Best Father's Day Restaurants In Chicago

You likely know that June 19th is Father's Day this year. Hopefully, you also know what kind of food makes your dad happy. Certainly his dish of choice could be steak. But maybe if asked, he would say Italian or seafood. Chicago is such a great foodie town that you have a huge array of cuisines to choose from for Father's Day.

Harry Caray's 7th Inning Stretch
Water Tower Place
835 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 202-0500
www.harrycarays.com

Does your dad love baseball? If you go to Harry Caray's, you will not only see photos of sports figures and other celebs, you will also get to go into the connecting Chicago Sports Museum without paying for a ticket. On Father's Day, the museum closes at 3 p.m., so you will probably want to reserve a table at 11:30 a.m. to have plenty of time to wander the museum and try its interactive stations. The restaurant's menu favors yummy hamburger choices, such as one with applewood smoked bacon and aged gouda. In addition, Sunday's special is braised short rib.

Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse is a place to splurge on dad. The steaks are in the $50 range, and sides are extra, but large enough to share. The restaurant has corn-fed black Angus raised in the Upper Midwest, and the beef is aged 40 days. Diners here tend to dress up, so expect to see guys in sports jackets and suits, though some people do wear jeans. This is a white tablecloth place. For those people in the party who don't eat steak, there are other options, including salmon.

Piccolo Sogno's rustic, regional Italian dishes, moderate prices, home-made pasta, breads and sauces and charming, comfortable ambiance make it a come-back-to place for more than special occasions. Piccolo Sogno means "little dream" because it fulfilled a dream for Chef Tony Priolo, who was at the time working at Coco Pazzo, wanting to open his own establishment. He did so with Ciro Longobardo who really knows Italian wines. Their efforts resulted in a beautiful restaurant and a menu so good, choosing one item will be a challenge.

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Shaw's Crab House puts out a terrific spread for its Saturday and Sunday buffets, but the restaurant impresses even more for Father's Day. There are plenty of shucked oysters, sushi, crab and shrimp to make a seafood-loving dad think he's in a briny heaven. In addition, the restaurant has really good surf and turf and breakfast stations, plus a fabulous sweets table. If the brunch times don't work, bring in dad later when you can order from the ala carte dinner menu. The restaurant's dining room is decorated in retro 1940s white cloth, but seating will also be available in the more casual Oyster Bar section.

Wildfire, a member of Chicago restaurateur Rich Melman's Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, is a place to go when everyone wants American cuisine but each person's interest, including dad's, is different. The menu has everything from ribs, prime rib, steaks and chicken to salads, sandwiches, scallops and swordfish. Dinner is white-cloth service in a traditional, dark-wood, supper-club setting. The usual Sunday dinner is 4 to 9 p.m., but Father's Day times cover the lunch hour and go through dinner.

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Jodie Jacobs is a veteran journalist who loves writing about Chicago, art, theater, museums and travel. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.