November 24, 2006 | Comments
It takes a big pair of rocky mountain oysters to be the newcomer on the expensive steakhouse scene in Chicago. We've got big, homegrown classics like Gibson's, top-notch chains like Smith & Wollensky , modern spots like N9ne , and plenty of other options on and off the beaten path.Famed New York restaurateur, and former Smith & Wollensky executive chef David Burke entered this scene recently with a new steakhouse in the James Hotel, David Burke's Primehouse. The restaurant is an even mixture of classic steakhouse components and flashy nouveau touches (on and off the menu).
The guideline to dining at Primehouse is to stick with the classics. A flashy steakhouse without top-notch steaks isn't going to last very long, and Primehouse delivers. The dry-aged steaks live up to my expectations of a steak that's dry aged in a "Himalayan pink salt-lined aging cave" (O.K. that's a huge gimmick in my book, but it sounds great). My bone-in ribeye (pictured below) was cooked a perfect medium-rare and fantastically flavorful as was the bone-in fillet (light aged).
As far as other accouterments, the only standouts were the light and chewy popovers and the classic caesar salad, prepared table side. Both of these were perfect complements to the outstanding beef. Other sides were not as successful. Chorizo whipped potatoes tasted like spicy baby food and the tempura green beans are fine, but I would have rather had some fresh green beans without the lifeless breading. Both of those are perfect examples of a chef trying to put a spin on a classics that didn't need to be spun. Further down the scale, our chocolate cake dessert was a dry, tasteless, miserable failure.
The bar at Primehouse is small but comfortable, shaking up pretty good martini's along with a few signature drinks. Next to the drinks, are some of the tastiest bar snacks in town: warm, buttery pretzel sticks in a bit of curried oil, served atop a hunk of the famous Himalayan salt (which is nothing more than a conversation piece).
As far as the meat is concerned, Burke clearly has what it takes to compete with the other steakhouses in town. Still,Primehouse fell somewhere in the middle of the pack in the Chicago's group of steakhouse options. I think you get a much better steak here than you do at a place like Wildfire, but for the total package (where everything is delicious) I'd stick with a place like Gibson's or Smith & Wollensky.
David Burke's Primehouse is located in the James Hotel at 616 N. Rush (at Ontario) 312.660.6000.
Tags: fine dining river north steakhouse Post a comment
