Certainly a fun exercise in planning for a fine Chicago dining event for the 10 best gentlemen in the city happens to surround the circumstances when one must find a locale that fits both in size and expectations, the members of the group.  Happily, I think that was close to achievement in the recent selection of Mastro’s River North.  Despite some touristy-type requests from the restaurant when planning for a full boat of 10, I think Mastro’s accommodates well with a lively and spacious bar atmosphere which at least on Thursdays features some of the best Coldplay, MGMT, Foster the People knock off crooning via a more than capable live band that money can buy.  Special thanks to those guys for playing all my requests after a fistful of dollars hit their tip cup on my arrival.

Speaking of arrival, as a good host looking to make a better impression, I arrived first around 6:45 and began awaiting for the night to begin with the group.  A few scotches later and we were all assembled and ready to begin our dining event with a table for 10 put squarely in the entrance to the dining room for all passers by to see.   The pole position in the dining room was a little questionable but provided decent access to staff or for some (ET Fingers) the street outside for early transportation home.

Tasked with the enviableness of ordering the grape juice and opening noshes, I went with some old favorite standbys other than the illuminous seafood tower, in sea scallops and shrimp, which each were on point in my opinion.  The sauce with the scallops?  Yeah, bathe me in it.

Steaks were ordered and service picked up with a double team some decent lass who’s name I don’t remember along with a fine gentlemen named Joesepppppe.  While they originally had a little trouble navigating the large table and decently raucous atmosphere in a full dining room, it seems they made it all the way around to the perfect 10 gentlemen and orders were etched in stone.  Up for me was a shared rare+ double cut porterhouse with good friend Zee German.  It certainly came out rare, and even chilly in spots, but had some good flavor.  Embarrassingly it was a little too caveman for this carnivore (see picture above) and was sent back for a little more heat to make sure the animal wasn’t still breathing.  Accompanying the fine meat were two easy favorites in cream – corn and spinach.  These two veggie partners complimented the steak well from a flavor standpoint and really rounded out the coloring on the plate.

Rounding out the night it was time to sing a very heartfelt happy birthday to Jevon (after a walk outside to a cab with ET to make sure he was on his way home safely), and crown a new entrant into the CC roulette hall of fame in Mason Phelps.  Pretty quick win for the poetic debutant from months ago and worth checking if we have a new record for such a quick move into the black (somewhat) on steak night.

All tolled it was a fine night to receive one and all in the group, for most of the steak night at least, and primes us for some momentum heading into the end of the year when a warm steak and even warmer conversation is what cures most of us as we try to get through the unforgiving Chicago winters.

8/10

Filed under: General | 9 Comments »