince him that you’re responsible enough to repay the loan.


photo credit: Sandy Noto

Between the fantastic Ethiopian food and incredibly friendly service, it’s scientifically impossible to leave Demera in a bad mood. So, anytime you need to get together with people you really want to get along—like a last-minute dinner with your roommate and your new boyfriend—keep this Edgewater spot in mind. It’s the kind of place where you’ll see the owner cooking in the kitchen and your server will tell you (truthfully) their favorite dishes on the menu. Not to mention that all the sharing involved in eating a meal here will help lay the groundwork for all the space the three of you will be sharing. At least until your lease is up.


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