Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chicago. The cafe is the more casual version of Coco Pazzo restaurant. The
decor is colorful, with ceramic tile, wall murals, and a copper-topped bar. Cui-
sine is rustic Tuscan and northern Italian. The menu includes focaccia, thin-
crust pizza, seafood, veal, chicken dishes, and pasta. For adults, specialties
include fish cartoccio (fresh fish in parchment paper), gnocchi with tomato and
basil, and tagliolini with wild mushrooms. Sunday brunch features a fixed-price
menu that varies every week.
636 N. St. Clair St. & 312/664-2777. High chairs, boosters. Reservations recommended. Main courses
$8-$15. AE, DISC, V. Mon-Thurs 11:30am-10:30pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm; Sun 11:30am-10pm. Sub-
way/El: Red Line to Chicago. Bus: 3, 157, 151, 145, 146 or 147.
ESPN Zone AMERICAN Kids will love it, but grown-ups prone to indiges-
tion might want to tread carefully. (Maybe you'll want to skip dining here and
just hit the arcade?) The frenetic activity inside this temple of televised athletics
will likely please your kids (and please you, too, if you have trouble keeping
them entertained) but can be a bit overwhelming. Every wall is covered with tele-
vision screens or sports art, with a full-on visual and audio assault on your senses.
This massive 35,000-square-foot sports-themed dining-and-entertainment
complex features three components: the Studio Grill, designed with replicas of
studio sets from the cable networks' shows (including SportsCenter ); the Screen-
ing Room, a sports pub featuring a 16-foot screen and an armada of TV moni-
tors and radio sets carrying live broadcasts of games; and the Sports Arena, a
gaming area with interactive and competitive attractions. Good news for adults:
The food here is better-than-average tavern fare, including quite a few salads and
upscale items such as a salmon filet baked on cedar and served with steamed rice
and grilled vegetables.
43 E. Ohio St. (at Wabash Ave.). & 312/644-3776. Kids' menu, high chairs, boosters. Main courses
$7.25-$20; kids' menu $5-$8. AE, DISC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 11am-midnight; Fri-Sat 11am-1am. Subway/El:
Red Line to Grand.
Jack Melnick's Corner Tap AMERICAN This casual neighborhood pub
provides a comfortable, welcoming, and fun environment—a local hangout
where folks can “come as they are.” Specialties include burgers done seven ways,
chopped salads, and home-style specials such as barbecued ribs and chicken. A
50-foot old-fashioned bar is the epicenter of Jack's, featuring an extensive bottle
and tap beer selection from around the world “from Old Style to Newcastle.”
Patrons can catch just about any sporting event from baseball to hockey on the
16 screens featuring DirecTV, or play a game of darts. The dining room has
always been one of my favorite spots on the Magnificent Mile, with a screened-
in porch area that lets in the lake breeze in the summer, and a stone fireplace and
deep booths that make for cozy dining in the wintertime. Desserts include apple
pie, banana cream pie, and a chocolate-chip-cookie skillet sundae. On Sunday
catch brunch from 11am to 3pm.
41 E. Superior St. (at Wabash Ave.). & 312/266-0400. Kids' menu, high chairs, boosters. Reservations only
accepted for parties of 10 or more. Main courses $8-$15; kids' menu $4. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Wed
11:30am-midnight; Thurs-Sat 11:30am-2pm; Sun 11am-11pm. Subway/El: Red Line to Chicago/State.
INEXPENSIVE
Big Bowl ASIAN You know you're in a kid-friendly Asian restaurant
when you sit down and crayons and a bowl of white rice are brought to the table.
Big Bowl also has a great kids' menu—no cheeseburgers, just smaller portions of
the same Asian food the adults eat. Okay, so the restaurant is yet another creation
of Rich Melman's Lettuce Entertain You empire. But it's friendly, affordable, and
Value
Search WWH ::




Custom Search