Revving at the right RPM
The schedule required a quick bounceback from Holiday merrymaking and gluttony, and we headed out on the town on the 4th to enjoy one of Chicago’s best steakhouse kitchens: RPM Steak. Early comments were offered about the aggressiveness of calling the table an eight-top, and the aggressiveness of having all the waiter’s personal steak recs in three-digit pricing. And both were valid. But we soon settled in to a menu that was ready to deliver a series of excellent apps, and perhaps the greatest breadth of steak options in Chicago (fourteen cuts?).
My strongest memory from the groups last visit was the Coal Roasted Crab. I made the hosting decision to order four, so each of us could enjoy two pieces. I hope we all were as happy about it as I was. I recall the bacon also being excellent, as well as octopus being involved.
Conversation was lively and on point as usual. We set the waiter firmly on his heels with some nuanced questions about tipping. I believe there is still an unsettled matter before the committee regarding whether Bison counts as steak. I saw true irritation behind Jevon’s eyes at my decision to not call a single item of greenery to the table. And we were able to extract some nice wines without burning too much cash from a wildly inflated wine list.
The tastes that RPM provides are as good as any on the circuit. Rating was pulled down by a waiter who was clearly not in a contract year and some optimistic wine pricing with no readily available somm.
8.75/10
Filed under: General
We came we saw we conquered. Well I conquered half a steak but a great half of steak it was. Crab app is one of the best on the planet.
Rick was in full college mode dressing as Jim Tressel with a vneck and tie. The tie was an excuse to stay warm. Given the near 0 temps made sense. Not quite as daring as most nights but definitely an original look.
Bets were made all over on the title game and I took it on the chin with my Alabama -4 bet. I heard the line was moving and I felt good. I should have bet the other way. Rooting for Alabama is no where near as much fun as rooting against Rick Ray.
Overall solid night – save the waiter going MIA at the end and the wine price. Oh and the bar tab. Expensive night all around.
Overall I concur with the host 8.75
Geaux Saints!
I love RPM. Overpriced? Yes. Crazy-ass expensive wine list? Yes. But it delivers on food and experience. Crenshaw and I showed up a bit on the early side, 6:30ish. Much to our delight, as we sat down, we realized that Glick was late to the posting game and he would be buying our drinks…OBAN AWAY! What was the biggest surprise is Don Cole actually showed up! This is a situation to be monitored as we progress through 2018. The over/under on steak night appearances for Don Cole, calendar year 2018, has been set at 5.5. Of Note: Don was always penalized by Crenshaw for his lack of attendance over the last 6 years, so he had to split the bar tab with Glick. Perhaps not in the constitution yet seemed to make perfect sense.
We were showed to a very tiny table and I had the pleasure of touching knees with Mason all night. In a move dripping with savvy, Mason proceeded to overload the coal roasted crab app order – really special move. The coal roasted crab at RPM maintains its place as one of the best bites of food Chicago has to offer. The balance of the apps were great, bacon, octopus etc.
The steak selection is quite extensive. Glick and I split the Imperial Wagyu Reserve. We got a lot of shit for doing this, as the steak was only 12oz. Alas, it was a good call and enough for me. Steak was delicious and prepared to perfection.
Mason provided a good description of the waiter and wine situation. I won’t totally pile on. What I will say is thankfully Mason was on hand for the wine. He picked some great bottles at still overpriced but the only reasonable side of the menu. Had certain other members of the group been at the helm, price per head would have broken the ceiling.
Some National Championship talk went down where I jumped on the Bulldogs +4 and won back a steak dinner from Rick Ray and also won a meal with Don and his bride. I will get my don Cole fix one way or another in 2018.
Out for drinks at O’Callahan after. There was a call for me, Rick and Crenshaw to make one more stop before heading home….which we abandoned and that was the correct move. All in all a great night. I still love RPM. All steak houses of this ilk are grossly overpriced….i would select this one above the rest.
January’s evening of extraordinary gentlemen brought us to one of the new top guns in the rotation, RPM Steakhouse. Having come on the scene a couple of years ago, RPM has steadily grown to be one of the top steak joints in the city, and this night was no exception.
Returning to the mix was the prodigal son, Don Cole. Don regaled us with tales from his time abroad. Having packed up the family, and moved on to a land far far away, Oak Park, Don has been unable to attend steak night for about a year. I guess Oak Park just got power lines too as he has been unavailable via e-mail, text, phone, smoke signals, etc. ET phone home man. Nevertheless it was great to have him back.
For the second month in a row, we had a solid eight count. The good attendance over the last couple of months, sans Skip Martin, has been a nice change. Brad and I started off the evening as the first to arrive. We’re basically the first responders of the pre-cocktail hour, pre-dinner drink crowd. Also, neither of us has worked in about three weeks so there’s that. But, we took one for the team and made our presence known early and often.
The rest of the group arrived, one by one, and we were off to a table in the round, more suited for about six people, but we made due.
RPM has the most extensive list of cuts of meat in the city. Some shared, some got their usual cut, and Rick as always ate every single goddamn bite of a porterhouse. He’s got one of the best stomachs in the biz folks. We peppered the waiter about a variety of topic, including tipping on cocktails and expensive wine, and for a detailed explanation of American Wagyu, and Kobe. For many years, I thought Kobe on the menu was an outright lie, due to some sort of USDA restriction. And I was partly right. But now, certain houses have obtained proper testing and certification to be able to allow the Japanese delicacy into our hearts. While I did not get one, I will offer a side note. This past weekend in Delray Beach, I was out to a superb dinner with friends, and we shared an A5 Wagyu cut. It’s the same cut that they also serve at RPM. It was $135. Typically, no one in our group would have the gall to order that for their self, and for good reasons. We don’t have to be pretentious dickbags every time we go out and order a plate that most people would have an aneurysm over the price. But I can tell you this. I will have hard time ordering regular steak again. It was the absolute best steak I have ever had, hands down, and worth every penny.
Moving on, everything at RPM in terms of appetizers and sides was A+. We all know about the Coal-Roasted King Crab, which is one of the top appetizers in the city. But don’t sleep on the rest of the menu. The octopus and bacon were both management material. And the house popover rolls deserve at minimum an honorable mention.
Rick walked free this month as he took home a third straight crown for NFL Pick ‘em. We ushered a jacketless Mason across the street to O’Callaghan’s for night caps, and Rick and I ended the night at Butch McGuire’s, with me leaving Rick at some point to do his standard late night, solo trolling.
All in all, it was a great start to 2018. We’re looking forward to more consistent attendance, the return of Lt. Conway, and MORE A5 WAGYU.
9.5/10
The January edition of Steak Night has always been a victim of unfortunate timing. It comes on the heels of the non-stop stuff your face fest known as the holiday season. After eating your way thru December often come early January you are ready for a break or perhaps a healthier lighter meal. Those New Year’s resolutions are only a couple days old and even though you know the resolutions will never stick you like to try and keep up the fake pretense for at least a week or two. Then boom, before Times Square is even cleaned up you have January Steak Night. Luckily I am a firm believer in: “Fuck it, let’s enjoy Steak Night and start eating lighter next week”.
RPM was not as crowded as usual, no doubt a combination of the weather and the previously mentioned timing. We were 8 strong just missing Scotty and NY Times Cover boy Lt. Conway who is officially excused by the group until his April return. Drinks were compliments of Glick for forgetting to post last month and Cole for not posting sometime back in 2016 which is when he last attended. It was good to have Cole back in the mix for the first time in over a year. The over/under for his attendance in 2018 was set at 5.5, I’m still pounding the under on that but hope Don proves me wrong.
The coal roasted crab is flat out one of the best apps in the city and a veteran move by our host to order more than one. I will say while there are a ton of steaks on the menu many of them fall into the fancy, overpriced, exotic category i.e. wagyu and Lakers guard. I like the traditional cuts and want those done well, I went with the bone in ribeye and it was excellent and I destroyed the entire thing as always. I loved the fact that Mason went sans greens with the sides, you can have a spinach salad for lunch tomorrow. The mushrooms with bacon were great and a side that you don’t always see on the menu.
I ate for free thanks to the football pool dynasty I have going on, this year was a threepeat next year we go for the fourgasm. After dinner drinks were at O’Callaghan’s, the city was pretty empty but the waitress was filling up our glasses at a lightning quick pace which would be felt the following day. Unfortunately there were no ladies with bikes or from Central America looking for someone to keep them warm on this night.
I think RPM is really good but the prices are a bit ridiculous on many items. A strong start to 2018.
RPM Steak is a gluttonous way to start out a new year, and I certainly approve. Our very first time here the service was still working out the kinks and the kitchen was getting its sea legs. Every trip since has steadily improved and this was no exception to that. The bar area is adequately sized and always has a decent crowd. The bartenders are a bit skimpy on their pours so long as Glick is picking up the bar tab thats not a big issue. This January edition of steak night shall forever be known as the “Return to Excellence” if Don continues to respond to various means of modern day communication and show up to steak night. Otherwise it shall be known as “A Blip in the Status Quo”.
I dont love having the table right in the main path of travel. Each time we have dined at RPM we have had some form of table issue. It seemed like they had added some space between tables since last time we dined, but i didnt take out the tape measure. Mason did an exemplary job on the app ordering. Its been well documented that every selection was one of the best we have had. More attention should be given to the bread – Parker House Rolls. It is excellent. After our trip to Double Eagle where the waiter basically stated it was acceptable to serve crusty old bread because hey its a steakhouse not a bakery, I have elevated my scrutiny of steakhouse breads. Its just one extra sign of a place actually caring about the entire menu not just the dry aging process that raises the cost of the steak but not the quality in my opinion. But I digress. I went the bone in filet route which at 16oz is a big chunk of cow. It was seared to perfection with a slightly salty crust and a warm reddish / pinkish center. Really good. The sides were all good as well, but the apps and steak take the lead at RPM. I was a bit thrown off by the salad dodging ways of Masons sides order that lacked any form of nutritious greenery, but you have to pay the cost to be the boss and it was his steak night to make the calls.
Losing year after year to Rick Ray in the pick em pool has become the norm which somehow doesnt affect my optimism at the beginning of each new season. I really need to rethink my approach to this game. The platinum carrot cake is not worth discussing. What happened to this staple of the steakhouse? When did it all go wrong? A zombie dust at O’Callaghan’s closed out the night, a 9/10 in my view. I did however avoid any interaction with the waiter and his various opinions on how to spend an obscene amount of money which elevated my overall rating.
No Greens!!!
Great to be back at steak night after a hiatus that was prolonged due to recent work travel. It was a treat to be back at such a fine establishment with a full boat minus Mr. Martin.
The appetizers were outstanding, Mason went aggressive on all fronts and it paid off. However, the sides with dinner going no greens was a miss to me. I like the balance on my plate with a bit of greenery. The steaks were great and the dessert delicious. More than anything I was just happy to be back in the mix. Looking forward to a great 2018.
Well, it has been far too long. Wow!! Attending these sessions, even as few as I have been able to over the past year, has definitely spoiled me with cream of the crop steakhouses and I now have a high standard when it comes to them. Given my long absence, I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive to rejoin the fold, but the moment I walked in and was welcomed by this bunch I knew it could only go by the way of a great night. I was not disappointed.
Upon entering, I was greeted by the crew, with the bartender seemingly on standby – hats off to Zee German for that! Although I had hoped to arrive about 30 minutes early to enjoy a round at the bar, I was still very much satisfied. Great ambiance; with a classy and upscale feel.
The steaks, drinks, and service was great. The appetizers not so much, but they were all a nice size and proportioned out for us. Actually, I highly recommend the lobster app, which would easily be ordered again. Still, to say that I was a little underwhelmed with the apps is putting it mildly – especially at those prices. Though the deserts, well at least the cotton candy, deserve some praise – a little something extra for the birthday boy!
I didn’t love that our round table was really made for two women and two men, i.e., 2 couples, and not 7-8 men. Not a huge deal, but i’m shocked that wine didn’t go flying everywhere – and also glad given the ridiculous pricing. My god, the ol’ 529 account took a bit of a hit for January.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the food and the service at RPM, but the real credit for the fun, as always, goes to the group. It’s not MJ’s quality (or price) however I’m glad to have had my return to the fold take place there, and am looking forward to crushing the over/under on my attendance this year!!
It was a perfect night! Thanks, Gents.