safe southside suggestions?

My family is coming down this weekend and I am looking for dinner suggestions. They are quite conservative culinarily and otherwise. During the last visit we scared my mother about to death in Chinatown at lunch and saved the day with a dinner at Tre Kroner that she still raves about. I am looking for something south -- since the purpose of the visit is showing off new home and its surroundings. Not asian or mexican, not "grubby," Basically I am looking for something clean, not too fatty, not too salty, not too "fancy" yet good. I know this is kind of a tall request as there are no Swedish restaurants on the Southside but any help would be greatly appreciated.

edk wrote:Not asian or mexican, not "grubby," Basically I am looking for something clean, not too fatty, not too salty, not too "fancy" yet good. I know this is kind of a tall request as there are no Swedish restaurants on the Southside but any help would be greatly appreciated.

edk:

I think this might well be the definition of "tall request"... How far south are you looking? Do you mean southside as in 'south of the Loop'? Or south of the river or south in terms of addresses? If parts of the Loop are still okay, maybe the better sort of place in Greektown (e.g. Santorini) might be suitable, though that's admittedly hardly 'Southside'... Hmm...

Well, depending on how stringently the salt and fat factors need to be considered, perhaps a Polish place on the southwest side?... e.g.
Bobak's (5275 S. Archer, 773-735-5334)*, or perhaps the 'Highlander' restaurant Szalas (search for particulars)... It's not Scottish (no haggis or skirlie; just, apparently, very solid southern Polish fare)...

But that's perhaps too fatty...

How about the Serbian (? or--God forbid I've erred and it's actually Croatian--) place on the Southeast side of town, Casino... around 95th street and across the street from a Croatian (? or--God forbid I've erred and it's actually Serbian--) social club and butcher shop... Casino used to have pretty good Balkan food at laughably low prices... Anyone know/remember that place? Not especially fatty or salty or Mexican or Asian and not really grubby and certainly not too fancy, seeing as they let me in (though one man's grub is another man's larva)...

Well, you've certainly chosen a challenging quest... (but one that's fun to think about)... Bona fortuna...

Antonius

*Data copied from a David Hammond post on this site (May, 2004).

edk:

You could probably start a long and lively thread just on parental eccentricities... But instead let me add a few more suggestions. How about Bruna's, or another one of the restaurants in "Little Tuscany" on Oakley south of Cermak? (Or someplace on Taylor St, if that's not too far north.)

In Hyde Park, there's a French place, La Petite Folie, tucked away in the shopping center containing Hyde Park Co-op (Lake Park and 55th). Or maybe even Dixie Kitchen, if southern/Cajun food is within the realm of possibility? (Harper Court, north of 53rd)

And, once your folks chill out about the range of ethnic neighborhoods on the South Side, take them to Bombon (1508 W. 18th) and show them that an excellent, elegant bakery can be found on a thoroughly Mexican block.

Amata

Also in Hyde Park, Piccolo Mondo's italian menu and quiet ambience might be right.

The only place I know with a vibe like Tre Kronor on the South Side (not a personal favorite, but may fit the bill).

Healthy Food
3236 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL
Phone: (312) 326-2724
Hours: OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER
Mon, Tue, Wed 6:30am-4pm
Thu, Fri, Sat 6:30am-8pm
SUNDAY 7:30am-5pm

Any of the Taylor Street italians are probably comfortable enough as well.

edk wrote:My family is coming down this weekend and I am looking for dinner suggestions. They are quite conservative culinarily and otherwise. During the last visit we scared my mother about to death in Chinatown at lunch and saved the day with a dinner at Tre Kroner that she still raves about. I am looking for something south -- since the purpose of the visit is showing off new home and its surroundings. Not asian or mexican, not "grubby," Basically I am looking for something clean, not too fatty, not too salty, not too "fancy" yet good. I know this is kind of a tall request as there are no Swedish restaurants on the Southside but any help would be greatly appreciated.

What about Chicago Firehouse? It's about as straight ahead American as you can get. While I have found the place to be rather boring for my tastes, It sounds like the kind of spot that would fit the bill for "dinner with the folks".

Chicago Firehouse
1401 S. Michigan
312-786-1401

Thanks all for the replies. Szalas and Dixie Kitchen are the current leaders (although my mother once proclaimed the food at Russian Tea Time "different" -- code for "It was so nice of you to take me to this place but I that food was weird and I think it might give me bad breath.'' I don't know if the similarities between Polish food and Russsian food might elicit the same reaction.) I would like to hear more about Casino -- I haven't heard of it before. is

Don't know if you've been to Piccolo Mondo but besides being a very pleasant Italian restaurant you can't beat its location (in a classy old hotel turned condo overlooking the green in front of the Museum of Sci & Ind) for giving a different view of what the South Side of Chicago is like.

edk wrote: "different"

Hey edk,

I know that usage from many contacts with Minnesotans. I always took it as a dialect word for (1) 'suspicious and/or probably unwelcome'; (2) 'not conforming to our usage and bad'. But you likely know the real meaning better than I... In any event, it has become common usage in the Amata/Antonius household ecolect in the senses noted hereabove.

I would like to hear more about Casino -- I haven't heard of it before. is

Turns out I was wrong --it's Croatian... That whole block is Croatian, I think, though I'm pretty sure there are Serbians in the area as well. I haven't been there in ages but it's still there and I want to go back in the next few days. A report will ensue.

A

Mike G wrote:Piccolo Mondo... a very pleasant Italian restaurant you can't beat its location (in a classy old hotel turned condo overlooking the green in front of the Museum of Sci & Ind) for giving a different view of what the South Side of Chicago is like.

Someone else mentioned PM above. It is a nice location but how is the food? I haven't been there since the early nineties (they used to and perhaps still have a little Italian food shop as well) and only ate lunch there but don't remember it being much. But I really don't have any clear recollection of the food.

A

What about the Maple Tree Inn in Blue Island? Their specialty is cajun food, but you can get more "American" (bland) stuff, too. Been there forever, and combines a sort of urban groove (railroads and factories all around) with trees and a nice porch. In many ways, about as Chicago as you can get. And definitely nice and non-threatening, though not quite in that scrubbed, Swedish, manner of a Tre Kronor. Something about those places (Swedish restos) always makes me think they should run the hospitals

Here is the Metromix link: http://entertainment.metromix.chicagotr ... 88,00.html

enjoy

HI,

In another lifetime, I posted about Szalas:

http://www.chowhound.com/midwest/boards/chicago/messages/45359.html

We had a great time there with the food much better than expected. .

It is also just a few blocks from Bobaks.

Regards,
Cathy2