Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
139
Rainforest C afé AMERICAN This M innesota-based chain bills itself as “ a wild
place to shop and eat. ” The restaurant strives to cr eate the feel of a rainfor est with the
sounds of water falls, thunder and lightning, and wild animals echoing thr oughout the
place. Check out the floor-to-ceiling aquarium tanks, and duck to av oid the swinging
orangutans. The Mexican and Caribbean-inspired menu features salads, sandwiches, and
a range of entrees that will please a family of picky eaters. The “chicken-fried chicken” is
a bestseller, as is the “mojo bones” rib appetizer. The kids' menu features standard burg-
ers, hot dogs, and mac and cheese. The restaurant also sponsors educational pr ograms
designed to bring awareness of the planet's dwindling rainforests.
605 N. Clark St. (at Ohio St.). & 312/787-1501. www.rainforestcafe.com. Kids' menu, highchairs, boost-
ers. Reservations recommended. Main courses $9-$11; k ids' menu $6-$8. AE, DC, DISC, V. Mon-Thurs
11am-9:30pm; F ri 11am-10:30pm; Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-9pm. Sub
way/El: Red Line t o Stat e/
Grand.
6 LINCOLN PARK
Singles and up wardly mobile y oung families inhabit Lincoln P ark, the neighborhood
roughly defined by North Avenue on the south, Diversey Parkway on the north, the park
on the east, and Clybourn Avenue on the west. No surprise, then, that the neighborhood
has spawned a dense concentration of some of the city 's best restaurants.
EXPENSIVE
Geja's Café FONDUE Are your kids over age 10? Can they sit thr ough a 2-hour
meal? If so, they will lo ve Geja's (pronounced Gay- haz ), an all-fondue r estaurant. For
some diners, the dar k rathskeller decor will be a w elcome change fr om the slick, com-
mercial trattorias and bistr os common all o ver the city. The restaurant has single-hand-
edly preserved the fondue experience in Chicago, pr oviding a fun and w elcome break
from the ordinary mode of dining.
Choose the P rince Geja's combination dinner, the best G eja's has to offer . The meal
begins with a Gruyère fondue appetizer, into which you dip apple wedges and chunks of
dark bread. Next, a huge platter arriv es, brimming with squares of beef tenderloin, lob-
ster tails, chicken breast, scallops, and jumbo shrimp—all raw—and a caldron of boiling
oil to cook them in—the r eason only kids 10 and up ar e allowed! These delicacies ar e
accompanied by a variety of raw vegetables, and eight different dipping sauces. When the
flaming chocolate fondue arrives for dessert, with fresh fruit and pound cake for dipping
and marshmallows for roasting, you'll want to beg for mercy. One word of caution: You
have to work for your fondue—keeping track of ho w long each piece of meat has been
cooking, and taking it out befor e it burns—so G eja's is not the best choice if y ou just
want to sit back and be pamper ed.
340 W. Armitage Ave. (btw. Lincoln Ave. and Clark St.). & 773/281-9101. Reservations accepted every
day ex cept lat e F ri-Sat. 3- course dinners $20-$39. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. M on-Thurs 5-10pm; F ri
5-11:30pm; Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4:30-9:30pm. Subway/El: Brown Line to Armitage. Bus: 22.
5
O'Brien's Restaurant AMERICAN From the looks of the interior , y ou'd expect
O'Brien's to be a rather or dinary restaurant with that standar d “Irish pub” feel—dark
wood, brass, and hunter green feature prominently. But outdoors, you'll make an amaz-
ing disco very: the best alfr esco dining in O ld Town. And that 's saying something, as
you'll find multiple options up and do wn Wells Street. In good w eather the chance to
 
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