Chicago Cut Steakhouse – Merely a Grazing Wound
From the desk of Scotty Markets (dictated but not read)
Once again the time of the month arrived for the finest epicurean gentlemen to gather for a night of feast and sport at one of the local steak haunts of the city. As gracious host of the evening for a full boat…er make that 9, er…make that 8…ok, finally 7; we were all adorned with the fine choice of Chicago Cut Steakhouse for the evening.
Upon my arrival at the restaurant, I was nicely greeted by most of the bunch, and reminded how unwelcoming the bar area (in overall shape and table partitioning) is laid out, as well as the fact that there is either a really small coat room, or just a desire to display everyone’s coats and handbags (Gimms) for the evening in the cavernous hallway the restaurant features on the way back to the kitchen and bathrooms. The layout of the bar encroaching on that hallway and host stand right in the entry way really begs to wonder who the hell designed the space and why they haven’t fixed it after 5+ years.
That said, drinks were paid for (thanks Don!) by the partakers and on to a lovely table for 5 that we dutifully surrounded in the dining room. A crowded, bustling dining room was likely the cause of this and all was immediately forgiven, but it does remind one that a manageable seating arrangement like that of The Capital Grille the prior month does have its merits. Snuggly tucked in, I fired in my most accommodative wine order for the group (Hess Allomi) as well as some apps with the varietals of tuna tartare, lamb chops , pork belly (I mean bacon) and crab and avocado. Given that it was almost impossible to reach for anything on the table without knocking into the person or his food sitting next to you, props to the waiters for dialing up and dishing out equal portions to the ravenous group.
The real dinner time came with a bone-in filet med rare for the king here, along with some nice other cuts that the establishment featured. While mine was cooked perfectly and good comments were abound on preparation, my steak did not have a ton of flavor. Not to say it was bland but given that the béarnaise sauce stood no chance and had me asking for more, fair to say some flavor was lacking. That said the prep and tenderness like an donkey’s ass was nice enough to not send it back.
Conversation was lively with some discussions of best steak joints in the city along with other high society banter…housemaid cost, au pair arrangements, etc…the usual stuff. One item we did leave off that is of particular curiosity to yours truly is combining the steak night reviews we gave at the table with bar scene/comfortability as that is seeming to come up more and more at some of these joints which choose to sacrifice a good bar scene to focus on dining only.
Mason was the big winner on the bday celebration and because of the Pats winning their 15th Super Bowl Championship of the decade, Cizzle walked free on a decent tab. Note by the time we adjourned just after 10pm, and over the course of the last hour or so of eating, the place emptied, and it wasn’t because of the boisterous group. Seemed like an oddly desolate feel in the encompassing room to have it nearly half empty no later than 9pm on a non-holiday weekend Thursday in Chicago…which gets me to my point: Chicago Cut is pretty overrated in my mind. Service is good, food is good, bar needs some work, layout mechanics of the place stink, and given its near perfect location (right on the picturesque and often frozen Chicago River), I would come to expect a little more. Maybe that is just me, but for my bet, this place has lost a good bit of the luster it hit the scene with when it opened several years back.
7/10
Filed under: General
6 Responses to “Chicago Cut Steakhouse – Merely a Grazing Wound”
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The bar scene at Cut is always good and this night was no exception. Brad Ray showed up with a nice beard for the event. Like a young James Brolin or Ellis from Die Hard. We had a nice discussion about sauna usage and how it effects male procreation ability. Summary: All things in moderation.
As Scotty remarked, the dining room was tight. If Cut has a problem, that has always been it. That said, the service was great as was my NY Strip and Scotty’s work as the host.
We had an after dinner beverage at The Shamrock Club a/k/a The Rock which is always enjoyable.
Missed the bar scene and the free drinks unfortunately. Also missed Jevon Hans and DC – 2 of whom will be drinking warm luxardo in the future.
Table was tight as 7 of us packed into a table for 5. If it had been a full boat it may have gotten out of control.
Rick wore his Valentines Crimson red suit in honor of the holiday, the Tide and the Hawks first winning streak of the season.
Split the ribeye w B Ray – was on point. Creamed spinach was an A+.
Afterwards we headed to River Shannon where I had to make a quick run for the hills.
Great time all around.
Very Solid 8
Chicago Cut and I haven’t been on the same page since a wine misunderstanding back in about 2013, and this Steak Night outing didn’t do a whole lot to repair the relationship. Scotty’s comments about the shortcomings of the bar area floor plan are spot on. You basically had to walk through a TJ Maxx to get to the bathroom, and the hostess stand has a “you don’t have to go home, but you caaan’t stand ….here” vibe to it’s location.
The emphasis on uncomfortable spacing continued into the dining room, followed soon by the emphasis on uncomfortable steak pricing. I believe I was charged $69 for a Kansas City strip that I lost interest in halfway through.
On the plus side, I enjoyed the practiced cadence and stage presence of our professional waiter, and the apps and sides carried the day well. And I was fortunate to be seated on the north side of the table where the views of the river and Chicago’s vertical architecture are not to be understated. Conversation sparkled as usual.
I think the Cut and I are going to need a few more years apart.
4.5/10
This place was all the craze when it opened and I think still has the majority of people fooled. Not this guy. For me, Chicago Cut is great for a business breakfast and great for a business lunch – both when someone else is paying. However, for a steak dinner I simply give it a ‘Meh’. For one, as all have pointed out, the bar stinks. Absolutely stinks. Not even enjoyable to go stand there and be turned around like a top every two seconds trying to avoid someone. The dining room is so tight that my lats almost knocked over the wine bottle at the table next to me. And the food is good – but just good and doesn’t come close to the outrageous prices.
However, as per usual, the company exceeded value across the board. I particularly enjoyed learning of Bill’s NY Times, Water and Sauna routine in the morning and the associated concerns. All of which were surprisingly over blown by his Missus.
As all three kids were home with the Flu, I went straight home after dinner.
I love Steak Night and all its glory. However, something inside me says we may need to update our approach so as to avoid these ho hum dining experiences that we can see coming from a mile away.
A return trip to Chicago Cut. A rumored favorite of various Blackhawks and the Round Mound of Rebound himself, Charles Barkley. I arrived with Cizzle just after 7:00 and was instantly reminded that the bar sucks. It’s small, a weird lay out and it’s too crowded, it rivals or perhaps passes Joe’s for worst bar area in s steak house. I’m not sure where all this talk of free cocktails is coming from because that was not the case. Don may owe drinks but he wasn’t there.
I have always thought this place was overrated, this trip just confirmed the fact that it is still overrated. Sure the food is good but it’s overpriced. The lamb lolli pop appetizer and potatoes were both good and I enjoyed them and my ribeye was good too. However it was almost $70 for my rib eye, the previous two months I have had steaks at Joe’s and Capital Grill that were in the $50s and both better steaks. I guess you are paying for the location and the view but it’s not worth it. Especially because it feels like 10 extra tables that don’t really fit have been crammed into the dining room. I understand that this place is a hot spot (although I’m not sure it’s justified) and I don’t might going every once in a while but it’s not even close to being one of my favorite steak places in Chicago.
The conversations and the company are always what makes steak night. While sports are often a favorite topic it’s usually the big four sports and golf yet on this trip Mason and I talked about Polo. When I say Polo I don’t mean we were talking about our Ralph Lauren shirts I mean the sport. Turns out Mason is a fan of Polo and I have read about the sport a bunch because I have some friends from high school that are professional polo players. Polo, what are the chances? I guess next month we should talk about cricket and see what happens.
After dinner drinks were at the Shamrock Club, Despite its nickname “The Rock” we managed to have a couple beers with no one breaking out their Sean Connery impression. Great times as always. On to March.
This is merely an obligatory post for timing, and due to the fact that I’ve been bed ridden with the flu for three days, far, far from the world of eating steak. From really eating anything that is. We hadn’t been to Chicago Cut in quite a long time. 5 years maybe? No clue, but I guess I know why. Chicago Cut has never really Cut it for me. It may be one of the best dining room views in the city but its so tight, and the food never really blows me over. All in all, a great evening due to the company alone. Cheers to March and hopefully an early spring.