Long-time lurker, first post on LTH, and I don’t like that it’s a negative review, but I'm in complete dismay...
We ate at the Chicago Chop House on Ontario last night. This is supposed to be the real-deal... right? I had a business lunch there about 7-8 years ago and it was lovely. Last night’s dinner...not so much. I've recommended this place so many times, I’m ashamed now. (Worse yet, the dining companions were pushing for Ruth’s Chris, but I insisted on Chop House. R.C. may have been the better choice.)
Every dish suffered from fatal under-seasoning, but the real flaws begin and end with poor ingredients.
Last night’s dinner was $250+ for 2 people and the only thing that didn't disappoint was the wine. It was my mistake ordering a whiskey sour, but I was in the mood. Got a glass full of chemical-y sour mix with a splash of Maker’s floating on top.
Oyster's Rockefeller—chewy, flavorless bacon, limp, disintegrating spinach, weak cream/butter sauce, and a rubbery, foul oyster. Completely under-seasoned and texturally funky.
The meat, 64oz. Porterhouse for 2, had very little marbling and was flavorless—nary a bit of char, nor hint of salt or pepper. It looked and tasted like it had been "holding" for hours and reheated—which is not unheard of or a crime if the meat is seasoned and seared right to begin with.
A side of mushrooms—watery and, again, flavorless.
The, "oh you have to get...", 4 Cheese Truffle Macaroni—dry and bland.
There are a bunch of steak houses in Chicago doing things oh so much better. A T-bone at Gene and Georgetti's last week was as close to orgasmic as a steak gets. Please tell me there are more of these old school steak houses that are doing things right.