Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse
After a relatively late decision on where to dine this month, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse proved to be a overwhelming success. Both Holinger and Glick ditched out in favor of the Shakira concert, which really doesn’t require further elaboration. The evening started per usual with a bountiful harvest of spirits that ran up quite a bar tab. Zebro was working the scotch list just like Sandusky & young thighs as it came to light that there was a delinquent poster in November. Mr. Cole, notorious for previous posting transgressions, just so happened to post at 12:06am on Friday the 18th which is exactly 6 minutes and 1 second too late. There are rules people, this isn’t Nam. As such, we were patiently awaiting Mr. Cole’s arrival to take care of said bar tab, which he promptly denied us on.
This shall be revisited next month at 7:59pm January 5th.
Moving along, we were led upstairs to our table which was a high top for 6. Somewhat of an odd setup and I must say, not my preference. The atmosphere as a whole is among the best in my opinion of the recent entrants into the Chicago Steakhouse realm. The starters were all a great success. The carpaccio was impeccable and the double smoked bacon nearly stopped my heart. Crenshaw was kind enough to throw all steak night protocol to the wind and order wine on my behalf. Luckily it was a decent selection and more followed shortly. I selected the prime delmonico with a ginger balsamic jus, which is a major change in my typical filet order. I was absolutely enamoured with this fine cut of meat and made short work of it. The sides were small and really not meant for a group of our size to share. The mashed potato trio was a nice setup with the lobster mashed being the star.
It was a bold decision to follow dinner up with a trip to Alive One but alas not every decision made is a good one. Until next month, zee german.
Filed under: General
Hans, the thought of you making quick work of any meal is laughable. We’re you timing yourself.
Sorry to have missed it, fellas. Capital Grille, Sullivan’s, Keefer’s and III Forks all worthy of doubling up. Is Jordan’s?
His Airness no longer amazes on the court, but he is amazing us on the grill. Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse, the new kid on the block nestled in the cozy confines of the Intercontinental Hotel, has been receiving mixed reviews in the local media. The crew at steak night was small, but that didn’t stop us form going big. Specifically in terms of the cocktail hour bar tab. 5 dudes, $240, and a lot of nerdy “scotch” talk. There was a bit of controversy to start. Mr. Cole ended up posting 6 minutes later than what the rules state is acceptable to not be responsible for the bar tab. Although without rules there is chaos, our host Hans decided the gentlemanly thing to do was let it slide…….until next month.
We were led upstairs to the dining room overlooking Michigan Avenue, and sat at a high top table. Not a huge fan of the high top, especially since there was a perfectly placed regular height round table right next to us. But we decided to let it slide. Hans also let it slide that I goofed and ordered the wine. Oops. At least it was a fine 2007 Southern Rhone. It’s a great year for the Rhone region so all was forgotten.
The appetizers were great. The beef carpaccio was paper thin goodness. The shrimp was shrimp. And bacon was…….oh lord. The bacon. If you’ve ever been to the infamous Peter Lugar’s in Brooklyn NY, then you know about the bacon steak. This was very similar in stature, a little smaller, but cut form the same mold. A tad less fatty than Lugar’s but in my opinion, just as good. It was the perfect blend of smoky, fatty, crunchy and sweet. I’d go back just for that.
For the main course, I ordered the bone-in-ribeye as usual. For the first time since I’ve been a part of the group, they actually cooked it the way I asked for it; a perfect medium rare. The crust had some spice in it that we couldn’t place, but was outstanding. We asked the waiter and he claimed just Worcestershire, salt, pepper and olive oil, but he wasn’t telling us everything. It was almost sweet, like a brown sugar. Anyway, the steak was a 9/10 for me.
The sides were decent, but very small. The creamed spinach was meh. The trip of mashed potatoes was excellent and Hans hit it on the head with saying the lobster mash was the winner.
Since it was Don’s “birthday,” we had to go with the 23 layer chocolate cake in homage to His Airness. They could have cut down about 21 of those layers. I’m surprised Jordan would let that desert be associated with his number.The other crumble thing we ordered was good, but not good enough for me to remember much about.
Credit Card roulette was won by Mr. Zebro this time around.
All in all, a great intimate evening with the crew. I’m giving this one a 9/10 based almost solely on the steak, and the bacon. Definitely one I’d revisit.
I think it is of utmost importance that I post this commentary first. It is, of course, related to the commentary on this fine website. One Mr. Don Cole is INNOCENT. No bar fees are due! Although he did not make the 10 day deadline, and there is ample proof of that on this website, THERE IS NO 10 DAY DEADLINE! The site says so! We have a section on this site that clearly states 2 weeks. The section is called rules my friends, and if we as wired as we should be in the 21st century, we would have known. A man has two weeks to get his comment in, and Don could have waited another 95 hours and he’d still be within his legal rights. Goes to show you the allegations aren’t always correct. This probably compares pretty well to some other cases of public opinion, but I won’t name names.
On to the restaurant…
Michael Jordan was the greatest, perhaps most dominant player in basketball history with a competitive streak like none other. Unfortunately, I don’t think his steak house competes with the others as he did when he was a Bull. Don’t get me wrong the meal was delicious, but it was certainly a far call from the best.
Let me start with the apps. I think there’s only one that even needs to be mentioned. BACON. This isn’t your typical bacon. This is a mini steak of bacon. Perhaps a petit steak, but a steak nonetheless. It’s a nice quarter inch plus thick slice of bacon that brings the smokey fire taste from whence it was cooked directly to your mouth. For apps, on an all time basis, I’d put this app alone in the top 10. Thank god they don’t serve this at the local brunch spots (at least that I know about) or I’d be in serious cardiac trouble (since steak night is helping so much). In addition to the bacon was the shrimp. As mentioned previously it was just shrimp. Nothing more, nothing less. Carpaccio was tasty, but there was a need for some more of it.
For my main meal I ordered the bone in ribeye. I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t even a mention of the word Tomahawk before presenting this fine meat on our plates. It seems as if we’re in a day and age where restaurants like to swing around the Tomahawk name as well as the raw meat to try and sway you into buying it. This was not the case at MJ’s. I can appreciate that. However, there was one thing that I did not fully appreciate regarding the meat. It was the rub. You know that taste you get in the first piece of steak that you finally bite into? It’s supposed to be a succulent balance of salt, the fat from the meat, perhaps a little pepper, and whatever delicious seasoning they add. Whatever the chefs at MJ’s added tasted a little off, initially. Luckily as I progressed throughout the steak that initial taste was subdued but I couldn’t help but shake that initial flavor I tasted. Perhaps they need to tweak their rub or salt that’s in use. Otherwise, the meat was cooked to specified temperature, and I was otherwise pleased with the serving.
The sides were fantastic, portion size, not so much. If it were simply Hans and myself I think we could have gotten away with the mashed trio, but it seemed like the group was a little large for the micro machine portion size. In the end though, sometimes it’s better not to walk out of the place uncomfortable. Perhaps it was for the better.
Overall, excellent service, but a pretty weak atmosphere. Terrible high top table to be served at and what felt like a diner’s atmosphere. However, I did enjoy the bar. A good list of beer, cocktails, and scotch.
I’ll give MJ’s an 8. I think that’s a slightly generous rating. Last steak night of 2011. Congrats boys. Keep this rich tradition alive.
Given the tenure of the group, it is not often we get to try a new place, so I was looking forward to Michael Jordan’s. Located in the Intercontinental, the bar and restaurant welcome diners with open arms. I arrived shortly after 7 to see Joe Paterno and John Crenshaw at the Bar. I kid, I kid. Joe-Pa was not in the house. However, you would have thought his lawyers were – given the staunch defense Mr. Zebro was putting forth.
We sat at the bar and had some good scotch while the bartenders were all too helpful in finding the Thursday night NFL game. The balance of the group settled in for longer than usual bar time – I believe our reservation was a touch past the usual 8pm.
Once ready we were led upstairs and much to my disappointment showed to our high-top table. If I am going to a place for lunch, I am fine with the high-top, but if I am settling in for a nice 2 hour dinner, I want a proper dining room table.
Once the group got settled in we started ordering aps and the clear standout was the bacon. So thick cut it kind of came off more as ham than bacon to my palette….
Crenshaw dove right in on the wine ordering which was heavily frowned upon from our host – Mr. Fedderke. I recalled the last bottle Hans ordered to be Shite, so Johnny stepping in was welcomed in my opinion.
The server was peppered with some heavy questioning on the temperature with which the steaks are prepared. Mostly led by Johnny Cizzle – who has been the unfortunate recipient of a poorly cooked steak each time out. Catering to my fancy for a steak more on the rare than medium side, the server suggested I order a “rare plus”. A gutsy call indeed and one that paid off. My steak was cooked to perfection and had a seasoning that was original, to say the least. When asked, we were told there is a hint Worchester creating that unique flavor. Thumbs up – truly enjoyable.
The sides in general were pretty weak and the creamed spinach was some of the worst to date. The mashy P’s, while tasty came in a 3 portion sampler which is not designed for a group like ours. All in all it was a great night – although I did not make it out to Alive one for a post dinner cocktail. I would dine again and enjoy doing so. 8.
“Subordinate or incidental” – that is how Dictionary.com defines the term, “side”. Apparently, aside from having an extreme sense of self-worth, e.g., his airness’ signage, MJ is also a bit of a literalist. That is the only explanation for why each and every side that came out with those beautiful, delicious steaks was so atrocious. The sides must have been a play on MJ’s short-lived stint with the Birmingham Barons – god-awful baseball player (the sides) who brought out great fans (the gentlemen of Steak Club) to a modest and respectable facility (the Continental) and who bought a pimped out bus for the team to travel in (the cuts of meat) because no one should be required to actually pay or be paid to watch MJ play baseball.
As already noted by the previous posting, the steaks were special. Although my cut was cooked a little bit more medium and less rare, everyone else’s looked (and tasted – thanks Mr. Seymore Bucks) just perfect, so I will not ding them for what could easily be called an aberration. My one negative is the lie that the wait staff is forced to tell us simple-folk: the meat is prepared just with “a little bit of Worcester and sea salt” – the B.S. flag has been raised on that one; but I’m fine with letting them keep their little secret.
The wait staff were, aside from the little lie noted above, fantastic and funny – specifically, our waiter knew exactly when I needed my cappuccinos, but never went too overboard with making fun of me for ordering 3 of them for the dinner. Nor did he laugh when I spilt half of one on my hands.
I’d also like to give a special shout-out to the gentlemen of steak club. This was, by far, my most stressful/challenging club dinner, but the love that everyone showed me by keeping it light and fast-moving was just what I needed to get me through the remainder of my night.
Lastly, big shout out to the Zeebs! The love of Steak Club just keeps giving!
Upon my arrival at MJs and realizing my bets for the night were already lost in the 1st quarter of the bird bowl between the Seahawks/Eagles, I settled into what was your usual bar scene off the lobby at a bustling Chicago hotel. What wasn’t expected was the attentive service and occasional flriting from the gregarious barkeep, as if she knew our royalty.
The meal was off to a questionable start with a seat for 6 at a high top dinner table, but we were quickly saved upon the arrival of a well-rehearsed waiter and mad cocktails.
The appetizers were well ordered and arrived, with the bacon shrimp being the main fan of the group. I have to say my favorite was the beef “slices so thin you can’t even see them” carpaccio as they managed to pack a pound of flavor in each one.
When the steaks arrived, for me, it was almost like Jordan walked onto the court. Absolutely perfectly cooked, and full of flavor, I felt like Mike hitting that string of 3s against Portland in the NBA finals. With the steak so good, I was so blown away that the sides were exactly that, just side distractions. Not to mention the fact that we could barely even pass them around since the portions were so small.
After a controversial ending to the night in credit card roulette, and fitting since it matched the controversy at the beginning of the night with Mr. Cole, a couple drinks after and we were on our way out the door, me still relishing in what was one of the better steaks of the year, yeah I said it.
Jordan’s is new to the area and gets the ROY (that’s rookie of the year) for solid service and good food. Ambiance needs a little work but they didn’t build the place. 8 overall.
Sorry I missed the evening and good to hear Michael Jordan’s the steakhouse is more Bulls era Michael Jordan then Wizards era Michael Jordan.
On to Zeebs who went to Penn State and thus feels a need to defend the guilty even when there is clear evidence againist the guilty party. You are correct there is no 10 day dealine to post, not even sure where that came from. The rules clearly state two weeks to post, two weeks after the dinner. The dinner was on 11/3, two weeks would be 11/17, Cole posted on 11/18. That is after the two week time period. This is a pretty clear cut case, even for someone that went to Penn State.
Just to stir the pot further, Someone has been way underneath the radar in this posting debate, Glick didn’t post at all. This drives Glick crazy so I love pointing it out.
I also have found a loop hole that may potentially get Mr. Cole off. Let’s see if the lawyer can find it himself. If not he may want to hire me as his legal council.