The Chicago FirehouseWrapping Up Restaurant Week

The Chicago Firehouse
Wrapping Up Restaurant Week

Posted by Bridget at 9:16 pm

Feb 272010

The Chicago Firehouse was built in 1905, and there's still fire polls in the bar.

The last stop on Chicago Bites’ 2010 Restaurant Week tasting tour was The Chicago Firehouse, a steakhouse located in a charming building that used to be a real Firehouse. It was built in 1905, and much of the original structure has been preserved both inside and out, including the intricate tin ceiling, the tile walls, and two fire polls in the bar.

Steakhouses are too often cut from the same cloth, from their dark wood-paneled interiors to their uninspired side dishes. But the traditional fare at Firehouse, like the building itself, has a bit more character, and its Restaurant Week offerings reflected that. For example, the Cesar salad starter was light and fresh, and the eight ounce CFH prime steak main dish was topped with a blue cheese crust and red wine sauce that was a wonderful complement — not at all overpowering.

We wandered off the set menu to order sides — maple whipped sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus. Both were excellent choices!

Of the two desserts on the Restaurant Week menu — key lime pie and three-layer chocolate cake — the pie is the standout.

There’s still one more day before this week’s dining deals are done, and Firehouse is worth a visit if steak is what you crave.

The Chicago Firehouse
1401 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 786-1401 | Make Reservations
Get directions
Firehouse’s full Restaurant Week menu

David Burke Restores My Faith in Red Meat

Posted by chicagobites at 11:00 am

Feb 022010

The "Burker" at Primehouse, named after the chef, gives Kuma's a run for its money.

David Burke has restored my faith in red meat. His menu at Primehouse, a restaurant located in the James Hotel, is simple but inventive, featuring steak that is quite literally a cut above the rest. You can taste it in each and every succulent bite.

In recent years, I’ve leaned toward the seafood side of the menu with a few key exceptions, like lamb or unusual game specialties, because somewhere along the line red meat stopped tasting good to me. More times than I care to admit, I’ve worked my way through a plate of gristle or fat only to be rewarded with disappointment and an outrageous bill.

But Primehouse is different. All of the meat served there comes from cattle that is grass fed, and there’s a huge difference in the taste of the meat. Tammy always told me that was true, but I’d never tasted it for myself. The prices are in line with other Chicago steakhouses, but in this case, I have no problem opening my wallet to pay for a simply excellent main course.

In fact, I was so impressed with the 55-day aged ribeye that I had during my first visit, (it literally made my eyes roll back into my head) that I went back for lunch a few days later to try the burger. One of our Twitter followers promised that it would “change my life,” so I couldn’t resist.

I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I will say that it was certainly one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Where Kuma’s is all about tantalizing topping combos, Primehouse focuses on what it does best and makes the meat itself the centerpiece. Its 40-day aged “Burker” is topped with garlic spinach, crispy shallots, and bacon mayo on a potato bun. You can add cheese if you want to, but it’s not needed — messing with the formula is an insult.

Also worthy of a shout-out is the Caesar salad. Prepared table-side, it’s fresh, light, made-to-order, and there isn’t a bit of cream dressing in sight.

The sides I’ve had at Primehouse are hit and miss. Sometimes the cheese on the truffle fries is melted to perfection, and sometimes it isn’t. Still, the fries are tasty and the side dishes pale in comparison to the meat regardless.

Primehouse is worth a stop for sure. Who knows? Maybe I’ll see you there. Writing this is making me hungry!

David Burke’s Primehouse
616 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611-2712
(312) 660-6000
Get directions

Ceasar Salads are made table-side and hit the spot.

Caesar salads are made table-side and hit the spot.

Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar

Posted by Bridget at 7:00 am

Aug 182009

The pre fixe theater menu includes a decent cut of meat for a reasonable price.

Located right across the street from the LaSalle Bank Theater (always the Schubert to me), the Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar gets a good share of its traffic from happy hour revelers and pre-theater diners.

I’ve always thought the food there over-priced. The steak and fish dishes I’ve tried over the years have been good but not spectacular, and I usually find myself gawking at the bill at the end of the evening, regretting my decision to eat there.

But recently I discovered a pre fixe theater menu option that satisfies my carnivore cravings and doesn’t leave a massive hole in my pocketbook.
For $30 you get a salad, a steak entrée with two sides, and a giant piece of chocolate cake! It’s a steal — especially when the steaks on the main menu start at $32.

If you’re hungry for a solid meal, but nothing fancy, it’s a good way to go. On Tuesday nights you can also expect a free drink tasting and appetizer during happy hour.

Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar
33 W Monroe St # 3
Chicago, IL 60603-5300
(312) 960-0000
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