From North Carolina, at guard, 6’6″……..
The bar area was a bit suspect as It turned out that the bartenders like to assume (and therefore treat) that all are patrons of the hotel and will blindly bless off on an automatic tip that’s comparable to a dinner order…shame on you for that MJ’s.
I ordered a Bone-in filet with the bone marrow butter, which was cooked as I requested – medium rare. and a baked potato. The sides are a la carte so they are usually enough for everyone at the table to enjoy, except I was really bummed to have ordered only one thing of the mash potato trio. After 2 scoops the bowls are gone and your stuck with the second fare of creamed spinach, which is by far their worst side on the menu. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list—it’s a dictionary. Luckily, others were more than willing to take the laboring oar with the group’s wine selection.
The pace of the meal was spot on and professional—no constant interruptions from the waitress—she allowed us time to talk and RELAX!
I chose MJ’s for this special occasion for a specific reason: they always execute—always get it right! This celebratory dinner at MJ’s was a perfect way for me to return to the group’s fold. MJ’s is perfection.
Donald
Filed under: General
5 Responses to “From North Carolina, at guard, 6’6″……..”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I’m never first at anything, so given I’m first to comment Don must have been the one posting.
Rick was out with a back and we wish him a speedy recovery. Oh and the Bears were busy getting spanked by the Cowboys.
I’m generally not a huge fan of going to restaurant’s named after celebrities. Ditka’s is meh, Shula’s was forgettable, and I still have memories of the original michael Jordan’s restaurant as a really cool place to walk around with so so food. Like the Cubs, they don’t worry about having to serve a good product to get the suckers in the door as they are all coming for the ambiance.
Michael Jordan’s the Steakhouse is the exact opposite. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was certainly not up to snuff. Between the two I’d take the food any day. But the ambiance does need to improve.
I agree with Don’s take, MJ’s is a steakhouse in a hotel that treats the clientele as if they all tourists. Trying to sneak in a 20% service charge on a bar tab? Inexcusable.
However the night only got better from there.
Apps were great, steak was in the top 3 of Chicago (notch below Mastro’s and Las Tablas) and sides were clearly in a league of their own.
Dessert was not quite a butter cake, but it was good.
I narrowly lost roulette to Bubby, and then all the baby daddies went home. Crenshaw and I kept the night going.
I’d easily put this in the top 5 for Chicago.
Overall I concur with Don’s 9
I think I would consider this a 10 if they took the menu and chef to a more appropriate location (ala a G&G). If I was in development, I’d take this concept and take it out of the hotel, off Michigan Avenue and give it the steakhouse vibe it deserves.
Loved the MJ’s call by Mr. Donald Cole. We had a good meal there the last time and it seemed to get lost in the shuffle, shame on us. Needless to say, I was looking forward to a return. I was first at the bar and started in with the Scotch, post-haste. The bar is touristy. I mean, off Mich ave. and in a hotel, really not much more you can expect.
We made our way upstairs and sat at a proper table and settled in. I want to spend most of my time with focus on the Steak, as it deserves it, however the Bacon is also deserving of mention – delicious. I ordered the Delmonico – MJ’s signature. Outstanding. Truly an original steak in a city where restaurants claim originality all too often. They do this subtle balsamic topping on it. Enough to give great flavor but not too much, such that it dominates the steak. You literally can’t find a steak in the city with a duplicate taste. Also, it was cooked perfectly.
I will head back to MJ’s anytime. The fact that it was over-looked for so long by the group was a miss on our end.
9
I was middle of the pack to cocktail hour and I am still upset with my performance on that being the punctual german that I am. Once greetings and salutations were concluded I attempted to get myself 3 fingers of bourbon. That was met by a pack of Schaumburg divorcees and hotel rats blocking literally the entire bar. Being a tall guy, relatively so, I was able to shout an order to the bar keep over the blown out perm of a makeup explosion. Literally the ice cube occupies 80% of the glass and then they charge you a 20% premium for somehow even getting an order in. Deplorable behavior. Did anyone mention the fact that they didnt have a coat check? What was the hanging rod broken? Did the ditzy girl that runs the operation fall down the stairs while texting?
Once seated it all changes at MJs. Conversation as always was top notch. Bacon, well the bacon is just incredible. I would consider this a step about Mr David Burke’s and he is the bacon man of the midwest or at least has samples all of it judging by his waistline. This stuff melts in your mouth.
I went bone in filet – medium rare. Perfection. It had that seared crust I loved from a lava hot grill and a warm pinkish red center. I could cut through it by simply giving it a sinister glare. The meat itself was full of flavor and the right thickness. This is in the top 2 or 3 steaks in my opinion and I would jump at the opportunity to come back. The Mashy P’s in the trifecta serving dish were fantastic as far as flavored MPs go. Usually I view this type of gimmick as I do flavored vodka. Let teenagers and amateurs consume them leaving the pure un adulterated good stuff for us of the more sophisticated palates. in this case each one of the three was different, unique, and packed with flavor that i wanted more of but alas we ran short. I must also say the wine pairing was expertly done and a solid compliment to the steak. dessert didnt stand a chance compared to the steak and the bacon, but still very solid.
MJ’s delivered on everything I love about steak night once we were seated. Great table, great service, incredible food, amazing friends. If they could do something about everything going on in the first floor of the space they would have a home run, but alas we cant have it all. This was a 9 in my book.
Oh and I didnt pay for dinner, finally triumph is mine bitches!!
A celebration indeed! Future steak club member Teo was born, holiday cheer filled the air and the food was unreal!!!
I think this might be the best steak in the city. Cooked to perfection with tremendous flavor. Apps and sides were strong and a nice round table made for a good setting.
It was a little bit dead, but did not matter as we had a lively group with energy to share.
This post went up late, so all of the particulars escape me, but overall – terrific night and great way to end 2014!
Here is a to a tremendous New Year
Just like MJ hit countless game winning shots in his career, we hit a buzzer beating three at the end of 2014. This was our second time around at His Airness’ restaurant, the first being right after it opened a few years ago. I had fond memories of our last outing and was anxious to see how it held up this time around.
The Crew: Mr. ESPN, World Class Ray, Jonny Hedge Fund, Our Little German Friend, Don “Lack of a Steak Night Post Up Game, and yours untruly.
The Scene: Hotel Bar with 20% automatic gratuity and no coat rack. The only low marks of the evening.
The Apps: Bacon. Dare I say the best in the city? I dare. Garlic Bread. On paper one might say a boring and tired appetizer better reserved for places like Maggiano’s. I’ll fight the person who says there’s a better one around. It’s the finest in the city. Drizzled with a blue cheese fondue? I can’t even…..
The Steak: Bone-In Ribeye as usual. The flavor was unmatched. They have a unique spice blend that coupled with the balsamic drizzling pays the bills. You could put it up with any steak around town. Mr. WC and I thought the cut might have been a little subpar as it was a tad gummy, but it was so damn good it didn’t matter. Still grade A in my book.
The Sides: Trio of mashed potatoes was great. Although I’ll go to my grave saying that lobster mash is the most overrated side dish right along side lobster mac. Let’s everyone cool it on shellfish and carbs. Creamed spinach was serviceable as well.
The Service: It’s worth noting that we had a fantastic waitress. She has solid opinions and recommendations when asked and was never overbearing.
The Desserts: No idea. It’s been too long.
Conclusion: Great food and great friends. No other way I’d want to end 2014.