What's so great about the Great Street Restaurant? First of all, it looks pretty cool, and that's not us just being nice. Everything from the tables to the chairs to the piano to the bar to the bar stools is pure class — simple, not extravagant — via a sea of browns and polished oak. (Classy though it is, Joe Sixpack, don't feel uncomfortable in your casual attire; the atmosphere and wait staff are incredibly inviting to people from all walks of life.) Secondly, the food tastes good and the drinks taste even better.

Besides the very handy breakfast and lunch buffets, the menu is fairly extensive with ordering options that range from $6.50 to $25, which is actually pretty cheap for a hotel restaurant in downtown Chicago. Appetizers include fried calamari and shrimp and a smoked chicken quesadilla. Chef Reich's "serene cuisine" options include a Maine lobster spring roll, grilled baby lamb chops ($22) and tea-smoked breast of chicken ($15). House specialties include oven roasted New England cod, grilled Atlantic salmon with angel hair pasta and the Chicago style chopped steak salad ($16). And most importantly, the dessert section of the menu includes rosemary- and sugar-coated peaches, a baked chocolate tart, chocolate macadamia nut pie, a chocolate hazelnut torte and a brandied cherry and fig walnut tart (all hovering around $8).

If you're downtown and you've got some time before "Wicked" or "Shear Madness" starts, or if you've just seen one of these shows for the hundredth time and you're hungry for some classy cuisine, look no further. The view out the window of the skyline and the river is even better than the food, and that's saying something.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Benjamin Andrew Moore