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If you thought the Horseshoe Casino was close, think about how happy you'll be when you don't have to fight Dan Ryan construction traffic en route to the Skyway now that Rivers Casino is opening Monday in Des Plaines just down the street from O'Hare. Once there, you'll likely drop some coin into the slots and toss some dice and this will no doubt make you hungry and thirsty. Fortunately for you, the property has some pretty good food and beverage offerings. Seven to be exact.
The Gibson group's Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House will be the main dining room, offering everything you can get at the downtown spot: steaks, chops, fish, lobster, king crab, big martinis and more. The restaurant will have an extensive wine list with a reserve list featuring 30 to 40 bottles; Hugo's will also have wine storage lockers for guests who want to bring in their own wine to enjoy.
Three additional eateries—Flipt, MianBar and Cube—offer burgers on day-baked potato bread; quick service Asian (noodles, stir fry); and small bites (french fry trio, sliders), respectively. Of course, no casino worth its salt would operate without its grand buffet and Rivers Casino has Canopy featuring nine different stations with everything from pizza and carving stations to sushi and seafood.
The property also has made it a point to source a lot of things locally, like Metropolis coffee at The Coffee Spot, the on-site cafe; Metropolis created the proprietary Rivers Casino blend.
And finally, at Lotus, guests can explore quality cocktails on a list created by two top mixologists, Drew Levinson and Bridget Albert. The pair crafted a list featuring unique spirits, but also a private-label tequila by Casa Noble as well as hand-selecting bourbon barrels from Elijah Craig (18 year) and Evan Williams (10 year). Lotus will also feature Goose Island products. So while it's easy to get to the casino, with all this potential boozing, you may still want to take a cab.
Hugo's Fish Bar Chicago [Photo: World's Best Spot]
