This is a review about meat. My parents are meat people. Oh they'll have side dishes and appetizers and desserts. They'll have something with a different sort of preparation if it is presented to them. But when they wanted to have dinner down in the Loop/near North Side area (they are of the suburban variety) they wanted meat. Unadorned and well-aged hunks of steak. So I gave them the David Burke's menu. They began drooling. That made the decision making process simple.
The appetizers at DB's are excellent. The Kobe Beef Sashimi by itself is tasty and is of course meaty. But the truffle mayo that comes with the dish, and the mushroom chips are what make it addictive. The truffle mayo could probably be put in a soft drink cup and drank as the most decadent and heart attacky shake ever. The crab cake is another dish that begins with a solid but not amazing core. But the mango-mayo is just so incredibly bright and refreshing that it lifts the entire dish.
But enough of this frippery. This is a review of meat. And the meat is certainly noteworthy. The four of us at dinner decided to each try a different cut so that we could compare notes and try a little of each other's selections. My thoughts on each:
- "South Side" filet mignon, bone-in: I am unsure how long this cut is aged for. I don't believe very long. This cut was very good, but nothing out of the ordinary.
- 35-day aged Kansas City sirloin: My wife had this steak. In contrast to the more aged cuts that others had this steak seemed very young. It had a freshness and a juiciness that made me wonder if there was a cow walking around in the back just missing a chunk from its body. It is odd, because I suspect this was aged much longer than the South Side filet, but seemed less so.
- 55 day aged Ribeye: This was the cut our waiter suggested as the best piece of meat they had. This might be the most pure meat selection you can get at DB's. It might be the most pure meat selection you can get in the city come to think of it. It tasted like someone took 3 steaks and somehow pushed them all together, bending the very laws of time and space, and thus created a MEGA-STEAK. This tasted like meat as meat should be.
- 75 day aged ribeye: This was my cut of meat. As I told the server, it was time to try climbing meat mountain. You rarely get a steak that is described the way one might describe a wine, with the various hints and notes of other flavors to be alert for. But this seemed fitting with this piece. I've never had a steak so supple, so giving to the knife. The fat of the steak melted in my mouth upon touching my teeth and palate. I think the texture may have been more interesting and satisfying than the taste. Not to sell the taste short. The moment when I picked up a blue cheese like flavor in the meat was surprising and wonderful. I recommend this cut to any meat devotee to try at least once. It might not be the most satisfying steak you'll ever eat in terms of meaty goodness, but it is something unique. I've had a LOT of steak in my lifetime, and I can honestly say this cut was something new to me.
The desserts there are quite tasty. The King, with its bacon peanut brittle and tempura fried bananas is absurd in its flavor combinations and absolutely wonderful for ending the meal. The Salted Caramel ice cream was an unexpected treat.
Service was on par with what you would expect in terms of food and wine knowledge. The staff did acquit themselves very well with a few small instances. When my folks were lamenting not being able to bring leftovers to their most favored children of the canine variety due to being on their way to a show after dinner, the server offered to keep their leftovers refrigerated for pickup after their show. When they realized they had left their reading glasses in their coats, the hostess quickly retrieved the glasses for my folks, saving me from having to read the menu aloud to them for which I was very grateful.
In a city with a lot of meat, and a lot of places to eat it, DB's is certainly worthy of being in the upper tier of choices. The dry-aged cuts are worth the notice of any meat connoisseur who fancies themselves a black belt carnivore. You're going to pay here (our tab was around $150 a person at the end of the night), but really, what steakhouse worth your time is going to be a cheap night out?
And one more thing. MEAT!
David Burke's Primehouse
616 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 660-6000
HCH rating - 4 stars
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