OFFBEAT: Grand Lux Cafe in Chicago offers elegant affordable dining along Michigan Avenue

Even though today is Halloween, it's not unusual for many people to already be thinking about their Thanksgiving, Christmas and even New Year's dining plans.

Kelly Hoxie, senior general manager for Grand Lux Cafe, along Chicago's Magnificent Mile, says Northwest Indiana diners are among the roster of "regular guests" at the trendy and inviting restaurant, which is about to celebrate its first decade in the Windy City.

The Chicago location, with it's signature large glass bay style dining room windows overlooking Chicago's famed shopping strip along Michigan Avenue, opened in 2002.

And Hoxie said many guests even plan their holidays around the advance reservations they secure each year at Grand Lux Cafe.

The idea for Grand Lux Cafe came to life when The Venetian Resort, Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas asked David Overton, founder of The Cheesecake Factory restaurants, to create an upscale casual restaurant concept for its property.

Excited by the proposal and the opulent Venetian theme, Overton traveled to Europe to study Italian trattorias, French bistros and the grand cafes and pastry shops of Vienna. His culinary tour through Europe, focused on food, architecture, decor and design and provided the inspiration for what the restaurant was destined to become.

Blending the grandeur and luxury of European cafes with the sensibilities and spirit of an all-American restaurant, Grand Lux Cafe was born. Today, there are 13 locations across the country, all boasting the same promise: "unique, casual global cuisine in an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere."

Until this month, I'd never had the chance to dine at any of the Grand Lux Cafe locations. But I'd certainly walked by the downtown location in Chicago many times.

Grand Lux Cafe's eclectic menu offers extraordinary variety and selection, with flavor profiles ranging from Thai, Malaysian and Caribbean, to classic American and European specialties.

With every item prepared fresh to order in an exhibition-style kitchen, the focus remains on providing guests with the finest, freshest foods available and everything always served in generous portions.

There's also impressive selection of unusual and creative specialty cocktails and martinis, as well as a variety of beer and wine.

One of the other reasons I was excited about my visit was the chance to experience the restaurant's new menu featuring 25 additional creative dishes.

New menu items include: the macaroni and cheese skillet, a cheese and charcuterie board, prosciutto and arugula pizza, a wood-grilled pork chop, butterscotch carmel pudding and a custom cupcake trio.

The art deco interior, which features bronze statues, alabaster shades for the suspended lighting treatments and high-back booths, offers a tribute to an era of dining elegance beautifully recaptured.

The restaurant is at 600 N. Michigan Ave. at Ontario Street. Reservations can be made by calling (312) 276-2507. For more information please visit grandluxcafe.com.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852-4327.