Where to Eat Before House of MODA

Mar 3

Mar 3 Where to Eat Before House of MODA

New American

Girl & the Goat is a hot spot where Stephanie Izard serves up innovative small plates from a dramatic open kitchen. As a fancy new American restaurant, it serves a family style menu of tasty, bold flavored foods with global influence in a fun and lively setting. It also offers very tasty wines from around the world, a rotating list of craft beers and a list of fun cocktails. Try their innovative menu before the MODA show or grab a drink after the show. If you want similar awesome food and pleasant environment but with a smaller budget, try the Little Goat, which is also a Stephanie Izard restaurant but cheaper.

$$ // 809 W Randolph St, Chicago IL 60607

$$ // 820 W Randolph St, Chicago IL 60607

If you have a free afternoon as well, the Metropolitan Club is another option. Located on the 67th floor of Willis Tower, it has amazing view over the city. The food is fabulous too, such as the Oyster Rockefeller and Rosemary Diver Scallop. Must also go onto the Skydeck if you haven’t already. It’s definitely an upscale place, but worth trying once on a special day, such as before the MODA show.

$$$ // Willis Tower Skyjack, 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago IL 60606

Spanish, Mediterranean, and Mexican

Salero is a rustic-chic place serving creative Spanish dishes & pintxos made with modern ingredients. It literally brings Spain into Chicago. Some mostly recommended dishes are chorizo-stuffed quail, la Plancha, and flat iron steak. Also experience their Pinxtos Bar, where you can enjoya vast selection of wine and sherry while sampling seasonal Basque-inspired bite-sized dishes.

$$ // 621 W Randolph St, Chicago IL 60661

A more affordable place is Roti Mediterranean Grill. It’s similar to Chipotle and you are really getting the bang for your every buck there.

$ // 200 W. Randolph St, Chicago IL 60661

If you want something Mexican but not the same as Chipotle, try Habanero Baja Grill. Habanero Baja Grill has the quality ingredients over Taco Bell like Chipotle but flavors like a real Mexican taco spot! Serving up authentic menu items using only locally sourced all-natural antibiotic-free meats.

$ // 520 N Michigan Ave, Chicago IL 60654

Middle Eastern

Benjyehuda is Middle Eastern street food with custom toppings served in a weekday-only, counter-serve spot. Some high recommended dishes are falafel pita, Yehuda Flight and Jerusalem salad.

$ // 212 W. Van Buren St, Chicago IL 60607

Another option is Naf Naf Grill (326 N Michigan Ave). Signature foods are made-from-scratch pitas, hand-cut salads, and shawarma and falafel served with freshly prepared sauces.

BBQ

Of course all barbecue is a favorite in this chilly weather. Green Street Smoked Meats is a hip counter serve dishing house-smoked Texas BBQ & homey sides in woodsy, warehouse-like digs. There's marbled-everything on the chopping block, including Texas-style smoked brisket, pork ribs, pork belly, pulled pork sandwiches (topped w/ slaw), hot links, chicken legs, short ribs, tamales, salmon, and oysters. Sauces available include the coffee-infused Brown Thunder, the sweet vinegar of Leprechaun’s Tears, and a spicy Texa$$ Squeeze.

$ // 112 N. Green St, Chicago IL 60607

Sandwiches & Fast Food

If you are running short on time and do not care that much what you eat. There are plenty of fast food places and sandwiches shops around (like what you find in Hyde Park): Potbelly, Blaze Fast-fire’d Pizza, Hannah’s Bretzel, Speciaty’s Café & Bakery, Haute Sausage, and Giordano’s.

Other

Pierogi Heaven is a cozy counter-serve eatery serving polish food, savory varieties of pierogi plus other Polish fare & sweet.

$ // 329 S. Franklin St, Chicago IL 60606

If you want to have Asian cuisine, try My Thai Takumi, an Asian-fusion eatery serving Thai & Japanese fare plus cocktails in a sleek, modern setting.

$$ // 555 W. Madison St, Chicago IL 60661

Drinks

Avec is a must try if you like a wine-focused restaurant and a Midwestern interpretation of Mediterranean classics cuisine, including Southern France, Italy, Portugal and the coast of Spain. The wines are moderately priced and the environment is comfortable and pleasant.

$$$ // 615 W. Randolph St, Chicago IL 60661

A place to try after the MODA show is Vera, an intimate, chef-driven wine bar offering an exquisite selection of seasonally rotating wines from Spain, Europe, and The Americas, alongside Spanish sharable plates presented simply yet elegantly.

$$$ // 1023 W. Lake St, Chicago IL 60607

Some other options are Maude’s Liquor Bar, a dimly lit resto-lounge with exposed brick serving house cocktails, seafood & classic French dishes, and CH Distillery, an industrial-chic lounge features cocktails sourced from on-site stills & snazzy New American bites.

$$$ // 840 W. Randolph St, Chicago IL 60607

$ // 564 W. Randolph St, Chicago Il 60661

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