I always like Bluegrass but today i pick my order and it was so bad experience. Tuna tartar was…read morecovered with mayonnaise, Bluegrass burger was very salty and overdone and went straight to the garbage. I don't know what happened to this place? Too sad!

I love Bluegrass, old and new. There are several problems with Bluegrass Legends Concert Series. 1…read more The venue: the concerts are located on the 2nd floor of the Evanston VFW. They set the band up in the corner and then out folding chairs and stackable chairs. 2. The bar: typical VFW: plastic cups, chips, beer in cans and some mixed drinks. A few of the guys run the bar. 3. Cost: The night we were there, $20 per person. Expensive considering that these are bands passing through and there is no, nada, none whatsoever , atmosphere. 4. The music......well the headliners are decent. The opening acts have not been so good. 5. If you are a music purest and do not care where you watch a band, you'll like these events. I like my Saturday nights and this is not a destination type, night on the town, type of place.

I've had a chance to visit this concert hall a couple times, all for events hosted by Northwestern…read more First time I had the pleasure of seeing a stand-up gig by Aziz Ansari. Second time I got to see a Q&A session with James Franco. Both times, I had no desire to wait outside in the cold for a good seat, so I ended up sitting on the second level balcony. Despite these less-than-ideal seats, I had no issues seeing the stage or hearing them speak. Concert hall itself is clean and modern looking! Great venue.

A concert at Pick-Staiger actually turned out better than I expected…read more First, specifics about the hall itself. - Excellent acoustics. I was in the balcony, about half way up, and I could hear the rustle of paper as the conductor turned a page. Wow! I should add that the hall was only about half full, but since there were a lot of college students there, their noise level quotient is higher than the average baby boomer's. - The house lights go down for the concert, but it's not pitch black. The hall just becomes dim. I could see the musicians on stage perfectly, no problem, and yet, I didn't feel like a cast member in "Scream 4Ever", expecting some scary creep to pop out of the darkness. - Excellent sightlines. - Would you believe, I had leg room? Yes, it's true. And I'm a tall woman. I actually had leg room. My knees were not jammed against my chest. Wow. That never happens. And during intermission, I did not have to stand on my seat, to allow other patrons to pass by. - The seat itself was okay, nothing special, but it was comfortable enough. It shows that the hall is a little older. So is my ass (older, I mean, not comfortable), so a little more padding on the chair would have been good. - The seat numbers were marked clearly enough that I found my seat, quickly and easily, and did not need to pull out magnifying glasses to read the numbers. Good thing, because there were no ushers around. Hire some students! They need all the help they can get to repay their student loans. For the venue: - Ample ladies' room, and clean. - Easy to turn in my groupon for my ticket. Tickets lines were well-marked and organized. - If there were water fountains, I didn't see them. They must be some, right? If not, that's a ding against the venue. - No refreshments being sold, anywhere. (See above about water fountains.) I would have paid for a drink of something; didn't have to be alcoholic. Maybe this is some sort of weird Evanston or university ordinance. Refreshments, please. - Temperature was comfortable. I had an overcoat and was wearing a sweater (layering is so Chicago, I know), but I was perfectly comfortable in my turtleneck. - There was some kind of free student performance in the lobby before the show. Very nice! Wish there had been some information about who they were, though. I'm assuming students. Give these people a little advertising, please. - This was a Sunday evening concert, so there was plenty of parking close by.No problem with Northwestern University parking stickers, assigned spots, etc. I got in and out quickly and easily. This might have been tougher if the crowd had been bigger, but, like I said earlier, the hall was only half full. Bottom line: recommended. Good venue for music. I would definitely be happy to hear any musical act here. Or play, for that matter, given the solid acoustics.

Returned for an early NYE dinner after seeing their NYE menu. Started with the half doz oyster and…read morefrench 75's The oyster came out right away and we waited nearly 6+ minutes for the drinks to arrive. The Oysters were amazing, the cocktail sauce was perfect with horse radish. I forgot how good oysters are. I ordered a bowl of the lobster bisque and the lobster ravioli. Wife had the walleye. The bisque was excellent. tomatoey and rich. The ravioli portion was large but the edges of the pasta were tough. The center was super, but the edges all tough to chew. The walleye portion was also large with mashed potatoes and lots of spinach. We had the key lime pie which was okay. Also had the Negroni which was amazing. We'll definite be back. It looks like the menu is larger than our last visit so a lot more variety.

This is in downtown Evanston and seems to have a large Northwestern presence. Down a flight of…read morestairs there's a nice bar and a good selection of seafood. The charred asparagus was tasty and the entrees were kind of slopped on the plate. Moderately priced and good quality. Just not thoughtfully plated and presented. There are acoustical tiles on the ceiling; it was so loud, I can't imagine the noise level before they were installed.

I wish we could give more than five stars. Rendezvous was the best band we have ever heard at a…read morewedding, and our guests still cannot stop talking about their amazing performance. Ask for an "East Coast" style wedding. They started playing right when the guests began to enter, and had everyone on the dance floor the entire time. The only complaints we heard from guests was that their feet hurt from dancing so much. We worked with Toni and Sarah leading up to the event, and they were so incredibly helpful. They listened to what we wanted in terms of song choices, energy level, and overall atmosphere, and were so flexible in learning our first dance song. The songs they played during meals were absolutely beautiful, and all band members, including the four singers, were so talented. Each signer had their own unique style, and they all worked so well together. I cannot recommend this group enough. We had the most amazing wedding, and a very large part of the experience for us and for our guests was this amazing and engaging band. I wish we could hear them again.

Seemed great - talked to us and were interactive - until they weren't. We scheduled time to come…read moresee them live and specifically asked if they would let us know if someone wanted to book before us and they said yes. Next thing we know we get an email saying our date is gone, no explanation and no apologies. Wrote back to express my disappointment and never heard back.

Still love this place. We come here for trivia almost every time they have it. Vibes are always…read moreimmaculate. We always run into the owner and his family, and he's super nice. The patio is incredible. Last night we lost (after winning the previous time, but it's good to be humbled on occasion lol). But, I thoroughly enjoyed my free grilled cheese sandwich that I won as our previous trivia night prize. Sandwiches really are their specialty. Perfectly greasy, and the caramlized onions and spinach really elevated it. Another person in our group had the turkey on a pretzel bun and said it was amazing. Also, a great range of drink options. Always a good time, and I'm excited to come to one of their mahjong gatherings, since I recently learned how to play.

I got to attend a graduation party at The Fat Shallot and it was really nice. The catered food made…read moreby the restaurant was good. I had the fries and chicken tenders. All were very tasty. There were also burgers I didn't have one but everyone that had a burger or chicken sandwich said they were good and tasty. The open bar was nice the Tito's was smooth and I had a good time. There was a DJ and enough room on the bar floor for dancing and there was a television with sports on for the sports watchers. I also saw patio outdoors seating out back. They had two restrooms and they appeared clean for patrons. The waitstaff and bartender were all friendly and just very nice.

Ward Eight was a place we frequently visited when we lived nearby many years ago. We were in the…read morearea recently and decided to stop by...we discovered this gem from our past has only gotten better! High quality and innovative cocktails, reasonable prices, and a chic/classy ambiance make Ward Eight must-visit! I tried two cocktails when I was at Ward 8: Remember the Main and Vieux Carre. Both were decadent, delicious, and boozy. Triple threats! I loved them both, but the "Remember the Main" was different from drinks I've had before, so that was my favorite. My husband had a local beer. They have beer, wine, and NA options for folks who aren't into cocktails. They also have food which looks scrumptious, ranging from high-end appetizers to full meals. We did not come prepared to eat, so we'll have to come back again to try food in the future! The staff were welcoming and professional. The space was clean and Gatsby-style chic. There is plenty of seating and an outdoor space for when it is warmer. It is a fancier places, so prices are higher. But you pay for the higher quality ingredients and innovative recipes. If you enjoy cocktails and cozy cocktail bars, Ward Eight is definitely the spot for you!

Cocktail was neither worst nor the best rendition of a Vieux carre that I've had. I've said it…read moreseveral times that many things that originate in New Orleans are hard to replicate outside New f the big easy. I got the feeling that the staff were putting some effort into their craft. The place was crowded & there was even a live band performing. The bar had some above average bottles such as Hibiki & Bookers. I was pressed for time but there were at least three more menu items I would've tried.

What a wonderful venue. Not a bad seat in the house. I would definitely go back! The staff were…read morevery friendly!

Studio 5 is primarily a top notch dance center that hosts theatrical performances and events. They…read moreare the sometimes home of the infamous Practical Theater who came together while students at Northwestern. The owners of Studio 5 are warm and welcoming, the space is impeccable. They offer a wide variety of wine and cocktails to enjoy during the The Practical's Ho Ho Holiday show was one of the best shows I have seen in years! If you ever have the opportunity to catch one of their shows, run don't walk. You will be thoroughly entertained and much, much smarter!