Eddie V’s – A new entrant in the Chicago steakhouse scene
After a brief brain collapse that made me consider McCormick and Schmick’s choice steaks for May, I wisely did some research into Eddie V’s, the latest entrant to the Chicago steakhouse scene. A bizarre pedigree ranging from Red Lobster to Capital Grille, this was going to be interesting. I believe Eddie V’s resides in what was previously Buco di Beppo or some similar italian named place. They did a good job with the makeover from what I can tell, but I never attended Bacco de Burpo so what do I know.
Attendance was strong, Cizzle, Scotty, The Brothers Ray, Conway, Glick, and yours truly, sadly missing Thoresen and Cole The early pace car for the evening was the one and only Brad Ray, coming fresh off a afternoon IPA bender with his superior, he was out of the gates in first place, clearly in the lead. Some friendly banter over a Oban versus Balvenie mix up suddenly took a turn and required multiple expletives. I was not privy to the details so will allow others to elaborate. The bar has a good vibe to it despite low ceilings, dim lighting, and a crooner in the corner with a piano. Fortunately unlike Mastor’s crooner who likes to cover Christina Aguilera, this gentleman stuck to the classics and wasn’t half bad. Scotty was in attendance for the first ten minutes of cocktail hour, but disappeared for the remainder of the time when a Darius Rucker look alike gave him an alluring glance. Thanks for coming. The conversation drifted towards the Blackhawks and their run for glory. The other topic of interest was what would be the penalty shot for new comer Conway’s April transgression of canceling within 24 hours. Lacking in green chartreuse, most likely because it is vile death bile in a bottle, we had to improvise.
The decision was made and the shot of choice was Luxardo, apparently this is a cherry flavored liqueur, whoever thought this up was a sick bastard. It required a prayer beforehand and some gagging sounds after throwing it down.
Departing the bar, we descended a flight of stairs into the dining room. Well appointed and generally sticking to the expected decor of a fine Chicago steakhouse of dark woods, Eddie V’s dining room is comfortable and lends a respectable air to it. Our table was well situated with a long booth side facing the entry with leather clad chairs opposing. Our waiter was responsive and quick to welcome us. In my opinion the crab appetizer and the calamari were the standouts of the first round. Given its Capital Grille roots I shouldn’t have expected anything less but the kung pao coating and peanut sprinkles were a delicious start. I may have gone a bit heavy on ordering the apps. The reason I believe this to be the case is upon completion, our fearless pace car, in all seriousness, looking down the table of Chicago’s finest gentlemen, asked the very serious question of “so what did you guys think of dinner?”. Our collective response was the obvious, “we havent even had the steak yet…..”. It was well played Daddy Gimms, well played.
Cizzle has devised a new method of selecting his steak that involves some knife play, what could possibly go wrong? I do suspect that someone at Eddie V’s will be wondering why there are multiple stab wounds in their menu. The NY strip au poivre was my steak du jour. This is by far one of the best strips I have had. The pepper corn crust was perfectly done and seared to a medium rare. The waiter was quick to inform us that Eddie V’s sports a pair of 1600 degree broilers, which certainly delivered the goods. The accompanying cognac sauce is not absolutely necessary but very well balanced. Sides were not the best ever but solid. The truffled mac n cheese is a nice departure from the more commonly seen lobster mac n cheese which is usually disappointing. Having confused the mac for the potatoes, I was happy to set that record straight. The truffled mac n cheese at Eddie V’s is worth giving a go and was gone in a single round of the table. Potatoes au gratin and the spinach were both adequately good but not outstanding. The brocollini was truly bland. The wine list was comprehensive without being gaudy. I selected a Willakenzie Pinot Noir from 2010 which was very well paired with the appetizer course. http://www.willakenzie.com/ hilarious slogan if you have a minute to waste, and followed with a Cab from Rodney Strong. Both well priced and certainly liked.
Cizzle walks for free for a second month, due to his Swammi-esque selections in the tourney, thus precluding us from credit card roulette. He has had a good run of it these past couple months, but I see an impending dry streak in his future. A few of us intrepid gentlemen made our way down to Blackfinn for a post dinner drink paid for by the evenings winner. I really don’t see anything appealing about Blackfinn and would not recommend passing over Siena Tavern for it. Nonetheless it was a good close tot he evening and looking forward to June in which I hear we will have a special guest joining us….
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As a new member of the group, I had tried to maintain my naive wonderment of becoming part of Chicago’s most exclusive social club. I viewed the group as one where good men have clean fun over red meat while we discuss high-minded, salon-like topics such as how the winter has hurt the grape crop in Sonoma valley this year or how some existential works have informed our view of life as we move from youth to middle age or the all-encompassing issues that plague our city. However, my innocence was stolen from me by the unfiltered vitriol that proceeded the original selection of McCormick & Schmick’s as a dinner choice.
Even after the move to Eddie V’s, I was concerned when a cursory look on the internets revealed that is is actually called “Eddie V’s Prime Seafood.” If Hans is trying to turn this into a German seafood club, he is losing the stealth element.
Upon arriving at the bar, before I even said a word, the maitre d’ almost angrily pointed me to a group at the corner of the bar, expressing some dismay that the group of local ruffians had increased in number by 1. I quickly discovered that I was behind the other attendees by an amount ranging from 1 glass to 1 gallon of brown liquor. To our credit, we are all fun with a little liquor down the hatch, but apparently become less fun when the bar 1) runs out of Oban and 2) tries to pass off Wild Turkey as 30 year old Balvenie. I had hoped that the liquor would thaw the frozen hearts of the group vis-a-vis my penalty shot, but it seemed to instead intensify the drumbeat of the necessity of punitive measures for those that run afoul of the group’s commandments. Which in this case meant me.
Upon arriving at the table, verdict and judgment were rendered swiftly as a shot of “Luxardo” was ordered. The only mercy shown was by the waiter, who declined the request that the shot be heated prior to serving. Alas, my executioners nonetheless took the bold step of warming the shot over a candle, while I engaged in short prayer for the pain to be swift.
GRADE:
Luxardo (0-10): -43. This is terrible, terrible stuff. Best I can describe, think of grenadine, grand marnier, malort and a healthy dose of carpet cleaner mixed together. The former ingredients help the latter ingredients leave a film in your mouth that not even gargling red wine can rid.
Ambiance: 8. This place is new and even though it is a seafood place that is sort of in a hotel, it actually has a good bar, nice ambiance and professional wait staff.
Waiter: 10. Nice pacing, gave us what we needed when we needed it, didn’t complain when knife holes were discovered in the wine list, didn’t cut us off when various dram shop laws probably recommend it. Frankly, after the mercy shown on the Luxardo (even though I think he recommended it), that’s worthy of 10/10 there from me.
Wine: 7. Excellent Willamette Valley pinot selected by Hans. The cabernet was a little light and took a bit to open for the main course.
Appetizers: 8. They were pretty much scarfed down on the other end of the table. However, the warm bread was spectacular, overmatched only by the calamari, which was stellar.
Steaks: 7. I had low expectations that a seafood kitchen would be able to handle the subtleties of steak preparation. To that end, I ordered the surf and turf. The turf, a 12 oz. filet was spectacular. If I have a complaint, the lobster on top was merely ok, which serves me right for getting involved with surf in my main course on steak night.
After dinner: Blackfinn, while a fine establishment, is more designed for those who have come into the city and are are looking for a place to watch the last quarter of the Brewers game before they go to Howl at the Moon.
Excellent evening as always!
There are surprises (like 7 people showing up for a dinner), there are unexpected pleasant surprises (like Eddie V’s being way better than it’s name or corporate ownership would suggest) and then there are shockers (Bill Conway at dinner.) Alas what happens at steak night, stays at steak night.
Pregame drinks were well attended, apparently Scottie was there although none of us saw him until dinner. Rick brought out his Red velvet jacket, the ascot put him over the edge.
Dinner was solid – it may have come from the bar of low expectations, but our first meal at Eddie V’s may have launched solidly into the second tier in Chicago, a notch below Mastro’s, but ahead of Sullivan’s, Ruth Chris and Del Frisco’s.
I split the tomahawk with BRay, and while he wasn’t sure at what point in the meal he enjoyed it, it’s safe to say then when it finally actually arrived, we both enjoyed it.
Sides were ok, loved the Broccolini. Spinach was neither creamed nor special.
Desserts were ok – only gripe was when we laid out what we did on a dinner – a complimentary bday dessert would have been a nice gesture.
After dinner we went to black finn – great to see most of the crew made it. those that started earlier than the rest of us, finished earlier. Jevon and Don were missed.
Overall 8
A crisp May evening. The city is alive. As he saunters into the lobby, he can feel her eyes follow him. He’s cool and confident. They glance at one another secretively. He notices a playful smile. He knows he has her now. She’s smiling more, even chuckling. He’s a tad bewildered what he’s done to make her laugh. Alas, it wasn’t him, but behind him the immortal Brad Ray, six IPA’s deep, gesticulating jerking off for any onlooker to see.
This month brought us to Eddie V’s, a newcomer in the Chicago steak scene. Actually it’s billed as more of a seafood restaurant but it fit the bill for our group nicely.
Scotty was in the bar as I walked in. Along came the Ray brothers, Mr. Mayor Bill Conway, Glick, and Hans, while Scotty left and decided to befriend Hootie and his Blowfish. The bar was actually kind of nice. Dark, jazzy crooning, and plenty of space. While lubing up on some brown liquor, we discussed race relations in the United States, Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, the theoretical physics behind the Einstein-Rosen bridge, and what the grossest shot we could make Bill drink as punishment for his last month’s cancellation.
Eventually we were seated. A nice Oregon Pinot Noir was ordered to start, with a smaller Cab for later in the meal. The apps of calamari and jumbo lump crab w/ avocado were delightful. Hans shared the shellfish app this month. At this point we discussed the opinions on dinner with Brad. He apparently had an awesome experience. Our experience just turned into an acid flashback. Had we eaten? Where were we? Was Brad drunk? Yes. Yes he was.
I ordered the standard bone-in ribeye. It was cooked to perfection. And although a pretty salty piece of steak for some, that’s exactly how I like it. I think it could hold up to 90% of the steaks I’ve had in the city. Sides were plentiful. The truffle mac and cheese stood out as a big winner. Hans loved the au gratin potatoes. The broccolini was average, and sautéed spinach, although not creamed, was a nice addition.
At this point, I decided to try my hand at knife throwing. Since Glick wouldn’t stand against the wall with an apple on his head, I decided to just Norman Bates the dessert menu. Not sure what happened here. I think Brad’s inebriation was seeping into me through osmosis.
I walked free for my March Madness winnings. That’s two in a row. Triple or nothing boys?
All in all it was a great evening. Eddie V’s caught me by surprise. I thought the food, atmosphere and company were all outstanding.
8.5/10
I knew when emailing the group about my plans to start drinking at 4pm I could be in for a long night. I knew when telling my boss he was not making the 6:05 back to Milwaukee and he would have to be on the 8pm, I was on my way to bad decisions. I should have been tipped off by the girl who saw me mock whacking off at Crenshaw in the hotel lobby. I should have taken that sorry excuse for a Balvenie as my last drink. But of course, I did none of this. I don’t remember much, gents, to be honest. I remember (after being told) I asked how dinner was…. before dinner. I remember splitting the tomahawk with Glick and I remember almost leaving my computer bag at the restaurant. Everything else about the evening escapes me. Therefore, I will recuse myself from a rating, other than the social tact of my performance, which gets a 2.
I promise to behave better in future months.
McCormick & Schmick’s, Jordan’s, Benny’s, a couple of hours before the dinner and I still wasn’t exactly sure where we were going. Good thing I asked because it turns out we were not going to any of the previously mentioned places but to the newly opened Eddie V’s. Apparently I missed that email but at least found out before I was drinking at the bar by myself at the wrong establishment and wondering where everyone was ala Brad Ray at the wrong Rosebud many moons ago.
Eddie V’s has a better bar area than expected, bustling but not crowded and over run by tables. The jazz duo (or was it a trio) helped set the ambiance for the room. I arrived to find most of the crew bantering about the upcoming Blackhawks/Wild series and brainstorming on ways to fix Chicago’s debt problem. Check that it was brainstorming ideas on terrible shots for Conway. Scotty was hanging with Hootie, really taking that “I Only Wanna Be With You” sentiment to heart as he ignored the group he was actually with for all of happy hour.
The calamari was the highlight of the aps for me. I also ordered a lobster bisque which was just average, kind of bland which surprised me a bit since seafood is their forte. It was about this time Brad made his famous “What did you think of the meal” quote. Asking about dinner before actually having dinner will take its place in steak night lore with Thoresen sliding down the banister, getting locked in a parking garage, and being walked thru our sides. That being said Brad quickly turned into the annoying drunk guy. Especially if you were sitting next to him with no one on the other side and no one directly in front of you, I really had the Uecker seats tonight. Perhaps drinking less prior to steak night would be a good idea and this is coming from a guy referred to as “The Drunk Idiot” on this website. I had the bone in ribeye which was excellent but a bit on the salty side. The truffle mac and cheese was good but only in small doses because it was so rich. The au gratin potatoes were a cheesy delight. The waiter was great; attentive, understood the groups dynamic and embraced it appropriately.
I think the prayer Conway said prior to his penalty shot worked because that shot sounded like liquid hell and it looked like it went down fairly smooth all things considered. If Cizzle walk free again next month I propose beating him up after dinner. Post dinner drinks were at the Blackfinn. All in all a really solid evening and a pleasant surprise from Eddie V’s as a steak place. On to summer steak night season boys.
A fine night and a good rebound off of a questionable selection in what was to be McCormick and Schmicks. We dodged a bullet there and seemingly ended up with a fine stallion in Eddie Vs.
Arriving at the restaurant, we were instantly welcomed with a vibrant within contemporary lighting/layout. The boys were soon to arrive and I found Darius Rucker around the corner at the bar and made a new friend. I did overhear a penalty shot soon on the way for its lucky winner and managed to just catch the end of sir Conways near final prayers before imbibing.
Upon sitting down it could have been argued the table was one of the best in the house, especially when it came to a bustling restaurant. Our waiter was quick to arrive the drinks for everyone, in the ordered apps were well-placed by our pace car. Lots of steaks to choose from, and I went with the Tomahawk, which of note, was shared by two other gentlemen dining during the evening. I don’t share steak with other guys.
The Tomahawk came out well prepared, and flavorful. It was so flavorful, that I couldn’t even eat it all. Took the rest home for a nice meal in the morning considering that I would need it with some eggs after a few scotches with Daddy Gimms. Sides were decent and favorite was the mac-n-cheese although that was in moderation due to the overloaded salty/truffle flavor.
For an unsung locale, I thought the selection was great, and really felt like a nice rebound of the steakhouse after the last couple of fatuous aphorisms that called themselves true Chicago steakhouses.
9