Ad Categories: Dining & Drinking

  Erie Cafe 536 W. Erie St. 312-266-2300 Website You don’t see many places these days with mahogany leather chairs and a framed painting of a clipper ship, unless they’re being ironic. But there’s nothing ironic about this old-school spot. A spirit of excess colors everything, from the ridiculous heaps of blue cheese melting onto … Read more

  Chicago Cut Steakhouse 300 N. LaSalle St. 312-329-1800 Website What a lively bar to hang out at while waiting for a table! What a wonderfully executed old fashioned made with Templeton Rye! What a view of the river and skyline from the dining room! What fresh shellfish in the crab cocktail and in the … Read more

  Sullivan’s Steakhouse 415 N. Dearborn St. 312-527-3510 Website It’s undoubtedly a sleeper, right? A chain steak house in River North flanked by big-deal competitors—Ruth’s Chris, Harry Caray’s, Keefer’s—that serves up a familiar roster of meat, seafood, and martinis. Surprise! Sully’s delivers some of the juiciest steaks around. First things first, though. Why not pause … Read more

  Fulton’s on the River 315 N. LaSalle St. 312-822-0100 Website (Editor's note: Since this story was first published, this restaurant has closed.) Unless they’re planning a reception or some similar event, Chicagoans rarely think about Fulton’s. Maybe it’s because the place resembles a conference room more than a steak house. But like the view … Read more

  Wildfire 159 W. Erie St. 312-787-9000 Website Lettuce Entertain You’s first steak venture is far more modest than the typical Chicago steak house (and the company’s forthcoming sure-to-be-glam RPM Steak). The chain’s River North flagship manages to be utterly approachable yet not lowbrow. This is a place where 20-something couples can afford the perfectly … Read more

  Mike Ditka’s Tremont Hotel, 100 E. Chestnut St. 312-587-8989 Website Kitsch on the Gold Coast? Only if you consider a museum-caliber collection of photos of the former Bears coach and players covering every bit of wall space kitschy. The gift shop, too, crosses over into Tackyville. But here’s the thing: Eating at Ditka’s is … Read more

Roasted tomatoes Bursting blackened tomatoes saturated with thick salt crystals Bavette’s Photos: Anna Knott Lobster Mac ’N’ Cheese Tender lobster chunks and chewy capellini coated in gobs of melted Havarti, Grana Padano, and mascarpone: food porn starts here The Capital Grille Garlic Horseradish Mashed Potatoes A homey classic that has gotten a zesty makeover Sullivan’s … Read more