Gene and Georgetti: Miss Chicago Steakhouse for December

I believe this completes the set. 

Well.  We did it.  Amy and I made it to all 13 steakhouses last year.  I started this project as....well....I don't know.  I'm a critic at heart, so I started it to allow me to write critiques.  I started it because I'm not a "foodie" and Yelp!, etc. just are too short on their reviews, or tell me about things I don't want to know.  I wanted to write stories about our experiences with fine dining here in Chicago.  I started it so I could go out with my wife once a month.  I started it to get to all the steakhouses I hadn't been to...yet.  Which is where we start this review.

For our final month we went to the granddaddy of all Chicago steakhouses, Gene and Georgetti.  We'll get there.  Let's handle the preliminaries.

Previous months' reviews are:  Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab; Keefer's Restaurant; Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse; Morton's: The Steakhouse; David Burke's Primehouse; Rosebud Steakhouse; N9NE Steakhouse; Fogo de Chao; Benny's Chop House; Chicago Cut Steakhouse; Chicago Chop House and Wildfire.  Please feel free to click on the links.  This blog seems to be gaining readership (it could be some spammy thing - who knows?).  Anyway, those are cheap page views for me, so feel free to visit.

Speaking of cheap page views....after the Gibsons review got so much attention with the use of an adult film star....well....I'm a whore.  I'll do that again.  So.  Here's a Safe For Work photo of someone I understand is in adult films, or so I'm told. 

And, as per usual...if you click on these blue underlined words, you'll get taken away magically over the interwebs to something that I think is a funny way to illustrate my point.  I'm probably wrong, but it's my blog, so tough shit.

Looks like a pancake house menu you'd find on vacation.

One more thought.  Sometime in March I'm going to write some sort of summary of this adventure, comparing the different places and rank some of the things we liked.  I also have a couple of amusing stories that don't really fit in any one review.  So.  Look forward to that.

On with it.

When I thought of this, there were several places I had wanted to go to for years, but never took the time, or whatever, to get my ass in the door.  These were Gibsons, Fogo de Chao, Chicago Chop House and Gene and Georgetti.  The reasons behind each "wish list" place were different.  In the case of Gene and Georgetti, it was for one main reason....history.  Opening its doors in 1941, Gene and Georgetti was founded by two Italian immigrants, Gene Michelotti and Alfredo "Georgetti" Federighi.   Located right under the El tracks at Franklin and Illinois, the place has hosted more celebrities than Heidi Fleiss.  Unlike Ms. Fleiss, the celebrities are happy to have their pictures on the walls at Gene and Georgetti. 

The night we dined was December 10.  The weather was coolish, but not cold.  Winter has not taken hold in Chicago yet (IN FEBRUARY), and we have had a ridiculously warm stretch, including a green Christmas.  Yeah.  Global warming is a myth.  That's a blog for another day.  Anyway, the day was jam-packed with activity for me.  I had a workshop with my sons at the local Lowe's, a meeting with a fellow thespian, then dinner reservations, followed by tickets to the theatre at 10 p.m.  In between dinner and the show, we planned to hit State Street and look at the Macy's windows (It ain't Marshall Field's anymore people...and for that matter it's not the Sears Tower either.  Get over it.) and the gigantic tree in the Walnut Room.  We then were going to head out for a carriage ride...which happened to be departing at Daley Plaza during Christkrindlmarket or however the fuck you spell it.  It's the big German Christmas fest in Daley Plaza.  My point is there was a lot of living going on in my life that day. 

One last steak for the road....

Arriving at G&G (I ain't typing Gene and Georgetti anymore) about 10 minutes LATE (AHHH!) for our reservations, we found STREET PARKING less than 50 feet from the door!  Yeehaw!  Granted, given the meter system in Chi town, it still cost us $6 to park, but it was better than the $12-$18 (with tip) to use a valet.  I'm liking this place already, and I haven't even gotten to the door yet.  The door is right on the corner, with a neon/plastic lit up sign above it.  Nothing fancy.  No airs.  In fact, I think I had a hard time actually spotting the valet, if memory serves. 

Walking through the door, the first thing you get to is the bar on your right, with some coat hangers next to it.  There are a few tables in the room.  What you don't see is a host station.  It's there.  But, you don't see it.  So, here's a tip.  It's at the end of the bar, farthest point from the door.  We walked right past it and into another dining room looking for our check-in spot.  I know we were not the only ones, but had it been a midnight showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" - well, we woulda had a crowd of people scream "VIRGINS!" as we paused with a befuddled look on our faces.  Also in the room is a gigantic poster of Lucille Ball, which is signed, and a whole bunch of other celebrity photos.  The bar is a bar.  Like, it could be a bar anywhere else in the city.  Nothing fancy, just a bar.  Above the bar is a saying which I'm going to put here.  I like it.  I don't drink, but it's good advice for those that do. 

Good advice. 

After locating the host station, we were greeted by the owner, who passed us off to a guy with a walkie talkie who led us upstairs to the second floor dining room, and passed us off to the guy he had been chatting with on the walkie talkie.  Our reservations were for 6 p.m.  That time has spelled lots of empty tables for a lot of the places we have been, but G&G was pretty damned crowded.  There were a few tables empty here and there, but not many.  The place was positively bustling.  We were seated in a corner table overlooking the dining room.  I'm gonna get this out of the way now.  There is a video segment on G&G on the Travel Channel's "Steak Paradise 2:  Second Helping."  Here is the link to it.  We were seated in the room that has the painting that the owner talks about.  That was kinda cool.  Behind us was another room with a fireplace.  The place seemed to go on forever.  I'm not sure how many floors there were, but we were in what looked to be a third to a quarter of the second floor. 

The decor in our room was decidedly Italian, with columns adorning the walls, the large mural painting, and a white hue to the room.  I was glad we were in that room. 

We were given our menus.  Old timey.  They don't appear to have changed them since 1941.  We also met our server for the evening.  Never got his name.  He was Italian.  He had the accent.  It was like being at Peter Luger's, where all the waiters are German.  He was attentive.  He was professional.  He was not gruff, but I don't think I'd use the word "friendly."  The guy was a pro, and made us feel welcome without making us feel like we were guests in his home.  We were guests at his employment.  Does that make sense?  It does to me.  A basket of (room temperature) bread and breadsticks was placed on the table, and we put in our drink orders.  Again, no booze, but no attitude from the waiter.  Nice.  I'm liking this place.  Except the bread.  Warm it up.  Please.  You took the time to chill the butter.  Warm the bread. 



Sausage and peppers.  Oh my.



As our drinks were coming to the table, we took some time to peruse the appetizer selection, and to peruse the clientele.  G&G is an old time place with loyal customers.  A lot of the customers know the waiters and a lot of the waiters know the customers.  It was populated with an older crowd and more families than any place else we had been on the journey.  Glancing around the room, a lot of people were not eating steak.  They were dining on seafood, or Italian dishes, etc.  There were a lot of clods of cow in front of people, don't get me wrong, but we were not in a STEAK environment. 

Perusing the appetizers, I had asked Amy about the possibilty of ordering seafood, or something similar.  She was not interested in that.  What did interest her was the Sausage and Peppers.  Italian joint, nice atmosphere, red meat on its way....what the fuck.  Let's have sausage and peppers.  We ordered the appetizer.  Let's go ahead and talk about it now.  GOOD CHOICE.  The sausage was very tasty, perfectly spicy Italian sausage.  A delicate casing held a mouthful of juicy, meaty goodness.  Yeah, baby.  Sounds sexy, right?  Anyway...now that I've toweled off...the peppers were a mix of red, yellow and green.  Lightly sauteed with the sausage, there was hint of oil on them, but they were most assuredly not drowned.  The yellow pepper was especially subtle in its flavor, delicate in texture, and just damned good eating.  I was a long time "no pepper" guy.  I like my Italian beef plain, my pizza with only toppings that have originated in some animal, and no vegetables on my hamburgers...unless ketchup and mustard are considered vegetables.  I digress.  I have acquired a taste for peppers in the last 15 or so years, and the ones served in the sausage and peppers appetizer at G&G are among the best I've ever eaten.  Period. 

This is Amy's steak.  Crusty.  Tender.  Mouthwatering.  I need a smoke.

Before the sausage and peppers had arrived at our table, we had put in our entree orders.  Know what's great about G&G?  You don't have to order salads and potatoes a la carte.  MONEY SAVED!  I got the Cottage Fries and a Salad with Thousand Island Dressing.  I also ordered my steak.  I went for what I read was the best wet-aged steak in Chicago, the T-Bone, Medium Rare.  Amy orered the Bone In Ribeye. Medium Rare, along with her potatoes and salad.  Know what's not great about G&G (at least the night we were there)?  They were out of ribeye.  Ugh.  In retrospect, it was Christmas, the place was open all day, and there were a lot of people downtown.  I guess it's understandable.  You know, in retrospect, it's kind of amazing that we didn't have to wait on our reservations given the date, the crowd, etc.  In retrospect, Moises Alou was never gonna catch that ball anyway.  Retrospect is fun.  Amy ordered the Bone In Strip, Medium Rare, as a substitute; but she was disappointed that the steak she wanted was not available. 

We were just about finished with the sausage and peppers when the steaks, potatoes and salads arrived.  It was bordering on eerie timing.  The cottage fries were outstanding.  The potatoes were cooked to tender perfection.  They were crispy.  They were potatoes.  A starch.  I'm glad I don't have to review potatoes anymore.  The salads were just standard Iceberg Lettuce greens.  The dressing was very good.  Obviously homemade, it was really tangy and really tasty.  Good dressing, G&G!  All this is a warm up to the entrees:  the steaks.

Yup.  That's fork tender steak.  I was pulling chunks off of each other
with my fork.  Drool.  You're allowed.

OK.  My T-bone steak is not the best wet-aged steak in Chicago.  Not by my taste, anyway.  That does not mean that what I ate wasn't FREAKING DELICIOUS, but it means I've had better - not many though.  USDA Prime, wet-aged steak that had been expertly charred on the outside, yet perfectly pink on the inside, my steak was very, very, very good.  The filet portion of my T-bone was exceptionally big for a T-bone.  Hell, it was big for a Porterhouse.  Tearing into the strip portion of my steak as a "filler" before the meat dessert that is the filet portion, I was amazed at how tender it was.  I've gotten into slow-cooking and smoking meat this last year.  One of the things about slow cooking is the tenderness that is achieved, allowing you to pull the meat apart.  Pulled pork.  It's not just a clever name.  Ready for this?  My strip side was bordering on fork tender.  Like, I could almost pull chunks of it away.  That was but a warmup for the filet.  The filet WAS fork tender.  FORK TENDER STEAK.  Over there on the side is photographic evidence.  I don't know how they did that, but that was amazing.  It was almost Prime Rib tender.  For the uninitiated, Prime Rib is a ribeye steak that has been slow cooked rather than quick seared.  (Don't worry - I didn't know that until like 3 months ago)  Overall, I'd give my steak an OH MY GOD! THAT WAS GOOD! rating. 

Amy's steak was similarly cooked, similarly tender, and also delicious.  While it wasn't her ribeye, it was a fine substitute.  She wound up taking half of it home, and it was just as good as leftovers. 

This place has been in business a LONG time.  It was obvious as to why.  The steaks were reasonably priced (unless you don't go to steakhouses once a month to compare...I mean, who would be stupid enough to do that?...Oh....wait....), and they were cooked with care.  There's a reason why places are still full after 60+ years in business, and there's a reason why places that you know are great struggle.  Care.  Take the time with the details.  That's what the people want, and that's what will keep them coming in your door.

The final food.

Finally, it was dessert time.  Amy and I really had no struggle with this.  We were offered, among many other choices, something called Chocolate Tuxedo Mousse Cheesecake.  That's four really good words in one dessert.  No brainer.  If it had missed the "Mousse" or the "Tuxedo," we might have passed.  That combination of four words sealed the deal.  The dessert was exquisite.  Among the best desserts we ate this year, it was precisely what you'd expect of all those words.  Light with the mousse, a little heavy with the cheesecake, and FUCKING CHOCOLATE.  I'm a chick in regards to a lot of things.  Chocolate is one of them.  The dessert was a lovely wrap up to a lovely dinner. 

As a matter of fact, it was a lovely wrap up to a lovely year.  It was the last bite of food we ate on this journey.  We savored them, reflecting on all the great food we had enjoyed the last year.  I even felt a little maudlin when I realized it was over.  We did it, though.  13 steakhouses in 13 months.  Each one reviewed for your (my) reading pleasure right here.  What a great trip.  Thank you for being part of it.

Guess our year of steakhouses is over.

It's February.  I know.  I've taken a long time finishing this.  In March, I PROMISE, I will post a wrap up talking about all the places we went, and ranking them, etc.  In the meantime, let's leave this review on its own.

NUTS and BOLTS:

We got out with our shirts on.  The whole meal was just over $170, including tip.  G&G is reasonably priced for the quantity and quality of food that you get.  It's not reasonbly priced if you go to Outback.  Know what?  If you go to Outback, why are you reading this?

Decor is decidedly Italian, and very 40's.  That's fun. 

Family-ish atmosphere.  There seemed to be a lot of kids there (which means there were a few...). 

Waitstaff has a reputation for turning tables in rude fashion.  We didn't find that to be true, but it wasn't "friendly."  I'd call it professional.  Nothing wrong with that. 

I don't have any comments on the bathrooms.  Except that I have no comment. 

Ain't she pretty?  A smiling wife is never a bad thing.

So.  There it is.  I've been to Gene and Georgetti.  I recommend you do the same.  It's an old time place with an old time feel, where you get a tremendous meal.  I loved it, and can't wait to go back.  Someday.  After we recover from this year. 

Thank you sincerely for your continued interest in this silly project.  I apologize that I didn't get to this sooner.  It's done, though, and there's something to be said for finally following through on this.

Thank you. 

yours in meat,

Randy

NEXT MONTH:  We wrap the year up.  I'll probably get sentimental.  Don't miss that.

This is in the carriage after dinner.  Thanks for being part of this project.





I just booked my flight....



Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.  I think I'm gonna like it here.



....and now I'm anxious for the season to get going. 

Baseball Pilgrimage 2012 Part 1:  Arlington and Houston is on. 

After next year, I'll be up to 14 of the currently standing stadiums, with 4 more that I've been to that don't exist any longer.   Getting there. 

It will also mark my first foray into an West Division team in either league. 

Minute Maid Park in Houston.  Think we're gonna sit in the Crawford Boxes.

Sunday morning....

...I was up way too late/early.  We finished the steakhouse tour on Saturday night, and afterward I put a pork shoulder in the smoker.  I slept for about 4 hours in 2 hour spurts, awakening in front of the still on television several times. 

The movie channels were on, which meant I got wrapped up in movies.  Which prevented me from sleeping.

Some observations:

"Breaking Away" is one of my favorite films of all time.  Has been since I was in high school.  It got better watching it the other night.  Know why?  I'm a father now.  No wonder my dad liked that one so much as well. 

The Spielberg sweeping close up at the end of "Field of Dreams" when Ray Kinsella realizes the guy in the catcher's equipment in his dad has a moment that would not exist today.  There is a beautiful cloudy blue sky behind Costner, and the shot is established as Ray and his family.  It then jump zooms into Costner's face, with him on screen left.  It's a gorgeous shot.  And Amy Madigan's hair blows into it at one moment.  It would be digitally removed today, methinks.  Know why I know that?  The next shot is the same perspective...but guarantee Madigan was off set.  As a bad photographer who is constantly annoyed by things that creep into a frame...guarantee the cinematogropher wishes he had that one back. 

The "Star Trek" reboot is much better on second viewing.  And James Kirk gets his ass kicked CONSTANTLY in that film.  And always fights with his mouth open.  The light in the camera thing is WAY too annoying in that one to ever recommend it, though. 

So those are my observations.  This blog is going back to more random shots more frequently posted now that I have gotten through the steakhouse thing.  At least, after I write the last review.  Gene and Georgetti.  Good food.  Am I giving it away? 

Wildfire - Miss Chicago Steakhouse for November



You know, if I had just moved about 40 feet to my right, that tree wouldn't be
in the way of the name.  I'm such a bad photographer sometimes.

TRUE CONFESSION BEFORE WE BEGIN.  I started this three weeks ago.  I haven't had the gumption to finish it.  Today is December 6, and we dined on November 5.  I apologize in advance for the delay.  I just couldn't focus on this.

Here we are at the penultimate steakhouse on our tour through the great steakhouses of the Windy City. This whole project has been such fun, so educational, so much WORK and so much....money.  Well.  No one wants to hear me whine.  Mostly, it's just been a pleasure. 

Previous months reviews have been as follows:  Joe's, Keefer's, Gibsons, Morton's, David Burke's Primehouse, Rosebud, N9NE, Fogo de Chao, Benny's Chop House, Chicago Cut, and Chicago Chop House. 

Those of you who have stuck with me through this journey - thank you.  And you know that if you click the links, you'll get some humor.  Or my version of it.  Also - for the cheap hits...this is a safe for work photograph of someone I'm told is an adult film star.  How about that?  Lots of photos this time.  Lots of food, so lots of photos.

November in Chicago is a funny thing.  It can be 60 degrees and balmy one day, then cold as hell and soaking, nasty rain the next.  One of the things that is nice about November is that it starts to be fire time.  How appropriate then that our choice for steakhouse was Wildfire.  Get it?  No.  That's not really the reason.  It just happened to be where it was scheduled.  No deeper meaning.

20+ years of marriage and still sneaking a smooch.  Matt and Jill.

Anywho, this month we had the pleasure of dining with my old workmate Matt and his lovely wife, Jill.  Or, in their alternate handles, Matt in the Middle and Cha Cha of the blogosphere, OR The Agitator and Cha Cha of the Dirty Laundry Podcast.  Like those links?  Go get them.  Matt's been my companion at 7 of the 14 baseball stadiums I've visited thus far in this lifetime; and he and I are headed to Texas to take in Rangers and Astros games in 2012.  Before the Astros move to the American League.  Stupid fucking decision.  I'm sorry.  Steakhouses.  That's what we're talking about.  Check this blog after the steakhouse thing is over for more tales of Matt and me as I continue to review the stadia of the Major Leagues.

I must confess I haven't had time to sit and write this since we ate almost two weeks ago, so I don't recall the weather that night. I think it was brisk-ish.  Matt and Jill picked us up and we headed to the city for a little fine dining.  Located on Erie Ave., right behind Ed Debevic's, Wildfire is part of a chain of steakhouses, with 4 other Chicagoland locations, and 3 out of state.  Arriving at the restaurant basically right at our reservation time of 6 p.m., I was a little taken aback when we were handed a buzzer, like you'd find at an Olive Garden or Red Lobster.  It should be noted that Wildfire is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, and that it is - most assuredly - what you'd expect of a Melman enterprise.  Getting back to the restaurant, walking in the door, the name "Wildfire" was appropriate.  The place had a slight wood smoke smell to it, probably because of the wood fire burning in the exposed kitchen.  As a new convert to the world of smoking meat, that hickory smell is like a Spanish Fly for my tastebuds.  I'm liking this so far.  Except for the buzzer thing.  I'll finish explaining that throughout this review.

I don't think anyone famous is in any of those pictures...

Fortunately, we only waited about 10 minutes, which gave us an opportunity to look around a bit.  Decorated in wood trim, large photographs of non-famous people and subdued, yet not dark, light, Wildfire is like walking into an upscale chain steakhouse.  It was not quite as elegant as a lot of the places we've been this year, but not as simple as an Outback Steakhouse.  There is a theme that's being established here people.

We were buzzed, (boy, that word has changed meaning for me since I was 20...) then led to our booth in a corner overlooking the rest of the restaurant.  Wildfire is one of the larger places we've attended.  Alive with conversation, the atmosphere is vibrant, bordering on loud.  It wasn't hard to hear conversation at the table, but I could see it being a little much for people who prefer quieter dining.  We were given our menus, then we met our server for the evening, Phillip.  Or Philip.  I didn't ask for spelling.  Sorry Phillip (or Philip) if you're reading this and I've misspelled it.  Phillip was a pleasant, cheerful guy who took his time to explain to us the specials of the evening, take our drink orders, and take a little of the humor that Matt and I can't help but throw people's way when we are given the opportunity.  A couple of small loaves of bread were placed on the table.  One was an Onion Bread, not unlike that found at Morton's.  The other was a Raisin Pumpernickel.  I tried the onion, which was good, and

Bread.

the pumpernickel got good reviews from everyone who tried it.  Much conversation was taking place at the table about kids, work, baseball, etc., etc. 

Matt and I have known each other for 10 years.  We worked together for 8 of those, so we've spent a lot of time together.  I've met Jill a few times, but Amy and Jill had never met.  It was great fun to sit and converse and enjoy each other's company so much.  It reminded me why I'm friends with Matt, why I married my wife, and why I like people like Matt and Jill.  I just dig being around grounded, REAL people. 

That's a great big potato.  Yummy.

A short while later, Phillip came to take our orders for entrees.  I chose...wait for it....the Bone In Ribeye, cooked Medium Rare.  You've heard that before, right?  Jill chose the Petite New York Strip, Well Done.  Matt chose one of the specials for the night, the Filet Medallions encrusted with 3 different flavors.  They were Parmesan, Horseradish and Blue Cheese, and Matt got the steaks Medium Well.  Amy ordered from the Prix Fixe menu.  Her main course was a Petite Filet, cooked Medium Rare, and she was thrown a bunch of other items as well.  I believe she got a soup (Shrimp and Crab Bisque), a choice of potato (Redskin Mashed), and a dessert (Pumpkin Pie - it's November, right? (well it WAS when I wrote that)).  I ordered a Giant Baked Potato and some Broccoli (portioned large enough to share with the table) to accompany my dinner.  Matt got the Baked Potato as well.  I have to confess, I can't remember what Jill got as a side, if any.  One of the advantages to taking so long writing this is that Amy informed me that Matt and Jill split the potato.  See.  If I'd gotten all hot headed and just plowed through this, you wouldn't know that.
 

Amy's Petite Filet.  For Her Petiteness.  Her Petiteness.  Hee hee.  I believe
she just got a new nickname.

Once our orders were placed, we went back to conversating.  I love made up words that sound right.  Something about them just embiggens me.  I'm drifting.  I should inform you that Wildfire does not feature USDA Prime steaks.  It is one of two places on this journey (Fogo being the other) that has that distinction.  Given the atmosphere, the noise, etc., I'm not sure "Prime" would have fit.  There's that theme again.... 

Amy was the first one to be served any food, since she had the soup with her meal.  Her bisque was seafoody.  I can't really comment.  I tried it, and was not offended by it, so it must have been pretty good.  Getting better with shellfish.....  I digress.  Again.  So, while Matt, Jill and I were left with a big handful of nothing....Amy was eating away on her soup.  Boy howdy.  When Amy was probably 7/8ths through (how do they time it so well?), the entrees arrived.

Matt's steak trio.  Huey, Dewey & Louie.

We were seated at a fairly large booth, with a decent sized table.  With the bread, the steaks, the potatoes and Amy's soup....suddenly the table was crowded.  My kinda meal.  Don't get me wrong....I'm still not gonna share very much with you, but I do like having mass quantities around to sample and share.  Just not gonna share that much of mine, thank you very much.


That bit of silliness aside, all the steaks looked fantastic.  Matt's three filet medallions were crusted over with the three toppings, looking absolutely cooked to perfection.  I used to eat a lot of steak toward the well done zone, so Jill's steak looked spot on as well.  Amy's steak was cute as a button.  Like her.  I digress.  It was a petite filet, so no, Wayne, it wasn't just a clever name, and it looked great.  My steak was (SURPRISE!) the biggest of the bunch.  Looking like it had been cooked just the way I like it, the bone in ribeye was crusted just right, and very soft when tested for firmness.  Felt medium rare, looked medium rare...I think they got it right.  I couldn't wait to dig in and confirm my suspicions.  

Jill's strip steak. I'm not a  well done guy anymore,
but it sure looks tasty, doesn't it?



Matt's first.  Matt was good enough to actually think about blogging enough after our meal to rate his steaks.  You can read about it in this blog post, but if you don't want to be carried by link to another corner of the interwebs...well...let me sum up his feelings.  His steaks were 3 oz. filets apiece, and his preference was (in order) blue cheese, horseradish then paremesan.  Apparently there were three other toppings to choose from, but I don't roll that way.  Matt really enjoyed his dinner.  Jill was a little less vocal about her steak, (it's hard to get a word in when Matt and I get rolling) but she looked to be enjoying her steak as well.  Amy was back again with another filet.  After last month's Kobe ribeye disappointment, she had decided to go back to her tried and true filet.  Cooked to a perfect medium rare, it was soft, almost melt in your mouth good.  This month I've been researching barbecue competitions for my passion with smoking meat at home.  There is some sauce called Slap Yo Mama BBQ sauce.  I'd say Amy's steak was bordering on slap yo mama good.  She had picked a good entree this month.  Lesson learned.

 My steak.  That's why you're here, right?  Wait, scratch that - substitute
the word "I'm" for "you're."

Now my steak.  Because it's the only one I can really comment on with any authority.  It is advertised as "Crusted Bone in Ribeye."  I was unsure of that when I saw it on the menu, but Phillip assured me that it was just cooking that crusted it, and not some foreign object.  Good choice.  My steak was delicious.  Perfectly cooked at medium rare, the crust on the outside gave a nice smoky bite to every morsel.  Flavor abounded, some from the cut of meat, but some from the fact that it had been cooked on a wood fired grill.  Nice touch.  Again, steaks at Wildfire are NOT USDA Prime.  They are wet-aged for between 21 and 28 days.  Unless you've been going to steakhouses once a month for a year, I'd say you'd have a real tough time telling the difference between Wildfire's ribeye and Prime.  I have been going to steakhouses once a month for a year.  I could tell.  But BARELY.  Have I raved about it enough?  I guess so.  Great steak at Wildfire.  As I dug into the steak a little more, it became obvious that I was going to need to eat my potato quickly again, so that I could focus on my meat.  The potato was very good.  Baked to a nice tenderness, it was a good compliment to the meal.  It should be noted that Amy really liked her redskin mashed potatoes.  In fact...I think they are her favorite starchy side dish this year...how about that?  The broccoli...was broccoli.  It was cooked right.  What else can be said about it?  

Much more conversation about things you don't really care about followed during the entree portion of our meal.  It was great to be out with another couple.  Have I mentioned that? 

Finally, when we were finished with our meal, it was time for desserts.  Matt and Jill said "no" originally, but I think peer pressure got to them, and they ordered the Baked Apple Skillet Pie a la mode. Amy had her Pumpkin Pie order in already, and I went with the Key Lime Pie.  I generally try to avoid key lime pie everywhere else because I've had the GREATEST KEY LIME PIE EVER at Joe's, and I'm a snob. Once I've had the best, why go back?  I took off my snob hat for a second.  I went with the pie.  I also got my customary cup of decaf to go with it.  Nothing says "I'm finished with this fine meal" like a cup of coffee to me. 

Foreground:  my Key Lime Pie.  Out of focus.  Background:  Matt
and Jill's Apple Pie.  Out of focus as well.

I'll start with Amy's dessert first.  She made another really good choice.  The pumpkin pie was a little spicy, creamy and delicious.  If I could have stolen the recipe, I would have.  My key lime pie was also very good.  No Joe's, but it was pretty damned close.  Served as a small, almost tart-y looking thing, it was creamy and the lime didn't overwhelm.  It announced its presence, but didn't hit you in the mouth.  Very well done, Wildfire.  Matt and Jill ate their dessert very quickly, and enjoyed it tremendously.  It was really half a skillet, but don't tell anyone. 

Finally the meal was over and it was time to pay the check, then head back to the suburbs.  Throughout the beginning of the review I talked about a theme.  I'll sum it up this way.  Wildfire is a classy but not "high class" place.  It is comfortable.  The buzzer bugged the shit out of me.  In reviewing their website and menu, I happened upon an option that they offer for big groups.  You get to choose from a variety of items on their menu for $32.95 a person.  I think that's great.  I would say Wildfire is the kind of place you could make a regular stop.  The food is very, very good, but it doesn't cost you any appendages.  You can also go with a group, and no one should do the "I'll have a burger" thing because they can't believe how much the fucking steaks cost.  I think it will be the place where we break our sons into finer dining.  Nice joint.  Try it. 

Nuts and bolts:

Amy and I picked up the check.  Matt and Jill insisted on paying for their liquor.  So.  Ready?  The meal was $250 bucks for the four of us, with liquor and tip.  $250.  That is 66% of what Amy and I spent BY OURSELVES with NO LIQUOR last month at Chicago Chop House.  The upper end flairs and touches were missing at Wildfire...but damn me if I wasn't more than happy with our meal.  I'd say it is our best bang for the buck so far this year for a place where you order off a menu. 

Bathroom stalls are floor to ceiling.  Don't know why I feel compelled to comment on that.

Buzzer thing is a major bad thing.  Didn't like that. 

Ambiance is very nice.  Well designed. 

Bring a group of people with you.  I think that's what the place is meant to host.  I don't think I'd like it as a "couple" destination as much.

So.  There you go.  I've finished this.  Only took me a month.  This is the second to last of these I'm doing.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Get to Wildfire.  You'll like it a whole bunch.

NEXT MONTH:  Gene and Georgetti.  We're ending this with the granddaddy of all Chicago steakhouses. 

The smile is a "Holy crap!  I ate that much good food and got to
keep my arm and leg!  Outstanding!"

I still haven't finished the review of Wildfire....

And today is the last day of November.  Bad Blogger.  I'll try to get it done by midnight, so it's still November...but life's been hectic.  It's like half to two thirds written. 

 

For giggles.....

I'm going to review a post I made in April.  I owe you guys a review of Wildfire.  It's coming.  It will be on here as of Thursday.  In the meantime, I thought I'd check the accuracy of a baseball post I made at the beginning of the year.  From April 14.  Comments after the season are in RED ITALICS. 

 

Two weeks in....

...and the baseball season is proving to be perplexing as hell. 

This baseball season was one of the weirder seasons in a long time.  I got this right.

I'm making my observations here.  Nothing profound.  No links today.

The Cubs may never lose 3 in a row.  They may never win 3 in a row either.  That does not bode well for the idea of playoffs.  Win streaks are what put teams in the playoffs.  I don't see the Cubs being able to do that.

WRONG DUMBASS!  The Cubs proved to be streaky.  More losing streaks than winning streaks, however.  I was too optimistic before the season started about the Cubs - although most of the players I thought would step up this year - did.  They just were a bad team. 
 The White Sox's bullpen troubles are beyond ludicrous.  Therefore, they will get better.  There is simply no way they can be that bad the entire season.

I'm not really sure where I was with this.  If I recall, the bullpen had blown a bunch of leads in a row at this point.  BUT.  The rest of the team was horrible, so ultimately the bullpen had nothing to do with their failure.  I'm right on this - but WRONG about the White Sox getting any better.  They got worse.  Much worse. 
The Indians are going to fall to Earth.  As are the Royals.  And the Twins will be better.

I got this two thirds right.  The Indians finished below .500 after a torpid pace at the beginning of the season.  The Royals are a scary good offensive team (check out their offensive stats - they are a doubles machine), but they have NO pitching, so they collapsed.  The Twins.  Never got better.  WRONG. 

Albert Pujols will probably hit .300 and have at least 35 home runs.  Because that's what Albert Pujols does.

If Albert Pujols had not played the last game of the season, I would have been 100 % right on this.  At the time I wrote the post, Albert was BAD.  He did hit 37 HR's in 149 games, while batting .299 for the season.  I'd say I was right on this.  The World Series Ring gives me the extra .001 on his BA.  Now - I hope he stays in St. Louis, as much as I want him mashing for the Cubs.  He just belongs there. 

The Red Sox will win the AL East.  The Yankees' pitching simply will not be good enough.

Spectacularly WRONG on this.  The Yankees' pitching did undo them in the playoffs, but the Red Sox missed the playoffs despite having the Wild Card in their grasp with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth in the final game of the season.  That being said, of all the ones I was wrong on, given the night of baseball we were treated to on game 162 - I love being wrong on this one. 

I'm looking forward to seeing any Phillies game this year.

Subjective.  I enjoyed every game I watched of the Phillies this year.  Except when they lost to Carpenter 1-0 in game 5 of the NLDS. 

I'm not sure about the Giants.  But the rest of that division blows. 

I got this one right, kinda.  The Giants were something to be unsure about - BUT - the Diamondbacks were pretty damned good. 

The Rangers are scary good.  And a lot of 3rd base coaches seem to be making bad decisions.

Right up until Nelson Cruz shortarmed the WORLD SERIES WINNING THIRD OUT OF THE NINTH INNING, I believed the Rangers were going to win the World Series this year.  I was right.  They were scary good.  And scary bad shit happened to them in Game 6 of the Series.

I am going to love Kauffman Stadium in KC. 

Yup.  I did.  I want one.  Now. 

I'm going to see Fenway and hate Wrigley even more.  I know it. 

This I was right and wrong on.  I LOVED Fenway, and would INSTANTLY choose it over Wrigley in terms of "old ballparks."  BUT.  After going to Fenway, and seeing what potential Wrigley has if money is dumped into her - I appreciated the beautiful parts of Wrigley MORE after I came back.  It's still a dump.  BUT, it could be more.  I look forward to it being so.  That said, I'd rather have Kauffman Stadium or Citizens Bank Park over EITHER of them.

Nothing is decided in the first 2 weeks of the season.  But lots of things can be decided BECAUSE of the first 2 weeks. 

Buck Showalter deserves a raise.  Since he took over, the Orioles have had the best record in the AL East by like 5 games.  That's crazy.  That team is not that good.  They just aren't. 

What do you know?  They were not that good.  But, they kept the Red Sox out of the playoffs.  Good on them for sending that underachieving team home.  And for getting us Theo Epstein. 

I'm going to hate when this season is over.  Just like I hate it every other year.

Got this one right.  Dammit. 

Tomorrow night....

My bride and I are going out to Wildfire with friend (and fellow blogger) Matt in the Middle.  He also happens to do a Podcast called Dirty Laundry Podcast.  In no way, shape, or form am I going to be cross- promoting him.

And so he knows, despite my unwillingness to cross-promote Matt in the Middle, we invited them because I miss him.  Period. 

So.  New Steakhouse Review coming soon.  Maybe Matt will do one as well....?

Chicago Chop House - Miss Chicago Steakhouse for October

Holy shit. 

This is number 11 in the quest for attending 13 Chicago steakhouses this year (and December 2010).  That's a lot of steak.  Now that I'm hitting the home stretch, I can't tell you what a pleasure this has been. 

Previously, we have (cheap hits for this blog coming if you click these links!) visited Joe's, Keefer's, Gibsons, Morton's, Primehouse, Rosebud, N9NE, Fogo de Chao, Benny's and Chicago Cut.  Every one of those (with the exception of Fogo - which makes up for "quality" with quantity) serves USDA Prime steak, and 8 of those 10 are locally based.  This month, we visited another local joint, Chicago Chop House.

This is a bad "artsy" shot I took of the restaurant. 

Located on Ontario, right in the heart of a VERY tourist-y part of town (Ed Debevic's, the Rock and Roll McDonald's, Hard Rock Cafe, Gino's East, Al's Beef and Excalibur can all be seen from the front door), Chicago Chop House is a one of a kind place, built into an old brownstone building.  Go do some research on Chicago architecture if you don't know what that means.  Basically what it means is that Amy and I were sitting in someone's old parlor during dinner.  The place no longer resembles a residence, obviously, but the outline of the room cannot disguise that this was once a home.  Or several homes, as the case probably was.

Getting ahead.  Click the links.  They're funny.  Mostly.  Well, they are to me.  I'm also linking to a Safe For Work picture of an adult film star to bump up the hits to this site.  Hee hee.
 

So, this past Saturday night, Amy and I went out to the Chicago Chop House.  It happened to coincide with the anniversary of our nuptials (THAT'S a wordy way to say something!).  That is actually kind of important.  Before I go to the place we choose every month, I research the restaurant online.  I have known for years that Chicago Chop House was expensive, but I had also known it to be of fine repute.  I have to tell you, and I blogged about it last month, I was strongly considering cutting Chicago Chop House from the list.  Research had led me to believe that we were going to be pressured, and that the meal was going to be PRICEY.  That's all caps.  That means PRICEY.  Most reviews from "normal" folks like me talked about how good the food was, but they talked about how much the wait staff tried to upsell them, and how much the food cost.  OK.  Let's get it out of the way.  The reviews I read were pretty accurate.  So.  I guess you're done.  Go look at Yelp and you don't need me.  Wait.  Stop.  Finish my review, because I think I've got a little more to say than those reviews.  The place is EXPENSIVE (note the all caps again), the waiters DO (all caps) upsell, and the food is...well....the food is GREAT (all caps again!). 



This is scanned from the free note pad on the table.  Most.Expensive.
Free.Note.Pad.Ever.



I should also tell you that Chicago Chop House has been on my Steakhouse Gift Registry for 15 years.  I've just never had the guts to go.  Given our anniversary, the general down-ish time I've had at work lately and the readers who trust me to write these reviews - Amy and I made the decision that, despite the fact that it was going to be expensive, we were going to go for it.  We're both glad we did.  Mostly. 

Arriving right on time for our 6:30 reservation, we walked through the entry vestibule and into a smallish hallway/stairwell.  As I stated, this place was a brownstone, so behind the host station was a sunken room, which at some time would have been the garden apartment, with a live piano player (yeah, like you want to see a DEAD piano player.  Wait.  I might like to see that.  I digress.) who, at one point, did play "Piano Man."  As I said, there was a stairway right there as well.  Decorated for Halloween, the stairs were adorned with pumpkins on the outside (left side going up - right side coming down).  That detail is important, because it's coming into play later.  We were led to the second of what I understand to be 4 floors in the building.  Coming through the door into our dining area, I was immediately struck by something.  We were not in a "central casting" steakhouse.  The walls are not cream.  The trim is not cherry.  The room is not dark.  The walls are green.  The trim is oak.  The room is well lit.  There are lots of pictures of famous Chicagoans on the walls.  People I've not heard of, people you've not heard of, but famous "fathers" of the city.  The room contained probably about 20 tables, give or take a few.  We were seated very close to the front window, in a small table for 4. 

This was the postcard on the table.  If you look in the lower
right corner you'll see "Adult portions also available."  That's pretty
funny.  I think it is anyway. 

Shortly after being seated, we met our waiter.  His name was Robert.  Robert was good at his job.  Very good at his job.  He was fun to talk to, took the time to explain things to us, tried to talk us out of items...tried to talk us into items (more to come on that later), and just generally pleasant.  Glancing around the table, I noticed a pad of paper and a postcard, both adorned with Chicago Chop House insignias.  I'm a fan of free shit, so of course, those are at home now.  Robert told me that if I filled out the postcard, he'd mail it to us.  I chose not to do that, but that's kind of fun.  Robert informed us that the bartender on this floor was especially adept at taking care of women's drink orders.  Not sure what that was about, but he said it.  Again, I don't drink.  Amy rarely does.  No point in going further on that, and fortunately, Robert didn't push it.  One thing about Chicago Chop House that you should be aware of when you go.  They will "upsell" you at every opportunity.  Every opportunity.  Robert got the message on the drinks. 

We were given our menus and explained the "deal."  So, here it is for you.  Basically, every cut of meat at Chicago Chop House is available one of three ways:  wet aged, dry aged Kobe, or just dry aged.  Wet aged is the cheapest variety.  It's still pricey though.  Amy and I did not select from the wet aged menu, so I can't comment.  All the steaks are USDA Prime, so I imagine that the wet aged steaks are fantastic (am I revealing too much already?).  We were also told about appetizers, specials, etc.  They had a Tuna Sashimi that I was tempted by, but Amy doesn't do raw fish.  Robert also started to explain how he could provide us with a meal that would be relatively affordable, and that would take us on a tour of the menu.  He asked if we wanted to hear about it, and we declined.  It actually sounds kind of cool, but I didn't come to Chicago Chop House to sample.  I came to have a MEAL. 



Amy's Mixed Greens Salad



Amy and I decided upon Crab Cakes for our appetizer, and Robert went to place the order, leaving us alone with the main course to decide.  He also said, "I'm going to bring bread.  Only eat one slice.  You are going to be eating a lot tonight, so DON'T FILL UP ON BREAD."  That Marge Simpson thing apparently never gets old.  We tried the bread.  I ate two slices.  It was a warm Italian bread.  Nothing special, but I do likes me some bread. 

My Wedge Salad.  That Thousand Island dressing is the
best I've ever eaten.

Robert returned a short while later and gave the rundown on the steaks.  He said the dry aged Tomahawk Cut was the best steak he's ever eaten.  He also advised us that if we were thinking Kobe, go for the Filet only.  The other cuts were too flavorful to benefit from the Kobe marbling anyway.  Let's talk Tomahawk.  A Tomahawk Cut is a ribeye with a long, Flintstone-esque rib bone attached to it.  The ribeye portion itself is taken right from the center of the ribs.  There are few places that offer this.  I'm not passing on it.  I also found out that it's aged....75 days.  After my experience at David Burke's....that was a tad....off-putting.  I decided to trust Robert and ordered the Tomahawk, medium rare.  Amy ignored Robert's advice and went with the Kobe....Bone In Ribeye, also medium rare.  We also ordered a baked potato, and we each ordered a salad.  I went with the Chop House Lettuce Wedge, and Amy got the Organic Mixed Greens.  At this point, Robert said, "And for a vegetable?  We have...."  Steakhouses are A la Carte.  So...asking about vegetables is....upselling.  "No thanks, salads will be good enough." was our reply. 

Among the discussions with Robert was a talk about the steak knives.  He commented that Chicago Chop House steaks were so tender that they didn't need serrated knives with their name on the side (Gibsons, Mortons, Chicago Cut, Benny's, etc.).  A simple butter knife with a sharpened edge was good enough.  OK.  I'm calling shenanigans here.  Yes, it was most assuredly a non-serrated knife.  BUT, the idea that it was a simple butter knife with a sharpened edge is short selling it.  It looked like a straight razor.  Definitely not as sharp as a razor, but it was NOT a simple butter knife with an edge.  I will also say that it did not have a great big honking handle on it.  So, while it was closer to a butter knife....it wasn't.

The Crab Cake.  A little too perfectly shaped.  The sauce was tasty.

Robert also told us that we needed to start thinking about dessert, and that he'd be around during the meal to order that.  He told us that Baked Alaska was the special of the evening, a Dulce de Leche ice cream, meringue, and chocolate cake all combined in a dish.  Amy and I had pretty much decided upon that when we heard about it.

 

Holy crap.  This is long, and I haven't even talked about the food.  I'll do this quick.  The Crab Cakes were underwhelming.  Mostly breading, there was not much "crab" in there.  They also were entirely too well formed.  They appeared to be "Crab Cakes" that you'd buy in bulk in a box.  Not good. 

The salads.  My salad was delicious.  Topped with some thick cut bacon strips, my little head of lettuce was drenched with an absolutely magnificent Thousand Island dressing.  The head of lettuce itself reminded me of "Audrey II" in the film version the first time it opened its mouth to Seymour.  You've seen that movie, right?  Amy's salad was also delicious to her.  It had a Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing, and was adorned with berries.  Good for her. 

The potato.  OK.  This potato was cooked to perfection.  Super flaky, super tender, just super. Amy's portion came with more of the bacon strips like I had on my salad.  Super duper baked potato.  And for ten bucks....it had better be.

Earlier I referred to the pumpkins on the side of the stairs.  Here's where this comes into effect.  At some point in the meal, I felt the need to use the...uh, euphemism.  What?  You haven't seen that movie either?  Man.  I'm gonna have to slow down on the cultural references.  Anyway, on my way down the stairs, I ran into a group of a thousand (actually more like 10 I think...) coming up the stairs.  So.  I got to wait.  Until every damned one of them cleared.  About 7 people in, a guy said "excuse us."  I couldn't help myself.  My natural smart-ass comes out at times.  This was one of those times.  I was good natured about saying, "Really, what choice do I have at this point?"  I don't think he was expecting a response.  Like I said, I can't help myself.  Anyway, after they cleared, I went into the bathroom.  You know all those previous reviews I've written and always glowed about the bathrooms?  Not at the Chop House.  The bathrooms are pedestrian at best, gas station-like at worst.  The men's room was adorned with pictures of Hollywood starlets from the 30's and 40's (I recognized about 6 of them....), and just generally....a bathroom.  Bad fixtures, bad yellow paint.  Let's just say this about the Chop House.  Infrastructure ain't its strong suit. 



The new champion.  The Dry-Aged Tomahawk at Chicago
Chop House.  Exquisite.



On to the steak.  OK friends, if you reread my review of Gibsons, you will find me over the top about my steak.  You have to remember that was number 3 in the countdown, and I swooned over it.  Having eaten a lot of great steak since, I can safely report that the blush is off the rose in that regard.  Gibsons was still the best, but it was not that much superior to a bunch of other places.  No more. 

The new and reigning champion is the Tomahawk Steak at Chicago Chop House.  Expertly cooked to a delicious medium rare, the steak came to the table looking every bit like a bronto-rib.  Charred lightly on the outside, there was no fat streak running through the middle of it, just a slight one around the perimeter.  Springy to the fork, it looked inviting.  Using my "sharpened butter knife," I dug into it.  Oddly, it cut easily.  How about that?  I've learned through this process that I'm definitely a wet-aged guy.  I just am.  Dry aging has a flavor that I find too gamey.  I like salt.  Wet-aged steaks seem to allow salt to flavor them, dry-aged don't seem to change with the addition of salt.  Anyway.  My steak was magnificent.  It suffered from NONE of the qualities that dry aging imbues, nor was it as off-flavored as my 75 day steak at Primehouse.  It was a perfect red hue on the inside, and required precious little salt.  That's not to say that I didn't "insult the chef" as my mother used to say, but I didn't use a lot of salt.  I, like I had previously at Gibsons, decided that the side dishes needed to be eaten all at once, because I was NOT going to interfere with the steak flavor by eating other things simultaneously.  So, after one bite, I shoved down the balance of my potato, and finished the small amount of salad I had left.  The steak was sublime.  Velvety, tender, and goddamned flavorful.  I hit a home run listening to Robert's advice. 

Amy's steak.  Very good.  Not exquisite.

Amy, however, did not.  Because....she didn't listen to Robert's advice.  Amy's steak looked magnificent as well.  I'm getting ahead of things.  Amy's steak was good.  It wasn't, however, transcendent.  At the price, it should have been.  BUT.  Amy was warned.  Amy's steak was very tender, as you'd expect with Kobe beef.  It was also gamey, as you'd expect with dry-aged beef.  In fact, her steak tasted gamier than mine.  That's not a good thing.  It was a ribeye.  It was flavorful.  It was tender.  It was juicy.  It just wasn't superior.  I think if you asked Amy she'd either go with the Tomahawk or the Kobe Bone In Filet (following Robert's advice) if we go back to the Chop House.  After we win several lotteries, that is. 

About 5 minutes into our steaks, Robert came around to talk about dessert.  Despite my two slices of bread, I was fairly certain that after our meals I'd still have room for dessert.   Like I said, we had decided upon the Baked Alaska already.  I can't resist anything "Dulce de Leche," given my past with a certain gambler named Obadiah and his date in Havana, Sister Sarah.  WHAT?  You don't know that movie either?  Shit.  I really need to educate you folks.  Oh wait.  I guess I am.  By the way.  All these movies I've referenced today are shows I've performed in at some point in my life.  So.  There. 

Baked Alaska.  Not as big as the state, but a fine dessert.

The Baked Alaska was absolutely delicious.  Light, ice cream-y, chocolate-y.  It was a nice compliment to our meal.  It should be noted that I ordered coffee with the dessert.  Robert asked, "Cappuccino instead?"  Upselling.  Right to the last minute.  I can see why it bothers people.  I was expecting it, and have encountered it elsewhere, so I was OK with it, but that one stung just a little. 

Finishing our desserts, it was time to leave.  Only thing to do was settle up the check on a very enjoyable evening at a fine restaurant with my fine wife celebrating our fine marriage.   We did.  And I never have to go back there again (see below). 

Nuts and bolts.

Price.  I have talked about how much these places cost as a service to you.  I'm not trying to say anything else with it.  This time, it's obnoxious.  Our meal was...with no alcohol....including tip....$385.  That's not a typo.  That's a car payment.  And then some.  This is where this review hits a snag.  I loved our meal.  It was not worth the money.  While I've not had a better steak, I've had better evenings, etc.  For $99 per steak...well...know what?  $99 a steak is too much.  Period. 

Bathrooms, and the overall ambiance is utilitarian.  Nice enough, but the place is about the food.   Perhaps it's too much about the food. 

I'm glad I went.  I'm glad I don't have to go again.  It's a status symbol.  I'm not that big into them.  I like quality, and I will pay for it.  But I don't need status.  Adding a dinner to things that can be "bragged about" seems silly.

That's it.  This is the first positive negative review I think I've written.  Loved the food.  Wish I could have left with my shorts.  This is also the longest I've taken to write one of these.  This one was a bitch.  Thanks for your patience. 

NEXT MONTH:  Wildfire -  with guests.   Our guests next month will be blogger Matt in the Middle and his lovely wife, Cha Cha.  I imagine we will have some hot blog on blog action.

Anniversary dinner.  Smiles all around.