Category Archives: American (Traditional)

Wildfire

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Interior

Bar

Tuna tartare

Scallop appetizer

Onion soup

House salad

Horseradish Filet

Beef Wellington

Wine flight

**** (4 stars)

This is another brilliant effort from Lettuce Entertain You. It’s much more old school than their other restaurants, and really does capture the look and feel of a 1940s steakhouse. Not only does it offer some of the best steaks in town, it also offers some of the best steakhouse prices in River North. Both the food and the wine list is priced substantially below those of other restaurants, including some of Lettuce’s other restaurants.

Highlights of our meal included the house salad (the smallest size is huge), the very traditional French Onion Soup, and the very creative tuna tartare. The bacon wrapped scallop appetizer was also quite good.

My horseradish crusted bacon-wrapped filet was just as good as it sounds. In fact, I think it was the best steak I’ve had in Chicago, and I’ve had a lot of them. Creamed spinach is a good side dish.

The wine tasting flights offer four interesting selections for $15 or less. Where else can you get that in River North?

Our server was friendly and attentive. And of course the Lettuce Entertain You Frequent Diner Club points make it an even better deal. Highly recommended.

Wildfire
159 W Erie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 787-9000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wildfire-chicago

White Sox Grill

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Bacon cheeseburger

Bahn mi

Interior

**** (4 stars)

We’ve eaten at this place dozens of times when it was Harry Caray’s and it was never better than mediocre. Our first visit to the new incarnation was much better.

In the changeover they brightened up the walls and lighting, so its not the dank hole it once was. Big improvement. The attitudes of the employees are much brighter, too.

The menu is more interesting, with items such as a banh mi sandwich. It was fairly authentic, except for the shredded pork, which is probably also used for a BBQ sandwich. But it was very good.

The bacon cheeseburger was also decent.

The kitchen is much faster than it used to be. During a busy lunch hour we were seated immediately and were in and out in under 30 minutes.

Our server, Jason, who I guess it’s normally a bartender, was fantastic.

White Sox Grill
5700 S Cicero Ave
Chicago, IL 60638
(877) 325-8777
https://www.yelp.com/biz/white-sox-grill-chicago

The Dawson

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Exterior

Entry

Interior

Outside dining

Ceviche

Bacon wrapped dates

Burrata

Fried chicken

Bacon burger

Mac and cheese

Asparagus

**** (4 stars)

The Dawson has a nice selection of shareable plates and one of the best spirits lists in town.

We started with ceviche and the bacon wrapped figs. Both were excellent. Buratta was less impressive and seemed a bit flavorless, although the grilled peaches accompanying it were good.

For mains we had the fried chicken and the bacon burger. Both of these were also excellent.

We also had mac and cheese, and grilled asparagus as sides. These were both tepid, but the manager happily replaced them and the hot versions were excellent.

The outside dining area is one of the most pleasant in town, and I can imagine it being lovely to sit by the fireplace on a cool night.

The Dawson
730 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 243-8955
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-dawson-chicago

Tavern On Rush

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Exterior

Upstairs

Upstairs

Lemon hummus

Tuna tartare

** (2 stars)

I really wanted to like this place, but there were problems on so many levels.

It’s divided into two levels that are nicely decorated, plus extensive patio seating. We sat upstairs, which is horse racing themed.

The menu is extensive, and the kitchen is fast, if not particularly talented. Lemon hummus was quite good. Tuna tartare was pedestrian and the tuna was tired.

My Bellevue Salad was described as coming with rock shrimp, but they were just small, regular, flavorless shrimp. The kitchen also forgot the balsamic vinagrette dressing.

The sliders were fine, but the kitchen forgot the cheese.

These problems could have been corrected had our server been available more often than once every fifteen minutes. But with as almost two hours invested in a forgettable lunch it didn’t seem worth the effort.

Incidentally, the wine list is nice and fairly priced.

Tavern On Rush
1031 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 664-9600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tavern-on-rush-chicago

Howells & Hood

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1/2 Bacon cheeseburger

1/2 Ahi chopped salad

Sea bass ceviche

Korean wings

Exterior

**** (4 stars)

This is a really delightful place to sit outside under the forest of umbrellas and enjoy a summer day. The inside is equally expansive, but seems a bit confined compared to the lovely outside space overlooking the plaza.

The menu is eclectic American bistro, with some sports bar touches. The beer list is very well organized and described, with many representatives of all styles, and is claimed to be Chicago’s widest selection.

We started with the Sea bass ceviche, which wasn’t really a ceviche at all, but more like a thickened lime soup with vegetables and some pieces of completely cooked sea bass added at the last minute, rather than raw fish “cooked” by the lime juice. Still, it was good.

We also tried the Korean chicken wings. These had a very crispy, almost crunchy crust, and were slathered with a spicy sweet sauce. Delicious, but thank goodness they came with two wet wipes per person, as my fingernails are still orange!

For entrees we had the kitchen split a burger and salad. The Bacon Cheeseburger was perfectly cooked, juicy, served on a bun with some substance so it didn’t disssolve, just the right accompaniments of lettuce and sliced onion, and with nice crisp bacon. Pretty much a perfect burger.

The Ahi Chopped Salad was also excellent. Despite the name, the tuna is not chopped, but rather coated with togarashi spices, seared rare, and thinly sliced. The rest of the ingredients were indeed chopped: napa cabbage, romaine, bok choy, bell peppers, daikon radish, and green onions. It was finished off with mandarin oranges and crispy wonton strips, and lightly dressed with sesame ginger vinaigrette. Delicious.

Despite the fact it was obviously our server’s first day (and we were possibly his first table) service was excellent. We liked everything we tried, and really enjoyed our entire experience. I’m glad Howells and Hood is close to us, and I wish we’d tried it sooner.

Howells & Hood
435 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 262-5310
http://www.yelp.com/biz/howells-and-hood-chicago

Jellyfish

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Interior

Tuna tartare

Spicy crab mini tacos

Banging sweet Thai chili chicken

Spicy salmon, kiss of fire, black diamond

*** (3 stars)

Jellyfish is divided into two distinct spaces. The inside is a long bar with facing booths. The bar is backlit with a spectacular wall of sliced geodes, and the blue lightning is very cool. Then there’s a sort of outside space that is like a solarium, with a glass ceiling that lets in the sun. It’s like sidewalk dining, but indoors.

The highlights here are the small plates, both cold and hot.

Our favorite was the tuna tartare, which was served on very tasty guacamole, accompanied by wonton chips.

The mini crab tacos were also very good.

We also tried the “bangin'” chicken with a sweet Thai chili sauce, which was fine but not remarkable.

Much of the menu consists of sushi, of course. Prices seem very high, with each individual piece of fish costing about $5. There was nothing we observed about the quality of the fish that seemed to justify the premium.

We opted for three rolls: spicy tuna, kiss of fire, and black diamond. All were fine, but none were that magic combination of flavors that would qualify them as “signature” rolls, as listed.

Service was good, as it should have been, since we were alone during Sunday at lunch. I suppose this is due to the second floor location, which makes it a bit non-obvious to the casual traffic on the busy street below.

Jellyfish
1009 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 660-3111
https://www.yelp.com/biz/jellyfish-chicago-2

Prime & Provisions

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Entry

Dining room

Tuna tartare

Chicken for the table

Salmon

Tomahawk lamb

Smores

**** (4 stars)

During the past two years we’ve tried nearly all the high-end steakhouses in Chicago (except for some of the chains, which I presume are more or less the same everywhere). Prime & Provisions is definitely the best we’ve encountered.

The dining room is well-appointed, with a bit of a steampunk feel to it. Lighting is well-designed.

Our server was friendly, helpful and professional, and the support staff was excellent.

The focus here is on prime meat, of course, and it didn’t disappoint, with one of the best New York steaks we’ve tasted anywhere. But there are many other highlights on the menu, as our server pointed out, and we must agree.

We started with the tuna tartare, which had a delightful mustard tang to it, and was served with fresh-made criss-cross potato chips.

We also had the fried chicken “for the table” which was the only disappointment of the meal. My chicken was quite dry (although others’ were moister) but the huge amount of very crispy crust simply overwhelmed the meager chicken within. The bourbon maple syrup was good, though.

We shared a crab Caesar salad amongst the three of us, and there was more than enough. The crab and kale added little, but the Caesar itself was very good.

In addition to the fantastic prime steak, we had the salmon, which was coated with mustard and spices and served on quinoa. It was moist and perfectly cooked, and the quinoa had a nice flavor.

But the winning entree was the tomahawk lambchops. Two large double chops were perfectly cooked, seasoned and sauced, and were frankly the best lamb I’ve had… anywhere.

But wait, there’s more. It was the smores dessert that knocked it out of the park. This is one of the greatest desserts I’ve had, ever, including in three-star Michelin restaurants. A grapefruit-sized sphere of dark chocolate is presented, and as hot chocolate sauced is poured on it, it caves in, releasing a cloud of campfire smoke. Inside is vanilla ice cream, brownie, and below are graham cracker crumbles. The flavor of the smoke, which lingers on the chocolate surfaces, was absolutely incredible. A double decaf espresso was the perfect match.

So with all this amazing food, why four stars rather than five? The noise level was absolutely deafening, rendering communication amongst the three of us nearly impossible. Admittedly we had a party of screamers nearby, who no doubt amped up the level of the whole room, but this would never be a room with reasonable noise levels when full–the curved panels that join walls and ceiling guarantee that sound is reflected right back into the room. It’s a shame, because this is a restaurant I would visit regularly if not for that critical flaw.

Prime & Provisions
222 N La Salle St
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 726-7777
http://www.yelp.com/biz/prime-and-provisions-chicago-4

Petterino’s

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Almond encrusted white fish

Grilled trout

Cannelloni

Interior

**** (4 stars)

This restaurant is connected to the Goodman Theatre and just a few steps from the Oriental, so it’s a great place for a pre-show meal.

The interior is decorated like Sardi’s in New York, with red velvet booths and walls covered with caricatures of famous personalities.

The menu offers pastas, fish and meats. The food is better than one might expect for a restaurant that is capitalizing on its location. I particularly like the Caesar salad, which is a classical style without any of the odd deconstruction that is in vogue. My grilled trout was excellent, as was my companion’s almond-crusted whitefish.

Service is friendly and extremely efficient, because the place is geared to filling up and getting patrons out in time for their show.

This is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, and participates in their rewards program, which is a nice perk.

Petterino’s
150 N Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 422-0150
https://www.yelp.com/biz/petterinos-chicago

Moe’s Cantina- River North

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Ceviche

Chicken Mole tacos

Interior

Nachos

**** (4 stars)

I went a long time without trying this place because the name is similar to a chain I despise, but there’s no relationship.

The cavernous space is neat looking, and has pretty good acoustics from what I could tell, although I was there during a fairly quiet lunch hour. The are several long bars and some tables big enough for large groups.

We really enjoyed the nachos we started with. They are definitely non-standard, almost more like a salad in some ways, with lots of pickled onions, lettuce and jalapeno. We got them without the beans, which I think would have just made them messy.

The menu is mostly tacos, and I enjoyed the chicken mole variety I tried, although I would have liked a variety rather than four all the same. My companion liked her ceviche.

Service was friendly and attentive.

Moe’s Cantina- River North
155 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 245-2000
https://www.yelp.com/biz/moes-cantina-river-north-chicago

Remington’s

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Hamburger

Kale salad

Ceviche

Interior

Bar

***** (5 stars)

I really liked the ambiance and food at Remington’s. It seems too narrow to classify it as a steakhouse, and particularly at lunchtime that’s really not what it’s all about. There are a nice assortment of appetizers, sandwiches and salads.

I particularly like the way the place is divided into a number of spaces, with high dividers between central booths. This keeps the noise level down. And the individual table lights create an intimate atmosphere. The front bar space is also nice, and there is a room formed by the wine cellar racking that would be great for groups.

We went for lunch and started with the ceviche, which had a nice assortment of seafood drenched in crisp lime.

The hamburger was large, perfectly cooked, and served with all the appropriate toppings and accompaniments. The skinny fries that came with it were okay, but could have been crisper.

My favorite was the kale salad, an interesting mix of kale, grapes, peanuts and other ingredients in a nice dressing.

Service was fast, friendly and helpful.

Remington’s
20 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 782-6000
https://www.yelp.com/biz/remingtons-chicago