Wilmette eateries?

I had to run an errand in downtown Wilmette the other day, and I realized that there appear to be several restaurants around that would be good for Saturday afternoon excursions with the kids. I'm unfamiliar with them, because when we go north from Evanston we usually find ourselves in Winnetka, as we often have outings to The Book Stall. So who knows the scoop about Wilmette? I'm not looking for fine dining or even great food (we have Chicago for that), just decent places to take the kids. And there's a bakery there that evidently was written up in Chicago Magazine -- (called the Bakery from Elm, though it's on Wilmette Avenue) -- anyone know how the cakes etc. are there? Thanks!

Will look up the addresses.Walker Brothers
.Pancake House on Greenbay.Don't know if it is still around-Ridge Restaurant at Ridge and Lake for breakfast and lunch.RR is near Treasure Island.

Here's a few ideas, all reasonably kid-friendly:

The Noodle
708 12th St.
obviously, mostly pasta

Old Ouilmette Depot
1139 Wilmette Ave.
Interesting location in the historic train station, with traditional, reasonably good American food (although I vaguely recall they may have had a fire there a few months ago)

Chinoiserie
509 4th St.
Chinese with a slight French accent at the end of the Purple El line, BYOB

And over in No Man's Land are two (from the same owner):

Betise
1515 Sheridan Rd.
French; maybe not quite as kid-friendly as the others

Convito Italiano
1515 Sheridan Rd.
Great takeout, wine shop specializing in Italians, as well as the restaurant, across the parking lot from Betise

Thanks sincerely for these tips, but the area I'm really curious about is downtown Wilmette (i.e. around Wilmette Ave. east of Green Bay.) By the way, the Ridgeview Diner (I think that's the name) at Ridge and Lake recently re-opened after a big re-modeling, to its detriment, in our opinion. No more breakfast, and more "upscale" offerings with unappealing salmon specials and the like for lunch and dinner. They used to have decent greek omelets and burgers and etc. and it was a nice diner. Now I'm not sure what its identity is but it's unappealing to my family. Pity.

Too bad.There was a waitress there who I also knew worked at Sher-Main and Gold Coin or Gold Mine,whichever was at Howard and Dodge.Ridgeview is also convenient to Treasure Island and Edens Plaza.I believe there is a restaurant called Chuck Wagon.Perhaps someone else has more info.

ToniG wrote:Thanks sincerely for these tips, but the area I'm really curious about is downtown Wilmette (i.e. around Wilmette Ave. east of Green Bay.)

The Noodle is right in that area that you describe. Also, right in downtown Wilmette is CJ Arthur's, a bar/soda fountain/eatery that is very family-friendly. I've eaten there once before and was underwhelmed by my meal, but I wouldn't hold that against them.

C.J. Arthur's
1168 Wilmette Ave.
Wilmette, IL

To follow up on Hattyn's post, Chuck Wagon, which is located next to the Wilmette Theatre at 1120 Central Avenue in Wilmette (847-256-0120), is a fun, albeit greasy, spot for lunch.

I personally enjoy a sandwich served there called The Waitress which is basically a standard grilled american cheese on white with gyros meat added. This can be so great on one of "those" days. I believe they also serve one called the Nicky's Special which is a burger or cheeseburger also topped with gyros meat. Fries are very good--certainly better if you eat in. The place looks divey and it is, but I know that's not going to bother many of the folks who post here.

They offer quite a few of the usual "Chicagoland" items there (Vienna dogs IIRC, Il Taco pizza puffs, etc), many prepared with a personal, Chuck Wagon, touch. Certainly worth the trip if the genre is calling you. I'm pretty sure I once picked up lunch for a hungry 5 there, for under $30.

=R=

You don't mention the age of the children as that might be a factor for this suggestion but a personal fave of mine in that area has always been The Buttry. Home made soups and sandwiches on home-baked bread and, in the last few years, an expanded menu of various dishes beyond sandwiches. It's a small place with a nice quiet atmosphere and solid food.

The Buttry
1137 Greenleaf
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-256-1133

Maybe I'm digressing a bit, but I have a question about restaurants in this area. I'm meeting some friends for dinner this weekend and we mentioned the Evanston/Wilmette area. Didn't want to go too fancy or expensive. I've read good things about Campagnola and Betise, but was hoping for some other ideas.

Thanks!

Cross Rhodes
913 1/2 Chicago Ave.
Evanston
847-475-4475

It's been mentioned on the board,I have not been.

Kwe730 wrote:Maybe I'm digressing a bit, but I have a question about restaurants in this area. I'm meeting some friends for dinner this weekend and we mentioned the Evanston/Wilmette area. Didn't want to go too fancy or expensive. I've read good things about Campagnola and Betise, but was hoping for some other ideas.

Thanks!

If you open things up to Evanston, there's a vast number of possibilities -
I'd just search the board for Evanston.

Here's a couple that I like that don't seem to get mentioned here too much:

Chef's Station
in the Davis St. Metra Station
Contemprary American in a fun atmosphere

Jilly's Cafe
Green Bay Rd just north of Central
Also contemporary Ameican, maybe with a dash of French

I did do some research on the board, but the only mention of Campagnola was after it switched back from being Bistro Campagne. The only mention of Betise mainly talks about the creme brulee. Thanks for your other suggestions. I've heard good things about Jilly's.

nr706 wrote:Jilly's Cafe
Green Bay Rd just north of Central
Also contemporary Ameican, maybe with a dash of French

I'll second the Jilly's rec - they are at or near the top of my list of Evanston spots.

I agree with ToniG that Ridgeview Restaurant's "upgrade" is less than satisfactory. We tried the new version once and doubt we will return. Can do better elsewhere for the same or less. They should have stayed with the Greek diner concept.

I also support Kman's recommendation of the Buttry. It's been a while since we've been there, but we always liked it at lunch. Excellent bread. Has a nice cozy European feel. Last time there we saw some specials listed for the dinner menu that sounded interesting and reasonably priced. I think the owners may be Hungarian. I'd look to see if they ever offer goulash or a paprikash dish.

Re Jilly's. Only been there once for dinner. The appetizer's and desserts were excellent; the entrees adequate. Also did lunch time take-out. Very good salads. Lunch prices are reasonable for good bistro food. I will try them at dinner again.

Finally back to the original request for an inexpensive place to take the kids in Wilmette. I can't remember the name but there's a small breakast/lunch place opposite City Hall with a posted menu very similar to that of Winnetka's Green Bay Cafe. I haven't tried it but if it is the same ownership then the food should be good.

George R wrote:Re Jilly's. Only been there once for dinner. The appetizer's and desserts were excellent; the entrees adequate. Also did lunch time take-out. Very good salads. Lunch prices are reasonable for good bistro food. I will try them at dinner again.

George R,

I would suggest going with the New Zealand Venison or Rack of Lamb at dinner (those are my standbys) - really any meat entree for that matter - Brian (the chef / owner) really seems to be on top of the meat preparations. A couple of weeks ago I had an excellent Veal Chop at Jilly's. Can't say as I have ever tried a fish dish there, though....

Their Champagne brunch on Sundays is also quite reasonable, IMHO.

These places deserve mention

Irvings - Decent dog, seen better days
Akai Hana - very good sushi in westlake plaze. Try the mushroom appetizer
Homers Ice Cream- The best ice cream in Chicago

Kwe730,this one's for you.

Lou Malnati's
3223 Lake Ave.
Wilmette
847-256-5780

ChiNOLA said:

I would suggest going with the New Zealand Venison or Rack of Lamb at dinner (those are my standbys) - really any meat entree for that matter - Brian (the chef / owner) really seems to be on top of the meat preparations. A couple of weeks ago I had an excellent Veal Chop at Jilly's. Can't say as I have ever tried a fish dish there, though

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try Jillys again for dinner.
Last time I had the steak frites which was ordinary. Perhaps it was an off night.

Cheese to Please Pizza
1109 Central Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091-2611
847-256-6550

There will soon be a new addition to the Willmette dining scene. A new diner operated by the same people who own Edgebrook Diner is scheduled to open sometime after Thanksgiving. This will be a very exciting alternative to waiting in line for breakfast at Walker Bros! Stay tuned for details as they become available.

Steve - did you ever hear anything more about the edgebrook-owed wilmette diner?

Seth Zurer wrote:Steve - did you ever hear anything more about the edgebrook-owed wilmette diner?

Yes. They had their grand opening a month or so ago. It's located on the side street directly adjacent to the Linden avenue L stop. The menu is identical to Edgebrook and so is the vibe. The only difference is that the Wilmette location has a few tables in addition to the counter.

Mrs. D's Diner
415 4th Street
Wilmette, IL
847-256-2580

Thanks Steve. It's only a mile from work; I'm looking forward to trying it.

I'm an heretic -- not a fan of Walker Brothers. Mrs. D's/Edgebrook Diner sounds like it's more my speed.

Interesting -it's right around the corner from my office. A couple of colleagues had hamburgers for lunch there right after they opened. Hopefully, the breakfast is better than the burgers; apparently they were not well-received.

Seth Zurer wrote:Interesting -it's right around the corner from my office. A couple of colleagues had hamburgers for lunch there right after they opened. Hopefully, the breakfast is better than the burgers; apparently they were not well-received.

The food should be pretty much the same as Edgebrook. Dimitri is doing the cooking AFAIK.

Wife No. 1 and I went to Mrs. D's for bf this am. Got in around 8:40 am and caught the last available table (only about six 4-toppers). The counter (9 seats) was nearly full too. Of course Saturday morning gets busy around that time as quite a few families came in.

It's the sort of place every town needs. The staff was friendly and really hustling to keep up.

The Mrs. had two eggs over easy with a corned beef hash side. I had a three egg omelet which you can order with accessories (veggies, cheeses, meats) as you choose. I opted for spinach, mushrooms, ham.

The corned beef hash was excellent -- of the non-onion variety which we prefer. My omelet was fine. I loved my crisp hash browns which were as good as any I've had.

The one glitch was that even though they arrived at the same time, my wife's food (except for the corned beef hash which was on a separate plate) was not very warm. Mine was hot off the griddle.

We figure hers was ready first and held until mine was done. She was wondering why I was raving over the hash browns and gave me some of hers. They weren't the same -- not as crisp and didn't have the same flavor, probably weren't seasoned adequately.

Considering how busy they were, it was understandable. May take them a while to sort things out.

We'll try it again but at a quieter time. Also, it probably wouldn't hurt to ask for the hash browns crisp.

Old Ouilmette Depot is closed.

I'll be going to the Wilmette Theatre on the 21st (a Monday) with several out of town friends. Never having been myself, what's a good pre or post-show dinner option that's relatively close by?

I have eaten a few times at Gilson's and recommend it. Most recently had lamb stew that was pretty great. They open at 5 for dinner on Mondays.

Gilson's of Wilmette
1126 Central Ave.
www.gilsonsofwilmette.com

Gilson's Menu wrote:Sweet Chili Grilled Shrimp - $12.95

Our huge shrimp grilled and topped with a sweet chili sauce. In the center is a small helping of our hand-made, time intensive, it needs love to make it work, risotto, just for funzies.

(emphasis mine)

Have you had the shrimp appetizer? Can you confirm that the risotto is, in fact, funzy?

-Dan