anniversary on Wednesday- Good food, but fun, not fancy

Been to Spring, MK, and Blackbird in the last month.

I'm looking for something with good quality food, but a good people watching crowd maybe with a gregarious bar scene.

Does Meritage fit this, or not.

Been to Gibson's a million times, but if there is something else along this plane, I'd be interested; but it doesn't have to be a steakhouse, and I don't want to wear a sportcoat.

Saps

Meritage isn't really good for people watching or gregarious, but it's a good restaurant and the enclosed outdoor patio is one of the best in the city.

My list of restaurants that have good food and are likely to be a little more lively scene-wise include:

Frontera Grill
Naha
Kevin
Marche
Red Light
Opera
Japonais

No jacket required at any of them.

Crofton on Wells is also a great restaurant but it's missing the scene factor. However, Sushisamba is right across the street so you could always go there for drinks and get plenty of people watching before or after dinner.

Good Luck.
Hikari

I am a big fan of Hugo's Frog Bar on Rush Street, and it is my go-to place for a night on the town with my wife. The food is relatively simple but very good. The service is very, very good, and there is quite a scene.

My wife and I were there about a month or so ago. I had sauteed pike with just a lot of butter. Like I say, nothing fancy, but fantastic. My wife had a piece of fish, I forget the type, grilled, with a wasabi cream sauce (on the side). We started with the crab cake--which is the best crab cake I've had in Chicago--and finished with a mondo "slice" of banana cream pie (that we, I mean I, ate for several days later.)

There's been very little I've had at Hugo's I have not liked. Their burgers are especially good, excellent rendition of shrimp de jonge, and a top-top pan fried lake pearch. Terrific sides too.

Rob

I'm looking for the same thing for an anniversary next week. So far I'm considering:

- Narra at the Hotel Orrington in Evanston, a Jacky Pluton place

- Joie de Vine (1744 W. Balmoral), sounds like a lovely summer hangout. Wine, primarily, with tiny eats.

- Also considering Fondue Stube on Peterson.

I've never been to any of these, however. Does anyone have input on these joints? Thanks...

I will preface this with saying I have not been to FondueStube on Peterson in years.

You might consider Katsu, not far from FondueStube. My comments on FondueStube follow, and you can search the board for references to Katsu. While Katsu does excellent sushi, do not avoid Katsu if you don't like raw fish. Katsu makes the best soft shell crab roll I have ever had, and I grew up chasing soft shell crabs, cooking and eating them. There are lots of cooked foods, great choices. While my experience at Katsu is limited, I have never been disappointed.

We used to regularly go FondueStube with my in-laws, I think partly because at that time they were regularly visiting a Swiss friend in France and had memories of melted cheese. FondueStube also has a consistent coupon program.

Personally, my own memory is of raclette, which our Swiss friend's Moroccan husband and son just salivated over, and we had discussions about the right kind of pickles to have with your raclette. Myself, I was happy, as raclette uses potatoes instead of bread, and if I were stranded on a desert island with only one food it would be potatoes.

FondueStube is servicable. You can have your cheese fondue, your hot oil fondue, which comes with a choice of meat or seafood, as I recall.

You can finish with a chocolate fondue, I have since learned that my lack of appreciation for chocolate is an allergy.

It's hard to come away with anything but....fondue....fondue....fondue, and in the great American tradition, lots of it and not much choices.

As I said above, that may have changed.

I have a perfect memory picture of my mother-in-law wearing a dramatic hat in the restaurant, through the entire meal. It was part of her outfit. And she's a great looking woman, at that time approaching 70, in the Catherine Hepburn School of Good Looks.

That must have been about the 5th or 6th time we were treated to Fondue Stube. And I wondered why I hadn't worn a hat, and then remembered I always look exceptionally silly in hats (no matter the type).

We always left well fed (overly) and having enjoyed the company.

ChgoMike - I live right across the street from Joie de Vine. I haven't been in a few months but it does have a lovely outdoor seating area on the sidewalk. The inside is cool looking, but not comfortable for lounging over several glasses of wine. There are cushioned benches along the wall and some low stools with no backs and tables. Not conducive to lingering. The staff is very friendly and it does have a nice neighborhood feel. I understand that while they don't offer flights of wine on the menu, you can just ask and they will let you create one. Not too much people watching on the street as it is on a residential street. And it is a very lesbian crowd, if that matters to you and your wife at all.