Room Full of Liars
November 2014. A time when the people of Chicago (and Illinois) were given a chance to vote for change and they readily accepted the challenge. I decided to try and extend democracy to one of the last places it seems to exist (save North Korean ) and offered the group a chance to vote for their dinner. The choice? Trying the untouched virgin territory of the chicago suburbs or another night in the city. The results? Unanimous disdain for the idea of going anywhere outside of the 312.
So we were headed to Gene and Georgetti. To bump it up a notch and because we had a full boat of 8 I pressured hard to get us a private room. After much demurring (and the insistence that we had one last time) they succumbed. Little did they know the PUP list (and the pup list) would take a chunk out of the action. While Don Cole was forgiven for having a child that night (Welcome Hans Cole! err..Theo) Rick with a back and Jevon with a throat were last minute disappointments. However, as some would say, only the strong survive.
Cocktails started early (before 7) and when i showed up early at 730 the full boat was there. Hans Crenshaw Brad and Scottie were all seated at the bar in what looked like deep into rd. 2 of the night. Our table was ready as soon as we wanted it and once the cocktails were polished off, we headed upstairs to our private alcove.
The service was great, attentive and added to the enjoyment of the evening. Anything we asked for we got.
Apps are not the bread butter of G&G and the bread and butter was the most memorable part. I was talked out of the clams and believe a fried calamari and something else was all we got. We all got Cesar salads to fill the gap.
I had the bone-in filet and thought it was pretty good. Perfectly salted and cooked i felt very satisfied by it. Sides of creamed spinach, asparagus and the complimentary home fries all went pretty well. For desert we celebrated Brad Ray’s birthday and the election of Gov. Rauner. We missed Rick Ray’s thoughts in the political arena. His ability to rattle off the last 20 secretary of states is unbelievable.
As for the picture – we introduced a new game to dinner – Liar’s Poker. We played for the dinner and I was lucky enough to win and get a free walk. Even with the free walk (and a 3rd bottle of wine for the game) total damage came well below the last few dinners.
We headed down below for a final round at the bar and well, let’s just say we learned they don’t serve milk and cookies at G&G.
Bar: 7/10
Waiter: 9.5/10
Apps: 7/10
Wine: 8/10 (10/10 for value)
Steaks: 8/10
Dessert: 3/10
Steak environment: 10/10
Fun Times: Off the Charts
Filed under: General
Meh. I mean, Gene and Georgetti is still not that good. It has this cult status and maybe it’s because it is old school, I don’t know. But the food is average, at best.
Either way, I arrived right about on time to see one Mr. Cizzle and Zee German at the Bar ready for a good night. I do like the Bar at Gene’s. I will say it does have that going for it. The service was also strong to quite strong through the entire evening. Oban, standard….and we are off.
Right around 8 we were shown to our private room less 3 people from the reservation. The staff didn’t seem to care and served with attention from start to finish. Gene’s menu grossly lacks in creativity. That is fine if your “standard” items are off the charts. Not the case here which regrettably is a bad combo leaving the food just average. Friend ravioli and Caesar salad for apps….dont know if there is much more to elaborate there.
I got the bone in rib eye. Seasoned OK and the cut was a little thin – the steak was, again, just average. The wine selection was good and ever flowing. I lost in the last round of liars poker to Glick and had to pay what has become an increasingly hefty tab for steak night. Kudos to Jon as It was nice having the private room – it gave us the ability to not offend anyone.
That promptly ended when we went back down to the bar and shared legends of the Vancouver Finger Bang Gang .
All in all, great night.
One of the last pleasant evenings in November before the permafrost sets in til mid May 2015 found us headed to Gene & Georgettis. It has been a while since our last dinner at this Chicago landmark, perhaps we should’ve kept it that way. Upon entering most people seem to mill around and get really close into your personal space since there is no apparent hostess or host welcoming diners. First strike. I was early, I was looking to find a seat at the bar and wait for the rest of Chicago’s finest gentlemen. This odd looking lone diner was just finishing one massive plate of sausage and peppers and I was able to secure my seat. Bourbon offering is weak, just the basics, but thats fine by me when in a pinch. I offered up the tale of the best work compensation counteroffer ever to the amusement of those on time to cocktail hour. I wont recap the full tale but it did include 6 small cartons of milk, 6 small cartons of orange juice and a bi monthly gas fill up in addition to salary.
The clock struck 8pm and we were off to our private room. To be perfectly honest, it wasnt a private room. There were two other tables in the room, just no one to fill them. I like the atmosphere at G&G’s, its like dining in a late 70’s basement, wood paneling, alot of red accents, light fixtures burning wildly inefficient bulbs, and a waiter straight off the boat 30 years ago. He was fantastic, attentive, and quick to take good care of us. The caesar was the better part of the opening offering. I went bone in filet medium rare. The char crust was perfect and the steak was excellent. I give G&G high marks on the steak only, everything else including the sides was mediocre. As noted previously the bill ended up just as high as some of the real stand out steak joints which is a disappointment. G&G’s is relying on the name and history to over charge and under deliver.
Liars poker was a nice addition to the routine. Offending women at the bar was already part of the routine and was successfully accomplished.
Food / service 6.5
Atmosphere 7
Gene and Georgetti isn’t your father’s steakhouse. Wait a minute….it’s TOTALLY your father’s steakhouse. What Gene’s lacks in culinary flair, it makes up for in atmosphere. Gene’s is a true Chicago institution that takes you back in time to the days of Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Lucille Ball, all frequent guests of years past. It’s the kind of place you bring first time visitors to our great city as it’s a nice portrait of Chicago’s dining history. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi about it. Unfortunately, all I can really see coming here for is that, and maybe a nice veal parm. A veal parm sounds amazing right now. Or always amazing. Anyway….
I arrived a few minutes early to find Herr Fedderke nestled up to the bar, and was soon followed by a Sirs Ray, Martin and Glick. A few nice brown drinks, some lively conversation and we were off.
Gene’s lacks any sort of maître d’ or hostess stand, or anything resembling a place to check in. No points lost for me. Just saying it’d be nice to see a nice buxom blonde greeting me with a smile, or some big goombah named Tony, or Carlos the head busser, whoever.
8PM on the money and we’re off to our private chalet. I say chalet b/c there was lots of wood…very cabin like. Like a reeeaaallly old cabin. Actually it reminded me of my childhood den. Wood paneling, green and gold couches, and some serious shag. I decorate my house like that in 2014? Total panty dropper. Okay we’ve gone off the rails a bit.
Master Glick was in charge this evening and he started out with some grilled calamari and fried ravioli. The calamari was overly rubbery. I’ve eaten better rubber bands. Of course those rubber bands were prepared by the great Mario Batali at a secret pop-up garbage foragers dinner last year so probably not a fair comparison. The fried ravioli was decent. But I mean fried ravioli with marinara? Sign me up every time. It’s like bad pizza. Even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good. I had a dinner salad. Sorry Gene’s, but you can’t even hang with The Olive Garden. I say that like Olive Garden salad is bad. Can we all just admit it’s amazing? Actually, it’s probably cliché to say that now. Kind of like hating on hipsters. Let’s move on….
I ordered the bone-in rib eye, medium rare. The only thing right about this was the temperature. It was a perfect medium rare. It looked good, but so do my three-team teasers every week and we all know how those turn out. The steak lacked any sort of flavor, and sort of had me thinking the meat might not have been Prime! GASP! On another note, the champagne was Korbel.
I don’t even want to talk about the sides. The creamed spinach should have been taken out in the alley and beaten mafia style with wooden bats and gold chains and stuff.
It was Brad Ray’s belated birthday so we had some sort of dessert. No idea what though. We were on the third or fourth bottle of wine at this point so things go a little grey. But I do remember Liar’s Poker. We didn’t have quorum but decided to see who walked free anyway. Solid way to end the evening and I say we incorporate this into steak night way more often. In fact, dare I say put it to a vote?
The night ended up having a few cocktails in the downstairs bar. We ended up offending some old hag with some slightly inappropriate language. Scotty tried to console her and make amends and while we thought all was well, she later walked out with one last spewing of venom. After we all laughed and Chef Joe told her to go somewhere else for milk and cookies, all was right in Chicago again.
Atmosphere – 10/10. And let’s stop the ratings right there.
A great time at a decent place that probably is better in name and lore than steak. Although I did appreicate the touch of a private room on the second floor for our group to meander about and basically call out anyone and everyone loudly without any consequence. Steak overall was fair, needed some seasoning, but was cooked right. The sides I don’t remember as the drinking was nicely faster having our own address within the joint.
Then there was Liar’s Poker…which I have to take the credit for in bringing up – that I do remember – and how it led us all to massively fun and some lucrative gaming for the bill as well as cash afterwards. Note to all though, some still owe me and don’t play if you don’t have cash. Pretty simple. That all said, if the night couldn’t get any better, some bitch was riffed by our unabridged tales of the Finger Gang Bang of Vancouver and stormed out of the place with her puppy boyfriend in tow. I am sure he is still following her around as we speak.
9.5/10 (only -0.5 because of food)