P.F. Chang's 1819 Lake Cook Rd., Northbrook Tel: (847) 509-8844 Fans of Chinese food and nouvelle cuisine will find a delicious mix of both at this North Shore favorite, part of the P.F. Chang's empire. The spacious dining room, featuring a crescent-shape bar, is decorated in an unexpectedly high-tech style with mahogany tables, maroon tablecloths and suspended amber lights: In other words, not your typical Chinese restaurant decor. Begin with an Asian-inspired cocktail like the Golden Buddha margarita then move straight into appetizers. Though you'd be a fool to pass up the chicken lettuce wraps or the Northern-style spare ribs, a number of soups and salads (priced from $2.95 for a cup of hot and sour soup to $8.95 for warm duck spinach salad) offer another first-course choice. Ready yourself for a mind-boggling array of entree choices, many available in lunch or dinner sizes (around $7.95 and $10.95, respectively): traditional dishes such as almond and cashew chicken and chow mein join the less classic wok-seared lamb. Heat-seekers will find favorable dishes denoted as spicy (try the Chang's spicy chicken stir-fried in sweet Sichuan sauce); vegetarian meals are earmarked as well, and the Training Table Menu features more than a dozen dishes that include all-important nutrient information for athletes. And unlike your everyday Chinese delivery, you can finish with something more satisfying than a fortune cookie: banana spring rolls. Informative servers make sure each diner understands what he is ordering, including how to create original sauces from spicy chili oil, soy sauce, white vinegar, hot mustard and chili paste. Reservations are highly recommended for weekend lunch and dinner. Directions to Francesca's North From the I-94 Tollway, take Lake-Cook Road east to Northbrook Court. It's located near Crate and Barrel outside of the mall. Hours 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday