Smith and Wollensky

Our second stop on our grand tour of Chicago’s finest steakhouses was the famous green and white façade of Smith and Wollensky Steakhouse. This is a New York steakhouse, made famous for its appearance in the hit Hollywood movie “The Devil Wears Prada” where Andie runs into the restaurant to grab a steak for Miranda Priestly while trying to obtain a copy of the unpublished Harry Potter book. Located at an extremely scenic spot along the Hudson River, it gave off the finesse of a traditional, rustic steakhouse.

We walked in early at 6:00pm without a reservation, and we were greeted by a smiling hostess who immediately took our coats. We were shown to our table, and then no sooner had our bums hit our seats we were joined by our server. Although very friendly, he did not exude the same confidence and knowledge as our Gibson’s server did. However, we cannot be too harsh as Gibson’s did set the bar pretty high. Having said that, there was a pretty memorable conversation between myself and him, which went something like this:

Me: I’ll have the bone-in Rib Eye please. How many ounces is it?

Server: 26 ounces sir.

Me: 26 ounces!!!! How much does the bone count for?

Server: About 5 ounces. So that would be 21 ounces of meat. So that’ll be two bone-in steaks then?

Me: (flabbergasted) No, no, one would be fine! We’ll split it.

Server: Very good sir.

Maybe our server’s lack of empathy did indeed create a more memorable dining experience that it otherwise would. Skipping the starters, we went straight to the main event. The steak that emerged was truly gigantic. Carved at our table side, the meat seemed to be a perfect medium rare. However, the steak itself lacked a certain quality. Sure it was a good steak, but there was a touch of dryness that I just couldn’t get over. Fortunately, with a good glass of wine, the beef did not disappoint. However, great steaks should really be able to sing by itself.

For dessert, we decided to be a little adventurous and opt for the three varieties Crème Brule. It was certainly a dessert that was very well done, with the right amount of creaminess and sweetness in each one. It was a great dessert to share between two or more people and it certainly rounds off a meal quite well. However, despite the dessert, the overall meal had failed to impress and live up to the lofty standards expected of it. It is a steakhouse which has stood the test of many years, but with far more steakhouses continually popping up and innovating, its longevity may be called into question.

Overall Rating: 3 stars

Gibson’s Bar and Steakhouse

In all fairness, we were not in the actual restaurant, but rather Hugo’s Frog Bar which was adjacent to Gibson’s. Although we walked in at 6pm on a Monday, the restaurant was completely full, with well dressed patrons hanging about the bar while waiting for their table. We were obviously exhausted from the trip but the extremely courteous staff suggested that we eat next door as the steaks served were indeed from Gibson’s themselves. Feeling reassured, we took our seats in our first Chicago dining experience.

There are instances whether service is simply abysmal, passable or outstanding. For a traveller who is tired and hungry, the level of service is extremely important to the extent that it could make or break a meal. That night, the service was simply outstanding. Our server was flamboyant, affable and a brilliant salesman. Our plan for a simple dinner went straight out of the window as he made all the dishes on offer as well as the specials.

With our travel sickness and nausea disappearing, we tucked into our first course which was the New England clam chowder. Our server mentioned to us that that all their seafood was air-flown straight into Chicago to ensure the best and freshest produce are used in their cooking. There was no doubt that the clam chowder certainly lived up to the billing. The soup was nice and creamy, but not to the extent of cloying. The clams themselves were amazingly fresh and the dish was extremely well seasoned. Needless to say the soup disappeared quickly down our throats. Our other appetizer was the grilled shrimp which was tasty but not of great note.

Then it was time for the main event. We had the bone-in Filet Mignon, from the top 2% of USDA Prime Grade of beef, in short, the best of the best, coming in at 24oz with the bone in. Thankfully we did split the steak as it was way too much meat for one guy to handle. Done to a perfect medium-rare, the steak was extremely juicy and bursting full of flavour. The meat was easy to cut into and the flavour was incredible, especially when paired up with a glass of their house red. Obviously one can sing praises of their steak, but when many, many online voice join the chorus of satisfied diners, Gibson’s undoubtedly has a winning formula to have customers come back again, and again.

Beware of the side dishes as the servings are gigantic. Even the unassuming baked potato was easily 6oz which was extremely substantial. We also had a side serving of broccoli so we would not feel so guilty on our carnivorous adventures. Both were cooked and seasoned well, but needless to say, we did not manage to finish it.

Although completely stuffed and thoroughly satisfied, our night did not quite come to an end there. Our server, with a massively cheeky smile on his face, comes over and announces “Here comes the favourite part of the menu” while laying the two dessert cartes in front of us. Although there were absolute looks of horror on both our faces, we eventually succumbed to indulging in some of their homemade vanilla ice-cream. Though simple, it provided a sweet ending to what was a delightful meal.

The service was all around outstanding. Whenever our water glasses got to half full, there is the server with the refill immediately. Fast, quick and attentive to our every need, we felt right at home. The restaurant itself was dated, and some of the furniture was slightly antiquated showing signs of wear and tear, there was nothing which could detract from the quality of the food.

Highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 4 and a Half Stars

Chicago’s Steak Houses, one at a time

This is a long overdue blog, which was supposed to be put up two months ago. Nevertheless, as long as the word get’s out, that’s what is important.

There has been heated debate as to which one of the hundreds of restaurants in Chicago can be ranked as the top steakhouse. After pouring through numerous travel guides as well as online reviews, I had shortlisted the top-five rated steakhouses in Chicago. Along with my friend, colleague and fellow foodie, Terence Tong, we went forth in our search for Chicago’s No.1 Steakhouse. For all the ratings, I shall be rating each restaurant out of 5 stars based on three criteria: ambience, food and service.

It would be appropriate that the on first night we arrived in Chicago after a delay in Kuala Lumpur, transfer in Narita, a terrible United Airlines Flight, a bumpy landing, and some surly customs officials after 28 hours of travelling, we made a beeline straight to the first of the steakhouses on our list: