Priceline Hotel: 4* Chicago (NMA-River North) Sax Hotel

[Jason90]

I started bid at $80. Priceline then asked me to rebid for the same zone and increase my bid by $13. Got the Sax Hotel at $93. Haven't heard much about this hotel. What are some good restaurants in the area?

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success and Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

This is a boutique property that was formerly the House of Blues Hotel (the HOB is still next to the hotel.) It was recently taken over by famed boutique chain Thompson Hotels. There are tons of restaurants nearby in the restaurant-rich River North area just to the North of the hotel - what kind of restaurants do you like?

Additionally, while not something I'd recommend for a full meal, the wine bar in the same complex, Bin 36, is a nice place for a drink.

Thank you for sharing your win and please use the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchases and searches.

Enjoy your stay.

[Jason90]

I'm looking for traditional Chicago Restaurants. Not so much the touristy places but where locals eat.

[AaronJB]

I'd recommend Xoco, which is the newer casual offering from famed Frontera Grill chef Rick Bayless. Frontera is worth a visit, although this would be a quicker

While opinions on it are a little mixed, I still like Ann Sather, which is certainly an institution on Belmont (http://www.annsather.com/). Another classic is Lou Mitchell's (http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/illinois/chicago/review-134252.html), although they do not accept credit cards. Either Ann Sather or Lou Mitchell's are solid breakfast options, although definitely arrive on an empty stomach.

While not the same as it once was, Berghoff is a very, very historic/classic Chicago restaurant in the Loop. See more information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Berghoff_(restaurant)

I'm not a real fan of it, but Uno's Pizza is a pretty easy walk from the Sax. Uno's is incredibly popular when it comes to Chicago Pizza, but I prefer Giordanos or Lou Malnati's, both of which have locations that are reasonably close to your hotel. Italian restaurant Quartino's on State also offers up good pizza.

It's more of a local chain and I like the original suburban locations more, but Hackney's in Printer's Row offers up good burgers and their classic "onion loaf", which is essentially a giant loaf of onion rings. In terms of hot Dogs, hot Doug's is a must, although a bit of a trek from downtown (http://hotdougs.com/) Gene and Georgetti is recommended for Steak, although Keifer's is another choice about a block away from your hotel.

Newer, popular places include the Girl and the Goat (headed by former "Top Chef" contestant Stephanie Izard) and Purple Pig.

Other ideas include Table 52, Paris Club and Graham Elliott, all of which are not far from your hotel. The historic Green Door Tavern is also worth a visit and not far from your hotel.

I continually recommend Fox and Obel Market and Cafe on Illinois and McClurg, as their cafe is a nice option for breakfast/lunch/dinner and the gourmet market is fun to browse around.