Best hidden Restaurants in the burbs (Chicago, Naperville: house, college, service)

[Windy City John]

Vitorios in Glen Ellyn for family-run Italian delight. If you don't walk away totally satisified and feeling like you just had a family experience you need to seek professional help. Try the shrimp ravioli and the steamed calamari. Roger concocts the best Martinis in Dupage.

[Sparkman]

Thin Crust Pizza - Quonset in Waukegan
Deep Dish Pizza - Silo in Lake Bluff

[emmi605]

Just went to a great new place in Oakbrook Terrace-Lombard over the weekend. It just opened up...Volare...Italian food that has that homemade taste through and through. I guess they have a place downtown and they brought their chief out here to make another go of it. Try it out if you love authentic Italian.

It is located by Dick's Sporting goods on the side road just east of Dick's. I think it is Meyer's Rd.

[Drover]

Pete's Famous Hot Dogs, a little shack on the corner of Rt 47 and Rt 64 in Lily Lake (west of Wasco). The place is a legend and it's a must-do experience at least once in your life if you're out that way. I also like the burgers at the Bristol Tap in Bristol. Also out in that general area is Fisherman's Inn, practically set on a farm. Unique Mexican is on hand at El Puente in downtown St. Charles; I'm also fond of El Tipico in Skokie but they're priced a little too steeply for me. Speaking of St. Charles, Vino Thai up near Pheasant Run has great Thai food, and House of Tokyo has some of the best sushi in the area in a no-nonsense atmosphere. Not too far from Vino Thai is a relatively new Mediterranean place called Dmitri's. Good stuff. Then there's the St. Charles branch of Francesca's, which is two blocks away from La Za Za Trattoria -- talk about a dilemma. (IIRC, however, Za Za's days are numbered due to planned redevelopment of that corridor. That's OK, there's also one in Addison and Sycamore.) Over in Geneva, you've got the Foxfire steakhouse, and right across the street from it is the pricey but delectable Harrington Inn (an actual Inn/hotel, and a fairly upscale one at that). Across the river from the Harrington you have the old standby Mill Race Inn (NOT an inn/hotel, just a restaurant). Tia Maria's is a local favorite in Geneva, but I personally have never been too fond of it. Charlie Fox's Pizza is the best thin-crust pizza out in the Fox Valley, with branches in Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles. For a German twist, you can't go wrong with Schnitzel Platz in Glendale Heights or Chef Paul's Bavarian Lodge in Lisle. For an excellent culinary experience built around house-produced wines, try Cooper's Hawk Winery in Orland Park.

God, no wonder I'm so fat.

[Steve-o]

Never been to the Fisherman's Inn, is it mainly seafood? El Puente is great, as is Miguels and Za Za Trattoria. Im gonna have to try out Charlie Fox's, my brother swears by that place, strangely Ive never been. While on pizza, I hear good things about Sanfratello's in downtown Geneva and Pi in St. Charles.

[Drover]

They specialize in seafood but they also have lots of land-going meat dishes to choose from. They have their menu online, you can follow the link I posted above. They're pretty damn pricey though; the only reason I ever went is because my parents took me. The wife and I would be hard-pressed to afford going there ourselves, esp. now that we're only living off a single income.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Drover

They specialize in seafood but they also have lots of land-going meat dishes to choose from. They have their menu online, you can follow the link I posted above. They're pretty damn pricey though; the only reason I ever went is because my parents took me. The wife and I would be hard-pressed to afford going there ourselves, esp. now that we're only living off a single income.

It is a bit pricey from what I just saw (but not over-the-top), Ill have to check it out sometime. I thought it was more along the lines of a cowboy/good-ol-country-boy buffet type of place, I had no idea it was that nice.

And the Charlie Fox you speak of, is that the joint behind the McDonalds on 38 (near Kirk), near Fullers? If thats the place Im thinking of, thats the place my brother loves. Im pretty sure he said it was Charlie Fox's.

[Drover]

Yep, that's the place. Unless I'm thinking about some other place, they have a sit-down restaurant in Batavia; AFAIK the ones in Geneva and St. Charles are mostly for takeout/delivery.

EDIT: Nope, the Batavia place is takeout/delivery also.

[mom2toddlers]

For a great Maxwell St Polish, nothing beats Portillos..mmmm..I've only visited the one in Vernon Hills, but I believe there are several.
I LOVE Barnaby's steak sandwich and french onion soup in Skokie/Northbrook.

[tcs1366]

my hubby LOVES Ports Maxwell Street Polish too.

and as for Fisherman's Inn -- the grounds are stunning.
My sister had her wedding reception there.
Food was awesome too.

Been to ZaZa'a in Addison.... was not impressed. maybe they were still working out the 'quirks' as they just opened ... but based on first impression, i wont be going back. And they were not cheap either.

Mill Race Inn is cool too, nice grounds -- but i haven't been there in about 15+ years.