Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar

Posted by Bridget at 7:00 am

Aug 182009

The pre fixe theater menu includes a decent cut of meat for a reasonable price.

Located right across the street from the LaSalle Bank Theater (always the Schubert to me), the Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar gets a good share of its traffic from happy hour revelers and pre-theater diners.

I’ve always thought the food there over-priced. The steak and fish dishes I’ve tried over the years have been good but not spectacular, and I usually find myself gawking at the bill at the end of the evening, regretting my decision to eat there.

But recently I discovered a pre fixe theater menu option that satisfies my carnivore cravings and doesn’t leave a massive hole in my pocketbook.
For $30 you get a salad, a steak entrée with two sides, and a giant piece of chocolate cake! It’s a steal — especially when the steaks on the main menu start at $32.

If you’re hungry for a solid meal, but nothing fancy, it’s a good way to go. On Tuesday nights you can also expect a free drink tasting and appetizer during happy hour.

Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar
33 W Monroe St # 3
Chicago, IL 60603-5300
(312) 960-0000
Get directions

Lunch Rolls Quick Bite

Posted by Bridget at 7:00 am

Aug 132009

whitefish lunch roll with mac and cheese The Spa Cafe is no more and in its place is Lunch Rolls, which specializes in sandwiches.

The interior of the restaurant hasn’t changed at all since Tammy and I were there three years ago — even the tables are the same — but the menu is very different. I liked that there are still a number of healthy options. You can get your sandwich on a whole wheat house roll, in a whole wheat pita wrap, or you can skip the bread all together and have your sandwich fixings on a salad.

Fellow foodie @robking2520 and I split a smoked whitefish sandwich on a white lunch roll with a side of mac and cheese, and a Morrocan lamb sandwich on a wheat lunch roll with a side of grilled veggies. We were famished at the time, and so eager to get on with the eating, that we totally forgot to take pictures of our food before we cut our sandwiches apart. But don’t let my subpar pictures fool you! Both sandwiches were excellent. We liked the whitefish a bit better, but that’s because we both prefer white bread lunch rolls.
tropi-cola The sides were good too, especially the mac and cheese. I’m often disappointed with the runny, bland mac and cheese at fast food places, so this was a standout in comparison. Bread crumbs were sprinkled on top adding just the right amount of crunch and the cheese had flavor.

We also sampled the Tropi-Cola — a blend of ginger ale and coke. The result tastes startlingly like liquid bubble gum. I made my way through it but wouldn’t get it again.

Swing by Lunch Rolls next time you’re out and about in the Loop. It’s a great place for an affordable quick bite!

Lunch Rolls
112 W. Monroe
312-551-0000
Get directions

The Green at Grant Park

Posted by Bridget at 5:00 pm

Aug 102009

The shrimp mango salad is my favorite.

Tired of inhaling food that comes in a paper to-go bag at lunch? The Green at Grant Park is a good alternative. Tucked away in an unobtrusive corner next to the park putting green, this lesser-known outdoor restaurant is a good place to kickback for a few minutes and enjoy the summer sun.

It has a reasonably priced menu and quick service. The food itself is nothing to write home about. The sandwiches are average, and the salads I’ve tried have been good but not very filling. If you get a salad be sure to order a side too.

Also, if you have a choice, don’t sit under the tent they recently put up. It’s home to a number of insects that might impede your comfort and joy as you eat.

Still, The Green at Grant Park is a worthy destination is you need a brief outdoor escape from the office, or a place to eat before tomorrow night’s movie in the park. Check it out!