Chicago Cut Steakhouse

Perhaps I have an obsession with steak, or the appeal of the Windy City steakhouses are just too much to resist. Coming back for more it seems as I made my way down on a surprisingly warm January evening to one of the new kids on the block, the Chicago Cut Steakhouse. Located along the banks of the Chicago river nestled within 300 North Lasalle which is a large office block.

Entering in jeans and a casual jacket, I was initially intimidated by the suited crowd at 8:30 in the evening. However, the host was extremely accommodating and they ensured that I would have an enjoyable evening. My server for the evening was Dave, and he really took the time to ensure I wasn't too lonely on my 2 and a half hour long solitary gastronomic journey.

One thing that immediately struck me was their iPad wine list. You could view the wine, the description, the reviews and even the location of the vineyard came up on Google maps. An ultra-modern twist to their extensive and expensive wine list. Very impressive. I opted for a glass of an absolute winner, the Orin Swift "The Prisioner", the red wine that won my heart at David Burke's Primehouse.


The first course was unorthodox, and I had it at Dave's recommendation. It's not actually on the appetizer menu and more commonly served as a seafood main. It was what was called a "Tristan" Tail. A Tristan is a smaller species of lobster found off the coast of South Africa, and air flown daily to the restaurant. It was unlike any other lobster I had tasted. Simple enough, served with liquid butter and lemon, it has a sweetness as well as a beautiful rounded taste that cannot adequately be put into words, but rather experienced. That was a fine start.


For the main event, the first time round was a non-starter. Despite it's young age, this restaurant is already famous for their USDA Prime Aged-On-Site steaks. Unfortunately the first of my Bone-in Filet Mignon was overcooked, coming out a good medium, rather than medium rare. That was swiftly replaced with my new steak coming out piping hot and perfectly done. The favour was unbelievable, and certainly one of the top two steaks I had in Chicago, the best probably being Gibson's. The mushrooms were equally wonderful.

The downpoint unfortunately was the dessert. The Apple Cobbler came out piping hot, but had way too much flour for my liking. Though it wasn't overly sweet, it was a large portion and possibly not up to the standard of the other two courses I had.



After dinner, Dave gave me a personal tour of the kitchen and the ageing room, which was a great little touch to end a very unique dining experience. This is a special little steakhouse, and if they could just work a little more on their pastry menu, then I believe that it would have a great and rosy future on the Chicago dining scene.

Chicago Cut Steakhouse
300 North Lasalle
Chicago, IL 60654, United States
(312) 329-1800