New York had steakhouses before Mrs. O’Leary had a cow, but let’s be clear: This Midwestern stockyard city perfected the genre. Want proof? Walk into the gray, shingle-roofed building that has stood under the L in River North since 1941 and watch history still writing itself. Visiting celebrities, titans of industry, and stalwart regulars smile from framed photos on the walls. On a good night, the two downstairs dining rooms teem with well-heeled machers who don’t think twice about the prices. Upstairs might as well be Peoria, and as a nobody, you’ll be escorted up there promptly. No matter. Settle in, order a martini, and wait for your wet-aged rib eye, which is being broiled to perfection at 1,400 degrees. It won’t disappoint. $69; 500 N. Franklin St., River North