Well, add me to the list of those who were underwhelmed by David Burke's. My husband and I dined there last night with another couple and while we had a nice evening, no one thought the beef was particularly special. My husband claims to have had better steak at Tavern on Rush and Ditka's to name two.

We did enjoy several things. First, I owe a debt to whoever steered me towards the mojitos. Truly, the best one I have ever had with just the right amount of sweetness and tons of fresh mint. We also enjoyed the Caesar salad very much. And the cheesecake lollipops were also a hit. And we certainly did not have problems with the service. Our waiter was friendly and enthusiastic -- clearly, he had drunk whatever Kool-Aid David Burke is serving up. But that was part of the problem. Our waiter basically promised us that the "porterhouse for one" would change our steak-eating lives, and three of us ordered it based on his recommendation, but none of the three felt the thunderbolt. Indeed, everyone felt the steak was overly marbled and that the seared crust was tasty, but the flavor did not permeate the meat. I had the pork shank and while I liked the crispy skin and the accompanying sauerkraut was great, I was put off by the layer of fat between the skin and the meat. I felt kind of disgusting after only a few bites. We tried the onion rings and the asparagus for sides and they were both fine. The onion rings need to be eaten while still hot, so take note. So, in sum, the food was good but nothing miraculous.

The worst part of the evening, however, was dealing with the valet. It was a rainy night and the two attendants at the valet station were overwhelmed. People waited over 20 minutes to retrieve their cars, which is just not how you want to end a night of expensive dining. I would urge the management to address this problem right away.

BR wrote:Jury's is the most interesting of those mentioned -- I'm just surprised that they'd bother. But that might give me a reason to try something other than their burgers.

I understand from the article in the Tribune Wednesday that Harry Caray's is now serving Tallgrass beef, but I don't know that they're still dry aging beef. In any event, I'm eager to try the Tallgrass beef (I tried a sample of the burger at Fox & Obel and thought it was excellent).

Jury's is interesting because they're using dry-aged choice rather than prime, too.

Harry Caray's isn't serving all Tallgrass beef, just a few choices; I haven't checked too recently on the status of dry-aged beef there. I note the menu online doesn't specify.

Prairie Grass Cafe also serves Tallgrass, but not dry-aged; some of it goes into a "shepherd's" pie.

Had lunch there today. It was good--but like ekpaster, I wouldn't say "Yowza."

The much-vaunted (see " 'Scientific' cocktails" thread) lollipop martini was a cute gimmick. But in practice, not that great. The olive-blue cheese lollipop tends to stick to the inside of the martini glass, and if you're not prepared for that, then when you pick up the unexpectedly adhering lollipop to lick it you end up jostling your glass and spilling valuable martini. The solution is to hold the base of the martini glass to the table with one hand while you carefully pick up the lollipop stick with the other, essentially prying it from the glass delicately each time you do it--but there's no reason you'd be expecting that degree of planning to be necessary, and the result can be an unfortunate learning experience.

Plus, the lollipop doesn't taste that good. Too concentratedly salty, even for an olive lover. The simpler solution of a martini with blue cheese olives in it turns out to be a better one.

The Caesar salad, made tableside? Another amusing gimmick, but it doesn't result in a salad noticeably better than the sort that comes out of a good kitchen. And, among the ingredients that go into it as it's tossed at your table, conspicuous by their absence are real, whole anchovies. (They use anchovy paste. Not the same.)

Now, to the whole wet-aged, dry-aged thing: I split the dry-aged NY sirloin with one of my friends, and found it to be very good--but in some other category altogether from the good steaks I've had at other Chicago places? Nuh uh. I may not have had better at very many places, but I've had as good at more than a few. So, as a result of today's experience, I'm not of the opinion that dry-aging, in and of itself, results in some sort of steak nirvana. The one steak that stands out for me as a world apart was a ribeye I had not in Chicago, but at Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico in Las Vegas. Don't know whether that was a wet one or a dry one, but it was amazing.

So, net: If somebody else suggested going to Primehouse again, I'd go, and I might even suggest it myself sometime, but at best it'll be a part of my rotation, not necessarily at the top of the list. It's good. But I expected extraordinary. It talks the extraordiinary talk, but it doesn't walk the walk.

Enjoyed my second visit to DB's Primehouse tonight and again came away impressed. Things started off well with a great waitress. She was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the menu and the cuts of beef.

Popovers - first one came out cold. I had a couple of bites, put it aside, and then asked for a fresh one, which I'm happy to say came out warm.

Appetizers - a special of lobster risotto had very nice flavor and cooked perfectly -- creamy, slightly al dente . . . not the mushy mess I too often encounter. Tried the pretzel-crusted crab cake also and was very impressed with the flavor. Also worth noting is the complete lack of filler -- below the crust is simply crab and diced vegetables.

Tasted my dad's southside fillet and it really was very good. I wanted to try something different than I had the first time, but I had the KC (bone-in New York) and I now realize that's exactly what I had the first time -- oh well. In any event, the steak was excellent, although it was cooked a little beyond the medium-rare that I ordered . . . almost halfway between med. rare and medium.

Sides - hash browns came out crisp, salted just right and not oily, which hopefully is now the norm, thus correcting an earlier complaint. Creamed spinach was also very good. It was slightly thin for my liking, but the fresh nutmeg flavor reminded me of the creamed spinach that I loved for years at Berghoff.

All in all, another very good meal.

Just wanted to thank the posters of this thread for providing an excellent guidebook through a meal at Primehouse last night. I was not disappointed.

I've got to say that the Manhattans are beyond reproach, in no small part to the use of Cinzano vermouth; they're worth the $10. The "Shellfish Maison," a two-tiered, $48 buffet of seafood was not disappointing...especially the oysters. A bowl of gazpacho with crabmeat was accidentally plated in front of us before we knew what was going on...when we alerted the waiter, he apologized profusely and swept it away, but later brought another complementary bowl as an apology for "tempting us." A class move. I had the Kansas City strip, and both friends had the South Side Filet. All beautiful; I will be back.

The positive reviews here piqued my interest, but the complaints of over-marbling really got me excited about Primehouse. Is there such a thing as over-marbled beef? I couldn't wait to find out.

The bone-in ribeye and porterhouse were perfect: cooked medium rare with a light char, well-marbled, definitely dry-aged, and not soaking in a pond of butter and juices. With steaks, I don't want anything except a sprinkle of salt and pepper coming between me and the taste of cow (although I happily make the exception for Peter Luger), so I appreciated the simplicity of Primehouse's execution. Fat was present, but it was the smooth, buttery kind of fat that enhances the flavor and texture of the meat.

The pork shank was also excellent. The crispy skin paired well with the succulent hunks of pork within. The shank exuded an aggressive pork flavor--this pork was not the other white meat--that had the pork purists in our group squealing with delight.

The oxtail pot roast did not go over as well. For me, the glaze hit a bit too heavy and sweet. But I also generally prefer oxtail braised, so others might enjoy this dish more than I did.

And to add to LAZ's list of dry-aged beef purveyors, Bob Chinn's in Wheeling serves a pretty good dry-aged porterhouse.

DY wrote:With steaks, I don't want anything except a sprinkle of salt and pepper coming between me and the taste of cow

Amen!!! -- although I must admit that I am a sucker for garlic (yes, even in ice cream), so on rare occasions, I will dabble in a little Ruth's Chris, which finishes the steaks in garlic butter.

Yea, I know, I give David Burke any more love I'm a gonna have to marry it. But, damn, if they don't know how to cook a steak.

South Side (bone-in filet)



When I mentioned to Trixie Pea we were going to David Burke's she said her must-have side was twice baked potato w/corn. Truly delightful, thanks Trixie Pea.

Twice Baked Potato


A niece, who joined us for dinner, is newly pregnant and was not in the mood for steak. Her halibut was perfectly prepared and I very much enjoyed my taste.

Halibut


It was my B-Day, my parents were in town, and they have a sharp eye for steak houses, David Burke exceeded even my somewhat enthusiastic build-up.



Enjoy,
Gary

Based on those pictures, I think I need to go there for dinner, not lunch. Lunch was underwhelming. It could be that no one ordered the right things, but I'll be darned if I recognize from those pictures anything that was available on the menu.

(P.S. G Wiv, were those pictures taken with flash or ambient light? They seem too well lit for the latter, but too evenly lit for the former. Just curious. In the next few days I'll be posting my own food pictures for the very first time, from our recent trip to Door County.)

Gary--

Your pictures look great...but that potato, doesn't look quite like the potato I had. Was there a souffle lurking under that blanket of corn?

riddlemay wrote:(P.S. G Wiv, were those pictures taken with flash or ambient light? They seem too well lit for the latter, but too evenly lit for the former. Just curious. In the next few days I'll be posting my own food pictures for the very first time, from our recent trip to Door County.)

Riddlemay,

Flash. We were in a corner half booth where my flash would not bother other patrons.

Looking forward to your Door County pictures.

Enjoy,
Gary

trixie-pea wrote:Your pictures look great...but that potato, doesn't look quite like the potato I had. Was there a souffle lurking under that blanket of corn?

Trixie-Pea,

No souffle, I think it was a slightly different, though quite tasty, preparation.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:No souffle, I think it was a slightly different, though quite tasty, preparation.

Enjoy,
Gary

That's good to hear, because I thought that the corn custard was the one thing standing in the way of that being an excellent twice baked potato.

Visiting west coast friends were interested in Primehouse and I tagged along last Wednesday. Figuring we were bound to stuff ourselves we passed on apps, but enjoyed the complimentary cheesepuff(wonderful presentation...flavorwise nothing revelatory...try the Drake Hotel cheese bread for a similar profile). Excellent, friendly waitstaff; I asked after the pretzel rods mit curry oil and tho' they's barfood, we were promptly offered a nibble...alas no heat(as mentioned in earlier posts), but the unusual(for pretzels) spice complexity was a hit. Superb cocktails(I was hoping for the gelid cherry splooge in my Manhattan..but no go...and I didn't care to pester our server). Sigh...cocktail glasses and I; we just don't get along...I spilled a li'l and the server was...bang!...right there with an offer of club soda...which I declined...no harm no foul. Friends were after a specific vintage of I forget-which Primehouse doesn't carry and the efficient, congenial sommelier was quick to offer several suggestions.

I ordered the classic filet(afraid I wasn't up to any "real" steak), friends ordered the same and a bone-in something or other. They're amusing in their doneness preferences, my friend with his filet is, accordingly, attempting to order meat that isn't, in his words, "spoiled"...i.e. sawdust. He went with medium-well. Consulting with the waiter over what qualifies a rarer medium-rare he suggested I order "rare-+"...which turned out...well...medium-rare. Still, an excellent steak, again, not mindblowing, but very, very good...workmanlike. Friend's medium-well arrived a bit pink and I asked whether he could eat it(which he did, admirably)...but there were a few "reddish" chunks discreetly swept by the wayside.

sides: hmm-hmm oily, gloopy chorizo mashed potatoes, kinda whatever tempura green beans, and superbly-sauteed asparagus slivers

unguents: I insisted we add the truffle mousse which was the highlight...you know truffles...they rock. Also, wasabi butter...kinda yawn...no heat...just eau de wasabi, and bearnaise, I'm no fan of steaks and bearnaise so really can't comment. The truffle mousse, tho'...drool...

desserts: we had difficulty deciding so, as we ordered the cheesecake lollipop tree, our awesome waiter offered us a smaller portion of the multi-layer chocolate cake(which was actually quite hefty). Both were tremendous...funny that my friends continue to remark over the "sample" of cake.

packed house, friendly down-to-earth waitstaff, top-knotch vittles, nary a misstep(unless my unwieldy cocktail sipping counts)...the best all around upscale resto experience I've had in a long, long while

---

well, I lost the Lovecraft referencing button my friend gifted me earlier that night...it musta popped off my coat...

...we figure some Oaxacan busboy is still trying to figure the meaning of
IA!IA! R'Yleh!

I was fortunate enough to dine here with G Wiv, Pigmon, and trixie-pea a couple of weeks back, and am just now getting around to posting on it, while killing some time before my lunch reservation at Bayona in New Orleans, and after determining that the pics & video taken on my phone are too substandard to share (Gary forgot his camera that night, or I am certain there would be a plethora of photos from him of the dry aging room, or "Salt Cave" which we were allowed to tour after the meal - more on that later...).

Overall, I was very impressed with the things that matter, less so with the things that don't. For starters, the meat. Incredible. I split a Porterhouse for two with Pigmon, and I believe trixie-pea had the bone in Ribeye. Wiv was the clear winner when he chose to pay the upcharge on one of the few remaining 40-day aged bone-in ribeyes (they usually age them 28 days). I tried a bit of his steak and as rich and buttery as the 28 day aged steaks were, the 40-day was even better - quite a bit richer & even more tender. Definitely worth the upcharge.

We started with the tableside caesar, and , as stevez noted, this should be mandatory. Old school, done the right way, excellent starter. Can't remember what any of the sides were a couple of weeks later, which tells me that they weren't that great (I can eat a thousand good dishes, and remember a single outstanding one, in detail, for ten years easily).

Atmosphere overall was a bit too "see and be seen" for me, which is probably due in large part to the hotel with which this establishment shares premises. It almost seemed like they were needlessly trying too hard to be hip, when they already got the most important part - the steaks - right. Everything else should follow from that.

Finally, we were shown the Dry Aging room, or "Salt Cave", after our meal. I have been listing "Salt Cave" in quotes because it really isn't a "Cave" at all, just a standard professional dry-aging room (temperature & humidity controlled, with a lot of air circulation) with a section of one wall covered with blocks of salt (not coincidentally, I think, there are just enough salt blocks for someone to stand in front of & have their photo taken so that it looks like they could be standing in front of an immense expanse of salt blocks). In other words, the "Salt Cave" thing is a total gimmick.

I really liked this place overall, mainly due to their obsessiveness in dealing with the meat, not so much for the showy, BS stuff, but I will be back for sure.

ChiNOLA wrote:Overall, I was very impressed with the things that matter, less so with the things that don't.

ChiNOLA,

I couldn't have said it better. Fantastic steaks, but everything else just kinda fell flat for me there (including the service and atmosphere). If all I wanted was a delicious steak, I'd be back in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I usually want more out of my steakhouse meal than just the steak. I'm unlikely to return if I'm paying the tab.

Best,
Michael

Last night, several friends of mine treated me to David Burke's for my birthday and this place just can't disappoint me. Service was phenomenal as always. My 40-day dry aged bone-in ribeye was without question the tastiest cut of beef I can recall eating. It was a group of 8 of us and every one loved the steak. Appetizers, especially the lobster bisque and Caesar salad, were excellent. I still think their sides do not quite measure up to Keefer's (although I quite like the hash browns and the creamed spinach), but I'm really going to DB's for the steak and they serve outstanding cuts and they cook them perfectly. In my opinion, by far the best steakhouse in Chicago.

was there fri pm. surprised my atkins challanged girlfriend for what i hoped would be a great meal, and it was to a ceretain degree. in truth, the obvious quality of the meat was apparent from the first bite and we enjoyed, but had a few issues w/the kitchen. like how to cook a $45. bone in filet as ordered which was med. i ordered the bone in ribeye rare, but they both came out that way. it took three tries to get even close, and by that time, i'd shared and finished my meal with my girlfriend.

to their credit, they handled it well, took the steak off the bill and comped desserts, but i had to wonder what was going on. purple/red cold for med? sent back and replated @ red cold. sent back again for what i'd consider mid rare @ best, red/pink warm, but by this time, i was through and the sides were cold.

they were suitibly mortified, as well they should have been but i'm reminded that most people will accept mistakes if graciously handled. asked for and got a tour of the salt cave as well, which @ this point is a single wall in a walk in w/extra air circulation, metro shelves and date and weight tagged drying meat.

that said, i'd go back again.

The fiance took my to Primehouse last night and all I can say is that if the 40 day aged bone-in ribeye isn't the best steak in Chicago, I'd like someone to tell me what is. Holy smokes, this was a brilliant piece of meat. I've only been once, but I think this place pretty much blows the other steakhouses in town out of the water.

jesteinf wrote:The fiance took my to Primehouse last night and all I can say is that if the 40 day aged bone-in ribeye isn't the best steak in Chicago, I'd like someone to tell me what is.

Josh,

Nice fiance!

Believe it or not, as incredible as the 40-day dry-age bone-in ribeye is, and I agree it's one hell of a steak, the dry-age porterhouse for two at Primehouse is even better*. I was absolutely blown away by the depth of flavor, rich, beefy, lightly mineral with a subtle dry-age tang. The fact that the steak for two is thicker lends itself to a more juicy, succulent cut, even with a nice bit of outside char.

Damn, now I have Primehouse on the brain, though as it's midnight they are closed. Hummmm, Smith and Wollensky is still serving in the grill room for another hour or so..........Nah, best just have a cup of tea.

Enjoy,
Gary

*The porterhouse for two is what I've had last at Primehouse, if it was the 40-day bone-in ribe-eye I very well might be saying that was better. Either way, both are terrific steaks.

Yeah, she's a keeper. Luckily she's recently discovered her inner carnivore and is more willing to go to steakhouses. She's a tiny tiny girl, but she's been able to polish off bone-in ribeyes at Primehouse and Morton's like a champ.

Very full.
Must. Keep to. Short. Sentences.


Crabcake.
Caesar. Tableside.
perfect dirty martini.
south side bone in filet for me.
FIFTY FIVE day aged ribeye for husband.

Yup. 55 Days.

broccoli rabe.
bearnaise sauce.

Wowee wow wow.

bananasandwiches wrote:Very full.
FIFTY FIVE day aged ribeye for husband.

Yup. 55 Days.

Banana,

Sounds terrific, but I'm wondering where the point of diminishing return might lie.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

bananasandwiches wrote:Very full.
FIFTY FIVE day aged ribeye for husband.

Yup. 55 Days.

Banana,

Sounds terrific, but I'm wondering where the point of diminishing return might lie.

Enjoy,
Gary

Well, I'd be interested to do a side-by-side with the 40 day and the 55 day ribeye, but my husband said it was the best steak he'd ever, ever had. He had the "regular" ribeye last time we were there and felt the 55 day ribeye blew it out of the water.

Had a lovely dinner at Primehouse last night. The last time I went to Primehouse, the James hotel was not open. This time, I enjoyed cocktails at the bar with my dining companion. We were sat in a somewhat small table in the dining room. I was impressed at the decor. The first time I was at this restaurant, the room seemed to sparse and too bright. They have since adjusted the lighting and added new artwork. It works.

Now to the food. To start, we split the Rueben dumplings. The dumplings were stuffed with cornbeef, came with a smear of Russian dressing on the side and a shot of hot cabbage soup. I didn' t get this dish at first. Then I doused my dumpling with hot cabbage soup and it made sense. The dish needed a bit more of the Russian dressing though.

I was sorely tempted to try the 55-day aged ribeye. However, I opted to splurge on a nice bottle of Zinfindel and stick with the NY Strip on the menu. My friend had the Kentucky ribeye. We both loved our steaks just as much as we had the first time here. Mine was perfectly cooked and tasted incredible. For sides, we had a twice baked potato with chili, cheese and chive sour cream. It was okay, nothing special.

For my money, the steaks at this place are the best in Chicago,even if you have to suffer through the mediocre sides.

Those dumplings were a special when we were there. At the time, I thought that it sounded like someone in the kitchen was high when they came up with them. I asked our waiter if anyone had ordered them that night, to which he responded, "Not from me!". Next time go with the Kobe beef carpaccio. Just an unbelievable version of a pretty ubiquitous dish.

ETA - I don't want this to sound like a value judgement on you because you ordered the dumplings. I just thought they sounded really bizarre when our waiter described them.

Cinny's Mom wrote:Now to the food. To start, we split the Rueben dumplings. The dumplings were stuffed with cornbeef, came with a smear of Russian dressing on the side and a shot of hot cabbage soup. I didn' t get this dish at first. Then I doused my dumpling with hot cabbage soup and it made sense. The dish needed a bit more of the Russian dressing though.

I had the same dumplings and I thought they were very good. What made the whole flavor combination work for me was the hearty rye croutons.

Best,
Michael

although i've only been to the prime house for breakfast, i would wholeheartedly recommend dining there just for that.

i had the banana walnut pancakes - twice - and they were amazing!

Made my first visit to the prime house with my girlfriend last week. Overall, very good experience. We arrived without reservations, they told us they could set us up with a table, but asked us if we thought an hour and fifteen would be long enough for our meal. We said sure, and they promptly had us seated.

-Popovers came out right after cocktails were served. Warm but not just out of the oven, decent.

-Started with the caesar for two (supposedly prepared tableside, but in our case they must have prepared it by another table and walked it over) with the crab cake croutons. The croutons were warm and very tasty, salad was good, not great, and I was actually relieved that they didn't end up preparing it right by our table (I get a little uncomfortable with tableside theatrics), but my gf was bummed. I would say if you get it, definitely go for the crab cakes. They made it for me.

-Shrimp and lobster cocktail was tasty, giant shrimp, tiny lobster. About as expected.

-We shared the porterhouse for two, I was disappointed that it was already sliced up into chunks, my girlfriend was happy. The crusting on the steak really worked for both of us, and I don't know if it was the dry aging doing it's thing, but meat seemed a little denser, a little beefier, without sacrificing much in the way of tenderness. I'm looking forward to going back and trying the south side filet.

-Sides of old school hash browns and creamed spinach were tasty. Not really remarkable.

-After the plates had been cleared from the steak, the manager came to our table and very politely asked us if we would like to enjoy dessert and drinks in their lounge at their expense. Apparently an hour and fifteen flew by quicker than we had noticed and the party that had actually though to make a reservation had arrived. This situation was handled in such a considerate and classy manner I was really impressed.

-We liked the tasty (and free!) fill-your-own-donuts well enough, although the little squeeze bottles of chocolate, vanilla, and apple sauces provided more gimmick value than flavor. Very cute, very gimmicky, not really for me.


We left very full and very pleased with the experience, I am looking forward to returning (I may even make a reservation) and trying out the other offerings.

I tried Primehouse for a business lunch for the first time last week. It was the PERFECT setting for an "impress-but-not-obnoxious" business meeting. Not overly crowded or loud, better food than a typical business lunch. At least better than the lunches I've been going to recently.

They have a 3-course pre-fixe $20 lunch menu that exceeded my expectations. And the price point is acceptable to my company's expense policy.