MichaelOne of Chicago's finestRestaurant Michael consistently delivers one of the top dining experiences in Chicago. Located in cozy Winnetka (and near the excellent Writer's Theatre), you are guaranteed a top-flight pre-fix at a fraction of what it would cost you in the city. Excellent wine list, a full bar, and gourmet, seasonal menus are some of the best to be had at any price.
The foie gras ravioli specifically is one of the finest things I've ever eaten.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything is great as always!Food, service,presentation everything was well done, I would not change anything.
John6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMYou gotta try it!We celebrated a big birthday for someone who loves great food and drink. He was quite impressed. The apps are a wonderful beginning...scallops, mushrooms, tuna were excellent. We had the arugula and the salad w/the poached egg. Yum! The rabbit, beef, stuffed chicken were wonderful -- the halibut I thought could've been more flavorful but, I seemed to eat every morsel. :-) The chocolate mousse & creme brulee were to die for.
We were there 3 hours. Service was excellent -- charming! We would highly recommend Michael's.
If you are there for the first time, don't go by the address. You can't see "64" and the name is set back. It's next to the car dealership. Enjoy!6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was great. Service wasFood was great. Service was wonderful. The decor is lovely and it is very quiet.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMMichael in Winnetka. ForeveryoungTotally enjoyed the total dining experience. The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. I also like the fixed price menu.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect relaxing mealIt is so rare these days to not feel rushed through your meal. Staff here was perfect at taking time to pace the meal with the opening Hors D'Oeuvres, wine menu, bread, menus, and meal courses. It never felt slow, just relaxing and excellent.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways PleasedAlways excellent. Food is well prepared, ambiance is relatively quiet so you can actually converse with your dining partner (no loud music, thankfully), and the service is very good, and delightfully well paced if you are not in a hurry.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great service,Great food, great service, every time. Also, the Friday night specials are excellent5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMFive of us celebrated theFive of us celebrated the 80th birthday of a friend. We chose Michael because of the location and because it was quieter than many other spots. We had a really wonderful evening. The menu was varied, creative, and best of all, delicious. Michael has become our official restaurant to celebrate milestones.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMThree of us had an outstandingThree of us had an outstanding experience.....one of us had a sinewy filet.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious MealWe had a wonderful meal for my birthday at Michael Restaurant. They had reserved the soft shelled crabs for the table which were served with a light mushroom sauce over a sweet pea risotto. The restaurant was especially quiet on a Sunday night so the service was great. I missed not hearing the live music which they often but not always have earlier in the weekend. The chocolate soufflé with nut ice cream was delicious. Would definitely go back.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMNiceFood was great, service excellent. A little pricey. I'd like a touch more privacy when dining, tables are a little close.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Overall.Just a great meal and experience overall. Soft shell crab special was delicious. Service was superb.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMOur server was very nice andOur server was very nice and offered suggestions when asked. We had the salmon and the halibut and they were both outstanding. Throughout the entire dinner we did not feel like we were rushed. Would definitely come back.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMKudos to the Chef!We were at Michaels for a special family dinner. From the moment I tasted the gratis puff pastries filled with cheese I knew that the food would be extraordinary. It was. Our table had a variety of food offerings, from the salmon with cauliflower puree and roasted cauliflower to rabbit, steak and my appetizer portion of mushrooms and asparagus with cheese the food was lovely--not light--but terrific.
The service was fine although not as professional and precise as the dining might suggest.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecial occasion brunchThis is a place we go whenever we have something to celebrate (Easter, Mothers Day, etc). The prix fixe menu is always fun to pick from and never disappointing. The service is excellent and mindful. We always have small children with is and they are treated just as well as my husband and I. I would definitely recommend trying this place out.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for Mother's DayMichael has become our restaurant choice for special occasions. Food, service, etc. are consistently top notch.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a truly great restaurantThis is a truly great restaurant with a first rate owner/chef. It's a perfect spot for a wonderful enjoyable and romantic meal.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went for our anniversaryWe went for our anniversary dinner. Our meals were well presented and delicious. The service was outstanding.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMUpscale yet warm and invitingOutstanding dining experience. From the moment we walked in, just seeing the decor, layout and special touches (candles on tables, well-placed decorative dried floral arrangements throughout), was a warm, welcoming experience.
The service was efficient and very helpful, especially when it came time to order. I have some food intolerances and our server was sble to make suggestions and work with the chef to come up with a spectacular entree, I took my friend here to celebrate her birthday, and she thoroughly enjoyed her rabbit which was prepared sous-vied. The finishing touch was when our server presented a plate decorated with a birthday greeting plus a truffle. While elegant and upscale, this restaurant was inviting and comfortable.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was our third visit toThis was our third visit to Michael and enjoyed it once again. Will definitely go back. Don't have to pay exorbitant parking charges like downtown Chicago.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were treated very well.We were treated very well. Our first visit there. For the area it far exceeed our expectations. It is small and cozy. Perfect date place or for business. Excellent service. Yes, there are many older patrons - but it is in Wilmette (or whatever) - so seeing as they are serving the area they are in- what do you expect- and does it really matter? The food was fantastic. Will definitely go back as soon as we can.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGlad we ignored the negativeGlad we ignored the negative reviews. Service was very good, items came out at a casual pace. The restaurant was busy, but the dishes came out at the right times. The drinks were generous and the food was simply amazing. Highly recommended.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMSuperb meal that will bringSuperb meal that will bring me and my friends back again. Each of us had a different entree and we were extremely satisfied. The waiter was very professional. The meal at Restaurant Michael was worth every penny that we spent.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMTruly Excellent menu. SavoryTruly Excellent menu. Savory meats, pungent cheeses.
Classy atmosphere. Attire is dressy casual at the minimum.
Food: $50-$60/person.
1/2 bottle wine (perfect for 2 people): ~$304/16/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding!I have never had anything at Restaurant Michael that wasn't outstanding. This time we ordered Dover Sole and Duo of Beef -- both were done to perfection. They were so good that we plan on returning and ordering the same thing. For an appetizer I got the crab and my husband got the tuna. We both got the Warm Pistachio Dusted Goat Cheese Salad and all were wonderful. We are chocolate fans, so our desert was the Fallen Chocolate Souffle. Need I say more?4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful taste sensations!Wonderful taste sensations! Everyone in our group of six loved the cuisine!!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was very good, butThe food was very good, but service seemed a bit stressed on a busy Saturday night. Most disappointing was the maitre d' who kept us unapologetically waiting for 20 minutes and then decanted a very fine wine as if it were a beer! Perhaps remedial charm school in his future?4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMNice small place, good forNice small place, good for some special event. Most people 55+, great food. Price - OK (we paid $350 for 4 people)4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good food but the fishVery good food but the fish dishes we ordered were a little too over salted but tasty nonetheless. The quality of each dish shines through with the preparation, display and taste. I thought the 2 tastiest dishes we ordered were the seared foie gras and the Chocolate souffle.
I would update the overall decor as it looks a little dated especially the carpet can be changed to a nice rich hard wood floor.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything was delicious.Everything was delicious. from the cheese-puff amuse to the souffle dessert. There were 4 of us. We each had 3 courses (appetizer, salad and entre) and shared 2 desserts. I can recommend at least what i had - Scallop w/ piquilo(sp?) pepper croquette stuffed with rissoto, the lyonaise salad (love the lardons) and the Lamb - everything was done to perfection. We will be back :-)4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazingfirst time at this restaurant - but it will definitely not be our last.
It does not easily show up on the search for restaurants around Evanston - but it is only 2 miles north of campus - easy to get to.
Everything from the setting, service and food was perfect. We also used a Groupon - which they gladly took - which was a great deal!
I loved the option of 3 and 4 course dinners - where you got to pick from a variety -
The choices were great. Some highlights were the goat salad, venison, filet and lamb chops. Every desert was memorable!
Do Not Miss this place -4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMHad great appetizer: duetHad great appetizer: duet of crab cake and crab beignet, then main course of venison, perfectly prepared, with sides of zucchini , sweet potato, chestnut purée, & blueberries in a delicious sauce. Tuesday night they have BYO night with no corkage fee and I brought a 2001 Vieux Donjon Chateuneuf du Pape at its peak. Desserts were great too: we had a chocolate souffle and creme brûlée.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful dinnerWe had a wonderful dinner at Michael. The food was delicious and each plate was more beautiful than the next. The service was great. We highly recommend this restaurant.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food continues to be outstandinThe food continues to be outstanding at Michael. The service was wonderful but it took rather too long for some of our food to come out of the kitchen.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMspot onby far the best meal we ever had at Michael's and we dine here frequently. everything was just spot on from appetizer to salad to entrees by both of us. dessert was the proverbial icing on the cake. one small hesitation however; service was very good but not exceptional. I would surmise that Sergio has spoiled us for any other waiter.Hope to be back for the May birthday dinner!3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMWe celebrated our 30th weddingWe celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary at Michael. Everything was superb. I will certainly come back.3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good to excellent fineVery good to excellent fine dining in the northern suburbs. Each dish was quite delicious and the presentation was beautiful. Booth was comfortable. Ambiance was quiet-the way we like it-and the service was attentive and friendly if not perfectly timed. Unfortunately, everyone on the floor who passed our table attempted to top off our glasses of wine...an annoyance, even in Greek town. A nice touch were the unexpected baked appetizer to start and the chocolate truffles to close. We're not meat eaters so we had the scallop and tuna tartar appetizers, and the salmon and cod entrees. All were delicious with some surprising flavors. Dessert-ice cream profiteroles-were also excellent. Good choice for a special occasion in.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMHorrible front man but delicious!After initially being ignored for about 8 minutes by the maitre d and then pretty rudely being helped and seated, the experience turned out better than we thought it would. The food is delicious!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMEveryhting was wonderful TheEveryhting was wonderful
The service and the food could not have been better3/14/2013 12:00:00 AM