Francesca’s on 95th prepares an extensive menu of fine Italian cuisine complete with an impressive wine list. The menu is updated every two weeks to ensure the finest ingredients are chosen. The restaurant can accommodate large parties in its banquet hall and also features bar seating with two large HDTVs. My charming dinner companion and I were kindly greeted by the hosts after they finished seating a lively party of 57 guests. Tables filled up quickly on a Wednesday night so reservations are recommended for weekends and large parties. We started with drinks and ordered the calamari fritti …

When you think of wine and music, jazz is what usually comes to mind. Even a teetotaler knows that blues goes better with beer (it's better for crying in). Well, somebody better tell the folks at Vino Tinto because on any given night you might find them pairing Wang Dang Doodle with a $50 bottle of Napa Valley merlot. This is, after all, Oak Lawn, where pubs and sports bars outnumber wine bars 20 to 1 and dyed-in-the-wool Southsiders drink their wine at whatever temperature they darned well feel like. The Vibe The look at Vino Tinto is definitely more in line with what you'd expect in a jazz …

Squeezed inconspicuously between a driving school and a bakery, Sushi Thaime looks on the outside like every other Asian carryout restaurant this side of Chinatown. But inside, the décor is chic-Asian, with a stylish, urban feel that lets you imagine you might be at any trendy little dining spot in the big city. It was here that I set out to prove to my "meat-and-potatoes" husband, Jim, that I could find something on this restaurant's menu to his liking. We started with an appetizer of edamame – young, boiled soybeans still in the pod. Edamame resembles a French green bean, so naturally Jim …