Need a rec. for 10-12 on a Mon. night.

A somewhat large group of old friends is gathering. In many ways wide open but with the following limitations and prefs. to help set parameters.
- Has to be a Monday, which eliminates many candidates off the bat.
- Need to be able to seat a group of 10-12 comfortably (conversation friendly)
- has to be ok to eat and linger a bit, it's a reunion
- $$ range
- Chicago, not farther north than Edgewater, or west of Lincoln Sq. is best. S. Loop, West Town, all fine.
- probably pretty mainstream preferred---from pub to pizza; Middle Eastern, Indian too, but Devon is too north; Mexican, Spanish, French, Italian, all fine.
Any ideas appreciated.

Some linger-friendly places with good food that are within your range that can accommodate 10-12 people easily:

Cafe Iberico (spanish): a little loud but large enough to accommodate all of you easily
Sun Wah: duck is fairly mainstream I hope but other options also available
Chengdu Impression (chinese): might be a little cramped since their large tables are limited in size
Cafe Orchid (turkish)

I recommend El Maya at 1522 W. Montrose Ave. They often have large groups and they seem to have service for big numbers down pat. It’s definitely “linger friendly.” The food is very good (don’t miss the chocolate tamale for dessert). Not too far from the Montrose stop on the Brownline. Right within your price parameters too.

Here’s another suggestion focusing mostly on your “linger friendly” requirement. We’ve had some great times sitting in the garden-area of the Ten Cat tavern at 3931 N Ashland Ave. They are cool with you having food delivered and it’s just a super relaxing atmosphere. There are also several restaurants in walking distance that you can do carry out (Bulerias Tapas Bar, 3656 N Ashland Ave or Machu Picchu, 3856 N Ashland Ave). If you think you may want to try it, here’s a couple of suggestions
- check it out in advance and see It fits your needs; this will probably entail you sampling a tasty beverage but sometimes you have to take one for the team
- talk to the bartender about maybe setting aside some tables for you
- bring a couple of garbage bags so you can clear away the debris
- and then just linger, it’s a great, unpretentious bar
- on the way out, check out the building-sized mural overlooking the parking lot of a gentleman who seems to have lost both the battle with the bottle and a battle between the sexes

Perhaps west of what you'd prefer, but not too much....

I spend a lovely evening hanging out with a friend at

Howard Quintero
4114 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Not quite a GNR in my book, but would have enough room & enough interesting food/booze.

Chief O'Neill's
3471 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL

Food nowhere near as good as when Jazzfood was briefly there, but solid enough. They may even have a smaller room you can commandeer.

Giovanna

How about Davanti Enoteca on Taylor Street? Kitschy, but charming; safe, but not pandering; decent wine for you and anyone else who's interested. A big group shouldn't be a problem on a Monday, and neither should lingering. They have two large, high top tables that are normally communal dining but can be used for big groups as well, and they could probably push together a couple of regular tables if you prefer.

Bok Choy Jr wrote:How about Davanti Enoteca on Taylor Street?

+1
Also, I have found Greek Islands to be a reliable stand-by for this type of situation. Noise level should be okay on a Monday.

Pearl's Southern Comfort, 5352 N Broadway, could work.

The Bristol (2252 N. Damen in Bucktown) is open Mondays and can easily accommodate a group. The front of the house is also great to work with if anyone has special requests (we took a friend with lots of food allergies there--we let them know in advance and they were amazing about it).