Inexpensive dining near Steppenwolf, Goodman and Lyric Opera

Hi,

I'm trying to plan for the new theatre season and looking, as the topic states, for inexpensive but interesting dining options near Steppenwolf, Goodman and Lyric. Walking distance would be ideal, but a short cab ride is fine too.

Thanks for any suggestions you can provide.

Jyoti

There aren't really good cheap eats near these theaters, but my favorites for relatively low-cost dining near Steppenwolf include Goose Island, for brewpub fare, although they are closing by the end of the year; Pizza Capri, "gourmet"-type flatbread pizzas (I like the Thai chicken pizza); and Uncle Julio's, real Tex-Mex, plus surprisingly decent ribs and sometimes goat. If you order carefully, you can get away without spending too much at Vinci, where after all these years, I still love the house specialty polenta.

Miller's Pub is probably your best for inexpensive dining near the Goodman, although you can get a light nosh at Bin 36 for not too much or there's always Gold Coast Dogs or Giordano's.

I'm not too current on the Civic Opera House, but there is also a Giordano's near there and the Italian Village, while not exciting, is reliable.

Goose Island Brewing
1800 N. Clybourn Ave.
(312) 915-0071

Pizza Capri
1733 N. Halsted St.
(312) 280-5700

Uncle Julio's Hacienda
855 W. North Ave.
(312) 266-4222

Vinci
1732 N. Halsted St.
(312) 266-1199

Miller's Pub
134 S. Wabash Ave
(312) 645-5377

Bin 36
339 N Dearborn St.
(312) 755-946

Gold Coast Dogs
159 N. Wabash Ave.
(312) 917-1677

Giordano's
135 E. Lake St.
(312) 616-1200

Giordano's
310 W. Randolph St.
(312) 201-1441

Italian Village
71 W. Monroe St.
(312) 332-7005

I no longer work two doors away from Siam Rice, but it's still my top choice for Thai food in the loop and easy walking distance to both the Goodman and Lyric. It's a very nice room, carpeted for easier conversation, and large enough that it's fairly easy to get in. It gets overlooked under the el tracks, but that's a shame. The ingredients are fresh, the cooks know what they're doing, and I like almost everything on the menu. I recommend the roasted duck with Chinese broccoli, the som tum, the red curries, and the tom yum noodle, but there's nothing I'd say to stay away from. Note, however, that it's not open Saturday or Sunday.

117 North Wells
Chicago, IL 60606
312.606.9999 / phone

Hours

Mon-Fri, 11:00am - 8:00pm
Sat-Sun, closed

Edited to add

Wow Bao, in the Renaissance hotel at the corner of State and Lake, is very handy to the Goodman, and open till 8:30 Monday through Friday and till 7:30 on Saturday. An early review here

Another fun choice with terrific food, and also an easy walk to the Goodman, would be Pastoral
53 East Lake
Daily 10:30 to 8, Sat and Sunday, 12-6
Warning--it's mostly carryout. They only have seating for maybe 6-8, tops.

A little while ago I did some scouting for places to eat walking distance from the opera, and the find I liked best was the Elephant and Castle pub (from the Opera House, two blocks south on Wacker, four blocks east on Adams, less than a half mile total, 111 W. Adams).

Jyoti-

Can you define what inexpensive is? Or how much a short cab ride is (so I can factor that into the cost of dining)?

Any given year, I'm usually a subscriber to the Goodman and/or Steppenwolf. At the Goodman, I usually find a bite pre-theater at Petterino's, right next door. It's not cheap and it's LEYE, but it's convenient. I also like Trattoria No. 10, on Dearborn 1 1/2 blocks down.

For Steppenwolf, BOKA is good, but I'll valet at Vinci, which gets you parking for dinner and the theater (easy in n' out). And, if you don't finish your bottle of wine before the show, they'll keep it on ice for you to finish after the show is over. That's a nice touch. As for the food, they subscribe to the "butter is more" philosophy, especially with the polenta. In other words, it's okay, but tends to range from the butter-heavy a la Rose Angelis, or the downright bland. That's not to say that you won't be satisfied if you keep your expectations in check.

If I'm doing post-theater dining, I'll go to Natalino's in West Town, which is open until 1 or 2 am.

Petterino's
150 N. Dearborn
Chicago IL 60601
312-422-0150

Vinci
1732 N. Halsted
Chicago IL 60614
312-266-1199

Trattoria No. 10
10 N. Dearborn
Chicago IL
312-984-1718
(Closed Sunday)

Natalino's
1523 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago IL 60622
312-997-3700
(Closed Monday)

We did Tuscany Cafe (77 W. Wacker at Clark) before Goodman last week - v. solid pasta options that we enjoyed (the chef did a nice veg pasta for me with asparagus & yellow & green squash with a light cream sauce to accommodate some allergies I have). The tab was well under $15 a head (I don't think any of the entrees were more than $9). Three blocks to the Goodman.

We also like One North (One North Wacker) before the Civic, but we usually stick to eating at the bar as it can be a bit of a zoo on Opera nights.

Personally, when I am in the Oglivie Transportation Center with an hour to kill, I walk down to Boston Blackie's on S. Canal St. for a hamburger. It is not very inexpensive but the food is pretty good. The atmosphere is LOUD, especially during happy hour.

I believe that Greektown would be a 10-12 minute walk from the Lyric.

Baba Village south of Union Station on Canal and Jackson is good, inexpensive place to eat before Lyric. This has been my go to place for the last year, and I probably will continue to nosh there before the 8 operas next season.

If you're in the mood for pub-style food near Goodman, try Elephant and Castle at 185 N. Wabash. (There's also one on Adams and LaSalle that's near the [BRAND NAME HERE] Palace and the [BRAND NAME HERE] nee-Shubert Theatre.) Yeah, I know they're a chain, but you really can't go wrong with their fish and chips.
>>Brent

aschie30 wrote:Can you define what inexpensive is?

Can you also define what constitutes dining or dinner if that's what you're looking for? I'm a Lyric season ticket holder when my budget permits, and I've developed a guilty habit of eating whatever doughnuts or fritters are on the menu at Blackbird at the bar there before operas. I realize that wouldn't qualify as dinner for a lot of people, but it works for me. A very sleeping evening a too full stomach does make...especially if it's a night of Wagner.

Blackbird
619 W Randolph
Chicago 60661
312-715-0708

brotine wrote:If you're in the mood for pub-style food near Goodman, try Elephant and Castle at 185 N. Wabash. (There's also one on Adams and LaSalle that's near the [BRAND NAME HERE] Palace and the [BRAND NAME HERE] nee-Shubert Theatre.) Yeah, I know they're a chain, but you really can't go wrong with their fish and chips.
>>Brent

Or most of their other food. On a number of occasions when we had planned to head to Miller's Pub, we have ended up at Elephant and Castle as there was not a wait. (On weekends, life is somewhat controlled by the METRA schedule.

Hi. My restaurant of choice before or after a Steppenwolf play is BOKA. It is not inexpensive (to my mind) at all. My alternatives are usually Vinci, or Tratorria Gianni, which I surprisingly had a delicious dinner at after one of the Garage productions.

For the Goodman, I usually go to Petterino's or Atwood Cafe in the Hotel Burnham before or after a show.

Jyoti - something on another thread reminded me that Trattoria No. 10 has a happy hour buffet that I think is somewhere around $10-14 all you can eat as long as you buy two drinks, which can also be sodas. It's a nice spread of some pastas, salads, cheeses, grilled veggies, bruschetta. I've been several times and made a nice meal of it.

happy_stomach wrote:

aschie30 wrote:Can you define what inexpensive is?

Can you also define what constitutes dining or dinner if that's what you're looking for?


I was hoping we could limit our spending to about $30-40 per person. If this can include a drink that would be fantastic.

A short cab ride, in my definition, would be one that is under $10.

Thank you all for the list of suggestions - looking forward to exploring many of the options.
It appears that with so many theatre and opera goers there could be many opportunities for pre or post LTH dining

Jyoti

jygach wrote:It appears that with so many theatre and opera goers there could be many opportunities for pre or post LTH dining

Agreed! [Next season's subscriptions at both the Goodman and Steppenwolf look fantastic; at the very least, The Seafarer should encourage us to hoist a beer or whiskey after the play. ]

One more note: I was at the Goodman recently, and noticed that their concessions have improved tremendously from past years. In the happy_stomach vein as to what constitutes a [pre-theater] meal, in past years, I've had to rush over from work and make do with a stale cellophane-sealed cookie shipped in from California for dinner. Now, I notice that the cookies look freshly made and they have cute little cups of Palazzolo's gelato for sale. [I'm a big fan of ice cream as a theater snack!] Anyway, much better in a pinch than what they had before.

Jyoti, at that price point, definitely include Rosebud Theater District (we prefer over Petterino's since Petterino's usually a zoo pre-Goodman & Rosebud has a good pre-theater menu [less than $20 for the prix fixe] as well as being amenable to split plating entrees off the regular menu so we don't have to lug leftovers to the theater), and VKT at State & Hubbard. I haven't been in ages but Italian Village used to be an old standby. 312 Chicago might be hitting your ceiling but its in the ballpark. Pretty much anywhere in Greektown will fit your criteria too.

I should have added Tuscany Cafe has a full bar, so that maybe a reasonable option.

Just giving this thread a bump as the 2008/09 season has started. I've got my subscriptions lined up for the Goodman and Steppenwolf this season. I'll post back regarding any pre-/post-theater dining experiences -- I hope others do, too, even if the posts just involve specifics as to certain individual dishes we've liked. (This thread, for instance, reminded me how much I really liked Trattoria No. 10's pumpkin ravioli.) I find that it is tricky to find decent eats around curtain time, so even if I know of a so-so restaurant that excels at one or two dishes, that generally works for me!

We love Avec so much that we end up there all the time. We do need to explore other restaurants- will report back on all the options we try.

Jyoti

Ann Fisher wrote:I no longer work two doors away from Siam Rice, but it's still my top choice for Thai food in the loop and easy walking distance to both the Goodman and Lyric. It's a very nice room, carpeted for easier conversation, and large enough that it's fairly easy to get in. It gets overlooked under the el tracks, but that's a shame. The ingredients are fresh, the cooks know what they're doing, and I like almost everything on the menu. I recommend the roasted duck with Chinese broccoli, the som tum, the red curries, and the tom yum noodle, but there's nothing I'd say to stay away from. Note, however, that it's not open Saturday or Sunday.

Stay away from the pad thai. My friend ordered it once, and it was ridiculously orange and SWEET. She barely touched it. I've had the green curry and basil chicken - ok, but I don't rush to return.

Finding myself near Steppenwolf last night, I was lured into Vinci because it advertised in the window 50% off wines on Tuesday. We procured a nice bottle of Barolo for $30, although the wine needed to sit a bit prior to pouring to open up more. The food, while reasonably priced, is nothing to write home about. My recurring issue with Vinci (and I'm only there prior to Steppenwolf shows, so my experience isn't too terribly regular) is that the food is not seasoned well (or at least to my tastes). It's not that it isn't caringly prepared -- my housemade squash ravioli was al dente and the squash filling smooth and silky albeit bland -- but that there isn't enough salt, or too much garlic, or too little, etc. A lentil soup to start, however, was thick, luscious and filling.

Vinci is, however, a good deal (especially on half-price wine night), and there are several options for ordering to suit your appetite, such as 1/2 portions of pastas and a lengthy appetizer list. (I don't like to watch a show with too full a belly of food.) All in all, not a bad pre-theater option. The play -- Kafka On The Shore -- was very Kafka-esque, and that's all I'll say about it.

My friend and I have a Goodman subscription and saw Turn of the Century on Friday (which we endured with great befuddlement). For dinner we went to A Mano, the Italian place below Bin 36 and had a good meal there. They have a special - available any time - of a pizza, two pasta entrees and two desserts for $29 a person (I think they also have a $5 pizza special early in the evening). The grilled vegetable pizza was lovely - not exceptional but perfectly lovely. My friend ordered a pumpkin risotto (the risotto of the day) which was good though a bit bland. I however, inhaled my pasta with a wild boar ragu. I was pretty full after the pizza and was planning on only eating half but it was terrific and before I knew it I had cleaned my plate. Great, earthy flavor, tender shredded (not ground) meat, with surprise bites of sweetness from the raisins. The gelatos we had for dessert were also all terrific. Some came closer to what I expect in gelato texture and flavor (and as the co-organizer of the Giro del Gelato, I've got some gelato-tasting experience ) than others (the pistachio especially). Interestingly, our waitress tried to warn us away from the olive oil gelato when my friend expressed an interest. We didn't order it but because my friend was so curious about it, she offered to bring us a taste. She ended up bringing us two scoops! We both really liked it. The texture and mouthfeel were perfect and the flavor was very subtle and almost a bit floral. All in all, it was a solid pre-theatre dining experience.

A Mano
335 N Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 629-3500

Hellodali wrote:My friend and I have a Goodman subscription and saw Turn of the Century on Friday (which we endured with great befuddlement).

That reminds me, I was at the Goodman (for TOTC) last Thursday (the night before you, Hellodali), and ate quickly at the bar at Petterino's. I think I just had an appetizer but the bartender sent out a special of "Crispy New Potatoes" gratis and they were, believe it or not, fantastic. Garlicky, crispy, creamy. If you see them on the specials menu, definitely worth a try. TOTC was interesting (not as slick as Ain't Misbehavin' earlier this year) and Jeff Daniels not as fish-out-of-water as I anticipated, although TOTC definitely needs to some tightening up before any Broadway run.

aschie30 wrote:Finding myself near Steppenwolf last night, I was lured into Vinci because it advertised in the window 50% off wines on Tuesday. . . . A lentil soup to start, however, was thick, luscious and filling.

I've got the "discount" Tuesday subscription to Steppenwolf, so I think I'll continue to avail myself of 1/2 price bottles of wines at Vinci. I'm noticing that Vinci's strong suit is its daily soup special. I've ordered it twice now. Last time was a creamless tomato soup which had an earthy, roasted undertone and was served with pesto focaccia croutons. Along with a nice bread service, complimentary olives and a simple salad, this was a really filling and delicious pre-theater meal. With my portion of the wine, I was out of there for about $25, having ordered one of the mid-priced bottles. (Warning: The Seafarer (FANTASTIC, btw) will make you very thirsty for a beer. I resisted going into the Black Duck for one after the show.)

aschie30 wrote:

aschie30 wrote:Finding myself near Steppenwolf last night, I was lured into Vinci because it advertised in the window 50% off wines on Tuesday. . . . A lentil soup to start, however, was thick, luscious and filling.

I've got the "discount" Tuesday subscription to Steppenwolf, so I think I'll continue to avail myself of 1/2 price bottles of wines at Vinci. I'm noticing that Vinci's strong suit is its daily soup special. I've ordered it twice now. Last time was a creamless tomato soup which had an earthy, roasted undertone and was served with pesto focaccia croutons. Along with a nice bread service, complimentary olives and a simple salad, this was a really filling and delicious pre-theater meal. With my portion of the wine, I was out of there for about $25, having ordered one of the mid-priced bottles. (Warning: The Seafarer (FANTASTIC, btw) will make you very thirsty for a beer. I resisted going into the Black Duck for one after the show.)

I like Vinci (especially risotto preparations), but if the weather turns decent, you could change it up and walk a few blocks north to Trattoria del Merlo. The wine is expensive, unfortunately, but everything else is quite reasonable.

aschie30 wrote:Finding myself near Steppenwolf last night, I was lured into Vinci because it advertised in the window 50% off wines on Tuesday. We procured a nice bottle of Barolo for $30, although the wine needed to sit a bit prior to pouring to open up more. The food, while reasonably priced, is nothing to write home about. My recurring issue with Vinci (and I'm only there prior to Steppenwolf shows, so my experience isn't too terribly regular) is that the food is not seasoned well (or at least to my tastes). It's not that it isn't caringly prepared -- my housemade squash ravioli was al dente and the squash filling smooth and silky albeit bland -- but that there isn't enough salt, or too much garlic, or too little, etc.

The spouse and I had an after-show dinner at Vinci last week. We thought we'd have some appetizers and soup -- a light meal. As it turns out, the appetizer called "Grilled sausage" really is a casserole, as the menu says; it's more like a cassoulet of white beans and sausage in a slightly tangy tomato-based sauce, with crispy breadcrumbs on top. It was fantastic. So was the salad of shaved fennel, mushrooms, and radishes with truffle oil. Those two items alone would have made an adequate meal. The fennel soup that followed was so rich that I couldn't finish my serving of it. And the vegetable platter we ordered to share as a main course was superfluous. It was very nice, but at that point, we were stuffed. My conclusion is that next time, we'll stay in the appetizer section of the menu. As it was, our dinner (with 3 glasses of wine, only one entree, 2 coffees and no dessert) came to about $40 per person.

Going to see Carmen on Friday and thought I'd bump this thread for the lastest opinions. The Elephant & Castle is my fallback, but my city-dwelling brother suggests Lloyd's at 1 South Wacker; any opinions? I did a search for it but didn't find anything. I'm a bit surprised I haven't stumbled upon Lloyd's before when I've been looking for places to eat before the opera. I've met people at Rivers for a pre-opera meal a few times, but I'd like to go somewhere different this time. Somewhat longer but not unreasonable walks would get me to any Greek restaurant on Halsted, or the Italian Village*, or Prairie Fire.

What I'd like is a nice place to go to alone (unless/until my opera mates arrive), to linger, to read, to eat a couple of appetizers and have a drink, but not to have such a heavy meal that I can't stay awake during the opera. (Rather poor form especially when someone else bought the tickets - I say this as someone who has, to my shame, dozed off in a few operas.)

*p.s., the Italian Village seems to me to be three separate restaurants stacked on top of each other. Which level is the kind of hangout I'm looking for?

Katie wrote:Going to see Carmen on Friday and thought I'd bump this thread for the lastest opinions.

Enjoy Carmen! I've shifted my fall opera schedule so that I'm not going to Macbeth until the end of the month, in hopes that Avec will be open by then. I have a pre-Lyric habit that is hard to break.

Harold's ## at 804 W. Washington, whenever it opens, will be another option for opera-goers.

happy_stomach wrote:
in hopes that Avec will be open by then. I have a pre-Lyric habit that is hard to break..

Tried many options, but Avec remains my delicious pre or post-Lyric habit too.

Jyoti

I'm at Lloyd's now. It's edible. It should fit your bill but nothing to write home about. If you are willing to go as far as Avec then why not Prairie Fire? I love that place.

Used to work in the building that houses Lloyds and only ate there out of desperation (sorry PFL--not sure what you were doing there ). I preferred One North Kitchen across the street (1 N. Wacker) and there is plenty of space to hang out for a while on your own. I would also "third" the rec for Prairie Fire since they have a great cozy bar area and plenty of app options.