Rarely does this group of gentlemen dine at a new restaurant. So when nationally renowned Del Frisco’s opened it’s doors in Chicago a month ago, it seemed like a logical choice to kickstart Steak Night in 2013.

Situated in the heart of the Gold Coast, Del Frisco’s boasts providing guests “…unforgettable experiences in a stunning and energetic atmosphere…”. Sitting in the old Esquire Theatre, the space is both huge and impressive. Featuring upper and lower level bars, walls of wine, fine art work and seemingly endless tables; Del Frisco’s wreaks of an upper echelon steak house.

I arrived at 7pm and settled in at the lower level bar. Pretty crowded with little room for seating, I made my way to the second level where I crossed paths with Zee German. The upper bar, while empty, has considerably more space complete with table tops, sofa chairs and the best body ever to be seen on a server. The rest of the group followed and J-Cizzle promptly offered to cut off the tip of his pinky for just a little somethin somethin with our server friend….her body went to 11.

The dining space upstairs is very large and was very unpopulated. We were welcomed and taken to our table which was a nice one sided booth in the middle of the floor. Soon after our server and sommelier, Michael, welcomed us to Del Frisco’s. Michael recognized the group from Sullivan’s and was very willing and capable in helping with the large wine list. We were guided to an excellent selection, at a reasonable price point.

This is pretty much where the night took a turn. Making our way through the menu, as all expected, Del Frisco’s is grossly over priced. While recommended, we passed on the seafood tower. Which, at $296 for the table, was not hard to do. I am still trying to get my head around that price point. It is just insulting and even more so when the server pushes it out of the gate.

Instead, we ordered up some bisque, as well as friend calamari. The calamari is reminiscent of Sullivan’s, in that it has some asian flare. I love Asian flare and I like it accompanying calamari, too — delicious. The bisque was very good but not great and certainly not worthy of the $14 price tag.

After the apps, we waited a good 90 minutes before ordering our steaks and sides. During this time (I think it was during this time, I was getting a little drunk) we agreed on a steak night NFL playoff pool — super bowl winner walks free in Feb. With no hats handy, and seemingly all the time in the world, I hollowed out a piece of bread and we picked teams out of that. Look, I know it is not your classiest move, but I was in the process of being over served and exceedingly underwhelmed; so that is what you get.

Complaints to the staff on overall and speed of service resulted in an overwhelming response where we were literally swarmed by servers. When it came time to order, I went with my bone in Ribeye, medium rare, and took the lead on sides; traditional mashed, cream spinach and king crab gnocchi.

My steak was ok. Maybe it is because I was expecting so much more. It was cooked perfectly with modest flavor. However, given reputation and cost — I was expecting something extra special. That is where the creamed spinach comes in. The best in the city — hands down. I love me some cream spinach and this was the highlight of the meal and well ahead of all others. I would go back and order a bucket to go. The balance of the sides were ok. The Mashy P’s were good but not special and the King Crab Gnocchi was average. It was clear to me the Gnocchi were not homemade and as a result overly doughy.

At the conclusion of our 3.5 hour dining experience, we passed on dessert in favor of just leaving for a drink. Each person received $50 credit for future dining which was a nice touch, but I would have rather had proper service and a great meal. I often say you need to give a place at least 6 months to work out service kinks. Del Frisco’s has changed my POV — for prices like this a customer deserves excellent service no matter when the open date.

Hans walked free and all others walked frustrated and disappointed. Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House provides a double bogey experience.
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Footnote: Title for this write up provided by Jevon Wood Thoresen

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