Sunday Night Family-Style Dinners You’ll Love

Sundays are yum days. Why? They usually include a big, delicious meal shared with people you love. Avoid dish duty and head to Chicago restaurants that offer Sunday family-style dinners. It’s an age-old concept that’s getting new life, even at trendy eateries: You pay a flat price and get plates of food that the entire clan can share. Now that your appetite is piqued, here are five places to dig in.

Gather
Wind down the weekend in Lincoln Square with made-from-scratch dishes from chef Ken Carter (a Charlie Trotter’s alum). His dishes are are creative interpretations of things kids love (think potato blinis with lemon conserve, a play on pancakes). The Sunday Dinners menu allows you to pick three main dishes to share, including grilled flatbread, pasta with gravy and fall-off-the-bone chicken. With it, the whole table is also treated to glazed carrots, roasted potatoes and sticky buns. When the weather gets warmer, enjoy a meal on the covered terrace.

4539 N. Lincoln Ave.
Lincoln Square
773-506-9300
Online: www.gatherchicago.com
$26 per adult; kids under 10 eat free with one paying adult
Served every Sunday from 5:00 pm-10:00 pm

Nana
The family-owned, organic-focused restaurant is a sunny beacon in Bridgeport. Its ongoing Sunday night family-style dinners cut you loose on a table stacked with comfort food. We’re talking buttermilk biscuits, Crystal Valley Farms fried chicken, jalapeno slaw, mac and cheese, house arugula salad, a weekly seasonal veggie, and dessert. The open kitchen is always fascinating to young diners, who may beg to watch the chefs in slicing, dicing action. You’ll happily oblige — after they eat their greens, of course.

3267 S. Halsted St.
Bridgeport
312-929-2486
Online: www.nanaorganic.com
$22 per adult; $11 for kids under 12
Served every Sunday from 5:30 pm-9:30 pm

Balsan
As you enter the famed and fancy Waldorf Astoria Chicago in the Gold Coast, the last thing on your mind is all-you-can-eat dining, especially with classically trained French executive hotel chef Herve Cuyeu in the kitchen. However, at hotel restaurant Balsan, for a respectable $31 per person, the whole family can indulge in a family-style three-course meal and the chance to think outside of the Happy Meal box. Dishes like creamed kale and seafood stew might seem like a stretch for young palates, but pretty preparations make them easy to swallow. The menu changes regularly, so prepare for anything from grits to duck ham to huckleberry crostata.

11 E. Walton St.
Gold Coast
312-646-1400
Online: www.waldorfastoriachicagohotel.com
$31 per person
Served every Sunday from 5:00 pm-10:00 pm

Pecking Order
Chef Kristine Subido looked to her Filipino roots when she opened this North Side charmer, which specializes in family-recipe marinated chicken. She’s since been inspired by the restaurant’s kid-friendly neighborhood and, to that end, is launching a monthly Family-Style Sunday Supper on the last Sunday of every month. The inaugural supper will be held April 28. Expect sharable slow-braised chicken and pork adobo, fried potatoes with green onion sauce, sautéed cabbage with shrimp, and a choice of rice or warm pandesal bread. We can already taste what a huge success it will be.

4416 N. Clark St.
Ravenswood
773-907-9900
Online: www.peckingorderchicago.com
$24 per guest; $12 for children under 12
The first supper is held Sunday, April 28 from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm. Check the restaurant’s website for future dates.

Anteprima
The next best thing to Sunday dinner? Sunday lunch. This cozy Italian den does family-style dining during the midday, coaxing you to fill up early on authentic Sicilian dishes made with organic and local ingredients. The four-course regional menu could include tagliatelle, roasted beets, grilled marinated lamb or fingerling potatoes. There is a wine pairing option for an additional $10.

5316 N. Clark St.
Andersonville
773-506-9990
Online: www.anteprimachicago.net
$25 per person
Served every Sunday from 12:00 pm-3 pm

What’s your favorite meal to eat as a family? Tell us in the Comments section below.

— Sara Fisher

Photos: Courtesy of Gather, Nana, Balsan, Pecking Order & Anteprima