So the fest was this past weekend, and it far exceeded my expectations…read more Unfortunately for everyone in attendance, it was a sweltering 95+ degree summer day, but the delicious food, music and huge amount of beer options made the sweat dripping down my neck and back bearable (Brew Fest Organizers, pleaseeeee consider making it an Oktoberfest!)   The sample punchcard was printed on the back of the paper map of the fest that you get when you arrive.  Another fest I went to had a lanyard punch card, which I thought was a nice touch...but not as green as this was.  So, yay for recyclables!    It really didn't matter if you had a punchcard once you were inside...because no one marked off your samples unless you literally put it in their face and asked them to.  Not that anyone needs more than 20 beer samples, but they almost seemed offended when I asked them to mark my card!   The music was good, the food was fabulous and I especially loved the Bravazzi Italian hard sodas. I saw them at Caputo's the next day.  Now I know where to buy them next time I'm craving one. My MOST favorite-ist beer of the entire night was Roaring Table's 5:00 tap special - a fruity/berry sour with whipped cream on top.  What a way to finish off the night!!!

I had the fortunate pleasure of attending the 8th Annual Barrington Brew Fest this year (2011)…read morelocated strategically directly in the North lot of the Metra train station (perfect for stumbling back to the train for an easy ride home). We decided to make a day of it, starting out with a wonderful lunch in the French Market adjacent to the station. What a delightful way to start off a cool saturday morning before an afternoon of heavy beer drinking. Sandwiches from Pastoral, modelo tallboys from the CVS located within the well air-conditioned building, and hot crispy frites from the belgian shop, SCORE, great start. After the luxuriously delicious meal, we bought our $7 weekend passes (super-cheapo bonus) and hopped aboard with previously mentioned tall-boys and played a game a Yahtzee while the hour quickly passed. Arriving at the station around 3:30, the festivities were well underway with several hundred beer-fanatics vigorously imbibing. The free t-shirts were long gone, but they offered past years T's for just $5 if you pleased. I paid my $40 ($35 before), grabbed my tasting glass and had at it. Some notable attendees included Floosmoor Station with two specialty kegs tapped early and dry soon (everyone love FS), as well as Lucky Monk's Oatmeal Stout and Wheat WIne (WOWZA WAS THIS TASTY). I also thoroughly enjoyed selections from Limestone Brewing, Half Acre, and Wild Onion's Hop Slayer was down-right awesome. I love me some IBU's and this packed in the hops. The brews and patrons were all top-notch and made for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon (3-7PM). Best part (besides the beer of course: proceeds from the Barrington Brew Fest go to the Barrington Area Council on Aging serving seniors and caregivers. After a great day of craft-brews, we headed back one minute to the Metra and rode home, arriving before 8PM, just in time for late dinner and ready for round-2. The cold-hard facts: * Three Dozen Brewers & over 80 samplings * Bean Bag (Baggo) Contest * 50/50 Raffle * Live music by Second Time Around Food available for purchase from McGonigal's Pub, Cooper's of Barrington, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

We chose Neoteca to celebrate Mother's Day. It was outstanding. From the moment we walked in we…read morewere greeted by an organized staff ready to make sure our celebration was perfect. Our servers name was Joyse she was very attentive and knowledgeable with ideas for great appetizers to start our night. There were 8 of us and we all loved our dinners. A couple of us had Salmon. It was perfectly prepared. The pizza was Amazing. Our experience was outstanding. We will definitely be back.

Kari's Rating 8/10…read more Decent pizza, I actually liked the thin crust butter than the regular crust. The thin crust was very crispy and for some reason it felt like the thicker crust pizzas weren't fully cooked in the middle. This is the first time I've been at this place and I probably wouldn't order it again unless I came with a group, but I was happy I tried the style. I think it's relatively expensive for what it was especially because we're in a suburb. I only did a pick up so I wasn't able to check the ambience of anything, but the kiosks weren't working very well when I was there because the power had gone off earlier, but they eventually got things working.

This place is great. Great atmosphere, really good food, nice size portions. Warm inviting dining…read morearea in both spaces. Family owned feel... so nice instead of that cold chain style. Only complaint is the crushed ice in cocktails.... They need the large cube maker. Minor detail... this is a gem.

Arrived mid day. One table was just settling up. We were the only other patrons…read more Server didn't provide silverware. We just took some from another table. Ordered food and asked for water. At least 10 minutes go by. I go up to counter and ask, do they do bread and butter there? "Yes" at no charge. Ok can you bring some over. And asked for water again. 3 rolls provided with a bowl of butter. A bowl full of odds and ends butter chunks. No way two people could use that on three rolls. What do they do, just throw it back in the fridge and give it to the next customer? Ordered coffee. Added their creamer, which was spoiled. Went back to the counter to ask for water again. Food came. Pretty good. When I asked for the bill, they were having computer issues. It would just be a few minutes. After another 10 minutes, I go back to the counter and ask if I can just pay cash. "Sure, you even get a cash discount". So they couldn't tell me that 10 minutes ago? First and last time.

we had my daughters baby shower on Sunday. it was fantastic. we had 50 people. room was…read morebeautiful. Food was great and plentiful.fresh salad, chicken limon, vodka pasta--so good. Yummy. I highly recommend to host your next party /event here. Plenty of room. Great chef and the staff and owners ,so nice to work with.

Authentic Italian food! Great restaurant! Wonderful owners and great staff!! They make homemade…read moremozzarella cheese and it is delicious! Highly recommend this restaurant!!

We have been going to Francesca's for at least 20 years. Never disappoints. From the wine…read moreselection and bread through the tiramisu. Excellent food in a congenial atmosphere.

After a memorial service in the area we reserved a private room at Francesca's. The food and…read moreaccommodations were excellent, but the service went well beyond. Not knowing the attendance, we booked the small room for 30-40 guests. When all was said and done, more than two to three times that many showed up. Brittney and Sergio did not panic, but really helped us in our time of need. More food was immediately prepared, the wine continued to flow, and despite the circumstances everyone had a great time. Thanks to the staff and management our time of sorrow turned into the celebration it needed to be and all guests had a great time sharing stories and memories.

I had an excellent experience at this restaurant. I had their Monday special -- half price burger…read morewith purchase of any drink. The 8 oz burger was prepared perfectly. All of the ingredients were fresh and delicious. The burger came with a side of fries, which were better than any of the popular burger chains (e.g., McD, Burger King, Wendy's, 5 Guys, In/Out, etc.) This meal would have been a good value even at full price. My server (Isabelle) was outstanding. She was friendly, fast, and attentive. Since everything was so good, I really didn't need much more service, but it was good that Isabelle stopped by several times just to make sure everything was satisfactory. The tables in the dining rooms were spaced apart such that no one would feel cramped. Although the furnishings weren't posh, they were clean and comfortable. I felt welcomed and at ease. The management and staff here definitely got it right -- I will certainly be back often!

We loved it!!! Dinner while we were dealing with the wildfire smoke…read more.. Cool decor and the pizza is fabulous...cold beers and good times. Service was good and the pizza...yum. Kind of weird they have live music (as it's very loud) but the one man band was fun and very good. Definitely will return - and great for anyone coming into the train station

If you're always on the hunt for the best pizza around--like me--don't miss this place. Great…read moreingredients, preparation and service. Also, a decent value versus a lot of other places in the NW Burbs. And speaking of the NW Burb$, PAL, RM, and AH folks need to spend a few extra minutes to make it out there.

This place is absolutely fire!!!!! I am a thin crust girl and this place just does it right. This…read moreis the second time I've picked up a pizza or slice (yes, they do slices thank god!) and the pizza literally never makes it home or is half gone by the time I'm home. This place is how old school pizza places are done! RC liters waiting and ready to go, thin crispy crust, nostalgia inside and great signage and to top it all off friendly "shoot the sh*t" service that makes you feel like you're a neighbor next store. My favorite is the chicken Alfredo pizza! Tonight, I had the primo by the slice and I am not a fan of mushrooms or sausage but I decided to give it a whirl.... Wow - sausage is bussin' and the shrooms were nice and thin with no overpowering bites! This blows any of the places around, palatine, Hoffman, Inverness, out of the water! Run, do not walk.... You will not be sorry!

Amazing flavors and good wine The service is great And the…read morestaff is very friendly I would be happy to come back again soon

"A wonderful 'going away' meal for my daughter before her move back to NYC! We visited Bendita…read moreCocina around 1 PM and were seated right away. The mushroom and butternut squash soups are both amazing--highly recommend tasting both if you're with a friend! My daughter loved her Caprese sandwich, and I'm so glad I asked our waitress, Juliette, for her favorite empanada pick--the Spinach and Cheese was the absolute correct choice. My husband loved his Chef Zee chicken salad, too. Service was timely, professional and friendly. Got daughter to airport on time, Thank you. We will be back,

I worked with Brandon at Chicago Dine Around to plan a dinner and Casino night for my company…read moreouting. Brandon was amazing and incredibly helpful and responsive! At the venue, Genesis was the event coordinator for the evening. She made sure everything flowed seamlessly and helped me enjoy the outing stress free! Both our game dealers (John and Ivan) were very knowledgeable and fun! They helped teach many of us how to play roulette and blackjack and were patient with us throughout the games! I would highly recommend Chicago Dine Around and we will absolutely return to book other events!

We hosted our Toronto team in Chicago for the first time and used Chicago Dine Around to help plan…read moreour team event. Working with Brandon was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. He made the entire process incredibly easy and stress-free. We chose the Private Architectural Boat Tour, and the Chicago Dine Around team went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect. They even arranged for us to tour the boat beforehand so we could confidently select the right experience for our group. For lunch, they seamlessly accommodated all dietary restrictions and preferences, making coordination effortless. Every detail was handled professionally, allowing us to focus on enjoying the event. The feedback from our team was overwhelmingly positive. Many team members said it was one of the best company events we've had to date. Even our Chicago-based employees, who are very familiar with the city, thoroughly enjoyed the tour and experience. I highly recommend Chicago Dine Around for anyone planning a corporate event or group outing. Their attention to detail, outstanding customer service, and local expertise made our event a huge success.

What a cute and unexpected place! Had the caprese eggplant…read moresalad. What a delightful light but full of crunch and flavorful dish. The grilled shrimp added the rich savory touch. Portion was just right. For dessert, shared the tiramisu and it was perfect with their house coffee. The waiter was attentive but not overbearing. I will definitely go back to try more salads and pasta.

Dined in for our final meal before welcoming a new child and everything was perfect…read more We've eaten food from Gianni's many times and have dined in one other time, but this time seemed to be the best. Kyle was our server and he was excellent. His attitude was positive and he took time to converse but was also quick with his service. The server often makes the experience and Kyle did his part well! As for the food, we started with a half plate of grilled calamari which was more than enough for two people. The calamari was excellent tasting and perfectly cooked. The sauce was tasty and great for dipping your bread in (you get warm toasty bread at the start of your meal with a plate of seasoned olive oil for dipping). Next, we split an entree of Chicken Franchese which was more than enough food for two people...especially after the calamari. They split the meal into two plates in the kitchen, without us asking, which was really nice. The chicken was tender and flavorful. We substituted angel hair pasta and used the sauce from the chicken instead of marinara. It was excellent. We had some food left and Kyle boxed it carefully for us right at the table (I typically don't like when they take your food elsewhere to box it. I typically do it myself but this was good). Prices have crept up over the years but portions are huge and with service like we had, it makes it feel a bit more worth it. The restaurant is small and a bit cramped inside. There's typically an early crowd that thins out around 6:30 pm. You may have to wait a bit to be seated if you don't make reservations. Hopefully they move into a bigger spot in the mall they're in to make it a bit less packed. Two bathrooms are single occupant and clean but there can be a wait to get in. Gianni's is an excellent restaurant with a great team. You should check it out.