Powerhouse Restaurant - West Loop

I go back a ways with chef John Peters and Scott Noorman, 2 gentlemen who were instrumental in opening Powerhouse, so you may want to just throw this whole thing out the window and wait for the next account, which could be slightly more objective. We're not exactly friends but our paths have crossed numerous times in the course of my food geekdom over the past few years and my interactions with both guys have been consistently positive. So, for me, it's exciting to see these 2 Trio and Alinea alums reunited and running the show together at Powerhouse.

I've actually been somewhat unenthused about finer dining lately but Powerhouse is one place that I really was excited to try. So, when a friend asked me if I wanted to eat there, I jumped at the chance. With the holiday season upon us, I realized that if I didn't get in now, the oppotunity may not present itself again until January. That was too long to wait. So, braving a lousy upper respiratory infection after an utterly miserable day at work, I made the 90 minute drive in rush hour traffic from Deerfield to 215 N. Clinton and I was happy that I did.

Powerhouse has only been open since late November but from our experience, that was fairly hard to discern. Menu covers and other imprinted items are still being delivered, so heavy-stock paper menus were being used but service was smooth, efficient and friendly.

We started in the bar, which is still coming together nicely. There, we were met by beverage director Scott Noorman who told us a little bit about Powerhouse's plans for a classic cocktail list. Because of the bar's era-specific focus, many of the featured cocktails will be bourbon and gin based. Scott poured a small sampling of a very potent brand of Swedish gin, called Zuidan. It differs from many other gins in that the aromatic elements are distilled separately and blended together selectively. The result was a savory and complexly-flavored gin that, unlike many spirits, actually spurred the appetite.

After a few cocktails -- my friend particularly liked the Sazerac -- we moved to the dining room, which is a completely separate space from the bar, located north of the restaurant's entrance (the bar is to the south). It's a long and narrow space with high windows that showcase the tops of the small trees that line the sidewalk outside the building. Once we were seated in the quiet and elegant space, the progression of courses began. In all honesty, the kitchen sent out quite a bit of food that we didn't order so rather than a full-on review, what follows here is a round-up of the highlights from our meal . . .


Slow-roasted chicken thigh with farro ragout, winter root vegetables and thyme

Wow! I always make chicken thighs at home but I've only once before seen them offered in a restaurant (Sun Wah BBQ). What a great dish! The chicken had a deep, chickeny flavor and delectably crispy skin. It didn't taste like duck but it was just as deep in flavor. Across the board, the textures were fantastic. I loved the earthy farro which was slightly resistant to the bite and the root vegetables, which provided a great foundation for the chicken.



Tartare of Kona kampachi with marinated shiitake mushroom, pickled radish and fennel seed cracker

This dish surprised me with its aggressive ginger note but it was absolutely delicious and the boldness immediately distinguished it from so many other, forgettable tartares. Textures were combined thoughtfully and along with the great flavors, the result was a very compelling dish.



Crisp Berkshire pork belly with curry broth, roasted apple, toasted barley and fresh bay leaf

I thought the flavors in this dish were right on the money. I loved the muted sweetness and acidity of the roasted apple in combination with the rich belly. All the components were handled extremely welll. The succulent pork belly was tender and sticky but not greasy.



Salad of romaine hearts with hard-boiled quail eggs, wild boar bacon, pecorino romano, ciabatta croutons and Alexander's garlic dressing

This salad was terrific. The quail eggs and boar bacon were -- of course -- delicious together and the pickled pearl onions provided a pleasant, sweetly acidic note. The 'Alexander' after whom the dressing was named is, I believe, one of the partners at Powerhouse.

I should mention that I was really grateful to Scott for helping us select a great wine; a 2004 Nicholas Joly "Clos de la Bergerie" from Savennieres, France. Years ago Scott told me that his favorite grape was chenin blanc and this wine made it easy to see why. In this situation, where we were trying to match up with several different dishes, I would have probably opted for an Alsatian Reisling (my default choice in such situations) but this wine was a much better choice. It had a great balance between sweet and acidic, and a delicate complexity that evolved as it continued to open up. It also had an interestingly dark color, which Scott told us was due to the fact that the grapes used to make the wine are allowed to develop small amount of botrytis before they are processed. A great, great choice . . .


2004 Nicholas Joly "Clos de la Bergerie" from Savennieres, France



Sweet onion soup with pickled pearl onions and gruyère-crusted baguette

This course -- a riff on traditional French onion soup -- was sent out by the kitchen and it was very enjoyable. Here, the "fixins" await the soup.


Sweet onion soup with pickled pearl onions and gruyère baguette

Here, the soup is poured. I liked the sweet, pureed soup and again, the pickled pearl onions provided a nice, acidic counterpoint.



Nantucket bay scallops with serrano ham, bitter orange puree, roasted parsnip and mache

I really loved this dish. I have to say that I probably wouldn't have ordered bay scallops on my own but I was very happy the kitchen sent these out for us to try. The components all worked extremely well together in highlighting the delicate flavor and texture of the perfectly prepared scallops.



Red wine-braised short ribs with creamy polenta, maitake mushroom, kale and radish-herb salad

I loved the combination of ingredients, flavors and textures here. The mushrooms provided a nice bit of chew that contrasted well with the tender short rib. The only negative was that it was a tad salty for my taste. FWIW, I have been watching my salt intake lately, so it's possible that it was just my palate which had a problem with the saltiness.



Arctic char with cauliflower, romesco, green beans, hard-cooked farm eggs, chervil and caper sabayon

This immaculately fresh piece of char was cooked perfectly. It was tender and moist with a wonderfully crispy skin. I loved the romesco, cauliflower and fried threads of saffron. The egg and sabayon elements didn't completely pop for me, although I really appreciated the idea behind the pairing.


Crispy-skinned Arctic char



Slow-roasted pheasant with sage stuffing, sweet potato, caramelized brussel sprouts and cranberry gastrique

This tasty and well-conceived dish was essentially Thanksgiving on a plate. The stuffing was perfectly seasoned and spiked with tender nuggets of pheasant. I thought all the components -- including the brussels sprouts and the cranberry gastrique -- worked exceedingly well together. I even loved the sweet potato puree with marshmallow topping (foreground), even though I'm not normally a fan of sweet potatoes.



Sweet potato doughnuts with brown butter glaze, cinnamon sabayon, arrop and pepitos

This was my favorite of the 3 desserts we tried. The dessert menu was devised by Tara Lane (of Blackbird fame) but I don't believe she's actively working at Powerhouse. In any case, I really enjoyed the doughnuts, the pepitos and the arrop, which is, I believe, dried and candied pumpkin. The sauce was also tasty but somewhat grainy. I personally found that element somewhat unpleasant but perhaps it was intentional. In either case, the dish succeeded otherwise.

I think we got a pretty good feel for Powerhouse during our inaugural visit and I definitely look forward to returning. Viewing the menus, there are several appealing and distinctive dishes offered that I didn't get to try, so a return is imminent. Chef Peters' menus do, more often than not, speak to me. This is thoughtful comfort food with a fine dining aesthetic. It's refined but not to the point where it loses its emotional impact. While many of the ingredients are familiar, they're prepared and combined in a most inviting way. If it's possible to 'get one's grub on' and experience fine dining at the same time, Powerhouse seems like a great place to do so.

=R=

Powerhouse Restaurant
215 N Clinton St
Chicago, IL 60661
312 928-0800

As always, nice work... if you can call it that.

Great stuff Ron. Powerhouse is definitely on my radar to get to before too long.

I met friends here for lunch yesterday. Very handsome dining rooms, and the bar/lounge seemed quite cozy as well. We sat in the center of the far dining room...quite a trek from the host stand but warm and welcoming.

Two of us had the apple/arugula salad and the burger, two others had the romaine salad, the ribeye sandwich and the chicken tacos. The apple salad was quite tasty, with shaved fennel and parmegiano nicely accenting the arugula and green apples. The burger was a hefty beast, but delish with sharp cheddar and Nueske's bacon. I got big thumbs up from the others as they enjoyed the romaine salads. Reviews were mixed on their entrees, tho. Ribeye not as solid as the burger, but the tacos were tasty, and a very big portion IMHO.

The entrees were well-matched with a bottle of Mas de Gourgonnier, and Scott was an excellent "wine host" for us.

I'll bring the GF back for dinner - those photos of Ronnie's are making me salivate!

Mrs. Davooda and I will be in the city for the Boat Show in mid-January and we're always looking for new dining options, especially in this niche.

(It will also be the tenth anniversary of the night I asked Mrs. Davooda for her hand in marriage at Chef Jean Louis - a very nice french restaurant which was located in the Arcola, IL bowling alley - romantic that I am!)

Ronnie - just so I am prepared for it, do you have a ballpark idea of the the price of this princely meal? I know you dined with a friend, but I thought I would ask just in case...

Thanks,
Davooda

Davooda wrote:Mrs. Davooda and I will be in the city for the Boat Show in mid-January and we're always looking for new dining options, especially in this niche.

(It will also be the tenth anniversary of the night I asked Mrs. Davooda for her hand in marriage at Chef Jean Louis - a very nice french restaurant which was located in the Arcola, IL bowling alley - romantic that I am!)

Ronnie - just so I am prepared for it, do you have a ballpark idea of the the price of this princely meal? I know you dined with a friend, but I thought I would ask just in case...

Thanks,
Davooda

Because we did get a few comps, tipped accordingly and split the bill 3 ways, I think the best way to gauge this is to view the menus, which you can do on-line, as long as you have acrobat installed:

Powerhouse Dinner Menu

Powerhouse Dessert Menu

I hope that helps,

=R=

Many thanks R - I had tried to Google it but came up with Chowhound and LTH postings, but no restaurant website.

Davooda

The Wife took me to Powerhouse last night for my birthday and we had a fantastic dinner.

I sort of inadvertently ordered a very similar meal to the one I had at Takashi a couple of weeks ago, so this turned into a bit of a smackdown. I have to say, I think Powerhouse came out on top.

I started with the pork belly. It's gotten to the point where pork belly is starting to become ubiquitous, so there is a greater responsibility on the part of the chef to make this dish really special. At Powerhouse, it's really special. The top of the belly was crisp, and the rest simply melted in my mouth. I can't think of the last time I had pork belly that it actually melted in my mouth (this includes at Blackbird, the home of pork belly). This pork belly dish absolutely destroyed the pork belly I had at Takashi, not even close. The belly was served with two slices of apple, providing the necessary sweet foil, and on top of barley which gave the dish a nice heartiness. The Wife had the bay scallops and Serrano ham which was also awesome.

The kitchen was then kind enough to send out two additional appetizers (I think it's because I told our waiter how much the pork belly rocked). One was a mushroom risotto and the other was the roasted chicken thigh. I'm not really a mushroom fan so I just had a bite of the risotto. The risotto itself seemed to be cooked perfectly, and the rest was tasty (especially if you like mushrooms). Luckily the Wife doesn't eat chicken so I got the chicken thigh all to myself. The skin was nicely seasoned and crispy, and the meat was moist and flavorful. I usually don't order chicken in restaurants, but I would definitely consider ordering this when I go back.

For my main course I had the duck. The typical sliced breast/confit leg dish, but definitely elevated. The slices of breast were a nice medium-rare, and cut thick enough so you actually knew you were eating duck. The plate also had a few chips of crispy skin. The confit part of the dish is actually served in a cobbler. You get a little cast-iron pot with a beet and duck confit cobbler. I thought this was a really neat take on the confit portion of the program. The beets provided just enough sweetness to go with the duck, but also enough of a savory element to let you know you weren't eating dessert. The Wife had an 18oz. steak, ordered before we knew that there would be a bonus course. The steak was very good (cooked a little under the ordered medium-rare, but that's ok), but let's just say I'm going to be having a nice sized steak for dinner tonight.

For dessert we went with the sweet potato donuts, which were just as good as advertised, and a banana/peanut butter thing (I can't remember exactly what it was called). Basically, it was a banana mousse served on top of a peanut butter cookie on top of a milk chocolate sauce. To put it over the top, there was some nice melted marshmallow on the plate to go with it. The banana/peanut butter dessert was comped (call it the anit-Primehouse birthday treatment).

Service was fantastic. Our server James (who we've also had at Custom House and Alinea) is a real pro and always does a great job.

Prices didn't seem out of line with other comparable restaurants. Total bill for a bottle of wine (about $90), two appetizers, two main courses, and one dessert was $210 after tax but before tip. Had we been charged for the other dessert, it would have added $9.

I will definitely be back.

It sounds great. Now if they can only change the name.

Will they be opening any new sister restaurants, with names like Dominator or Juggernaut?

saps wrote:It sounds great. Now if they can only change the name.

Will they be opening any new sister restaurants, with names like Dominator or Juggernaut?

Give the location, the name actually makes quite a bit of sense.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Give the location, the name actually makes quite a bit of sense.

I agree. The name Powerhouse seems appropriate to me.

I stand (on one leg, because my foot is in my mouth) corrected. After reading about the building, that is actually a pretty cool name that makes a lot of sense.

After reading about the building, that is actually a pretty cool name that makes a lot of sense.

But I still really, really wonder kind of decor a restaurant called Juggernaut would have. I think it might be kind of awesome.

Well, for starters, the servers would break through the walls to bring your food out.

Ronnie noted elsewhere the Dish piece on the apparent troubles at Powerhouse.

I never got around to posting on it but I was fairly underwhelmed by this place when I ate there around the first of the year. The idea of a restaurant inside a 19th century powerhouse sounded wonderfully dramatic (in a Batman Begins kind of way) but the rooms could be in any newly constructed hotel-- safe and tasteful and uninteresting. Unfortunately that came close to describing the food as well, which was not bad in any sense, certainly well made, but not memorable either. It seemed like solidly unchallenging fare for an expense account crowd. (Sepia could be described the same way, but the place and food manage to be lively nonetheless.) So if this place is sinking fast, I won't find a lot of reason to miss it.

Has anyone eaten here lately? Did the management troubles affect the restaurant at all?

Mike G wrote:Ronnie noted elsewhere the Dish piece on the apparent troubles at Powerhouse.

I never got around to posting on it but I was fairly underwhelmed by this place when I ate there around the first of the year. The idea of a restaurant inside a 19th century powerhouse sounded wonderfully dramatic (in a Batman Begins kind of way) but the rooms could be in any newly constructed hotel-- safe and tasteful and uninteresting. Unfortunately that came close to describing the food as well, which was not bad in any sense, certainly well made, but not memorable either. It seemed like solidly unchallenging fare for an expense account crowd. (Sepia could be described the same way, but the place and food manage to be lively nonetheless.) So if this place is sinking fast, I won't find a lot of reason to miss it.

I will post a report soon.

We dined at Powerhouse this past Friday night, celebrating our anniversary. We went there expecting an average meal, and we left amazed and WOWed! The restaurant was busy, so I imagine the buzz over Powerhouse is still going strong. The service was excellent, without being intrusive. The flavors and freshness of the dishes we enjoyed was simply amazing.

We spoke with one of the owners, Jimmy Alexander. Jimmy's family has a history in the restaurant business, as his uncle had Alexander's Restaurant, on 79th Street, near Lake Shore Drive, for years. I remember going there when I was growing up, for special occasions. Alexander's was known for their signature garlic dressing, which they gladly sold by the pint and quart. I know while growing up, we always had a supply in our refrigerator! Jimmy used to bus tables for his uncle. After the restaurant closed, Jimmy opened an Alexander's in Chicago Ridge, on 95th near Southwest Highway for a few years. Jimmy then was part owner of Pegasus, in Greektown and Midway airport, for many years, bringing the family recipe for garlic dressing there as well. (Jim would oblige our request for a little dressing to enjoy at home.)

After Jimmy left Pegasus, we hadn't heard of his next venture. We discovered he sold his interest in Pegasus after we could not get our "garlic dressing fix" on a visit to the restaurant! When we read about his opening of Powerhouse (and his inclusion of the Alexander's signature salad), we felt relieved he was back on the restaurant scene with something new and exciting.


The restaurant is located on the west side of the loop, on Clinton, between Fulton and Lake. The chimney of the old power generating station is highlighted.






We booked our reservation with OpenTable, as it allows a section for special requests or comments, and it's just convenient and quick. I did request, as cliche as it is, their best table to celebrate our anniversary. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Jimmy, who led us to a very nice, center room, half round table. The booth was very comfortable and plush.



The main dining room has nicely appointed wood mouldings, plush curtains, and booths. Also, there are large black and white photos throughout the room highlighting all things related to trains and transportation.




We were presented with the menus. The menu covers have a cool logo of the Powerhouse building - very industrial. Also, they added a personal touch, which I thought was very classy.





For an appetizer, we ordered the Tartare of Hawaiian Ono,with ginger, radish, shiitake mushroom, and fennel seed cracker. The waiter said the fish just melts in your mouth, and he was right on. It was so fresh, with just the right amount of ginger.

Now, what I had been eagerly anticipating, did not disappoint. We ordered the Romaine Hearts Salad, with Quail Eggs, shallots, croutons, and Alexander's Garlic Dressing. The dressing was all that I remembered it to be, served with new ingredients that complimented it. (The original Alexander's Restaurant served a simple iceberg salad.)




For our entrees, my wife ordered the Grilled Swordfish with lobster ravioli, watercress, and tomato essence, which was a light, almost clear broth of tomato liquid. Resting on top of the presentation was the meat from the lobster claw. My wife was in heaven at this point.



I ordered something I never had the pleasure of trying until tonight, Wild Boar Rack with ancho chile sauce, artisanal grits topped with a poached egg, and house made Cotechino - a type of sausage. The meat was cooked as ordered, and very lean and flavorful. The ancho chile sauce was a perfect compliment to the wood grilled flavor of the boar.




After dinner, we ordered coffee, which came with a little added touch of chocolate brownie.



For dessert, we ordered the signature Sweet Potato Doughnuts with brown butter, cinnamon sabayon, apples, pepitos. Delicious!




Also, Powerhouse makes it's own ice creams. The Toasted Coconut sounded really good, so we asked the waiter if we could try a scoop of that on the side. The flavor brought back memories of the toasted coconut marshmallow we used to enjoy as kids....it was excellent.




After dinner, our check presentation included a gratis tray of little homemade treats that provided a nice finale to an enjoyable meal.



We would highly recommend Powerhouse for a special occasion restaurant. We felt they exceeded our initial expectations. The creativity and flavor of each dish, as well as the attentive service, made for a memorable evening.

Powerhouse Restaurant
215 N Clinton St
Chicago, IL 60661
312 928-0800

As I was new to the neighborhood- I decided to try Powerhouse on a random weeknight.
It was oddly empty to the point where we felt uncomfortable. Even a switch to the bar room- which was empty too- didn't really alleviate how empty it felt. The food was very good, even surprisingly so, and the salad w/ Alex's dressing terrific.

However, I would be hesitant about returning out of fear that I would be the only table in the dining room. I am sure a weekend is fine, but I will lean to blackbird or sepia during the week. I hope they can experience a resurgence of business as we can never have a shortage of great food!

chico

Just a note that the current chef at Powerhouse is Jeff Mauro, who worked at Charlie Trotter's and North Pond. His current menu reminds me very much of North Pond, with an emphasis on seasonal fare and local produce.

misterchico wrote:
It was oddly empty to the point where we felt uncomfortable.

Reading Windy City's post and seeing the prices for mains in one of his pics made me think that Powerhouse is a likely case study for the effect this recession will have on fine dining. Given it's low profile location, the internal problems, and the fact that the press already reviewed the spot, it will be interesting to see if it can survive--in that neighborhood, in this economy, at those prices, et al. I haven't been, so I don't want to prejudge, but the skeptic in me says no way.

The prices are high, though not out of line with the quality of the food and the setting. They're also doing a lower cost, more casual menu in the bar.

But much more high-profile spots are struggling in this economy.

LAZ wrote:But much more high-profile spots are struggling in this economy.

And sometimes, I wonder about THAT, as well. We visited Carinivale last Saturday, and Frontera Grill last night. Both places were packed, with long waits for tables. It was surprising to see so many restaurants we passed still doing well.

This is something I've wondered about--how restaurants in general, and how expensive restaurants in particular, are doing in this economy. Anecdotally, it seems like I read about more closings than openings in the "Openings and Closings" thread these days, but that perception might be skewed by the narrative I expect to be happening rather than the one that is happening.

I forgot to mention another one...The Pannekoeken. I went visited Friday , mid-morning by myself, and Saturday early afternoon with my wife. Both days, the business was good, with Saturday both inside and outside tables all taken. The food is still terrific there, and I heard many compliments by other diners. I guess if you provide good service, food and value, you will survive.

TheWindyCity wrote:

LAZ wrote:And sometimes, I wonder about THAT, as well. We visited Carinivale last Saturday, and Frontera Grill last night. Both places were packed, with long waits for tables. It was surprising to see so many restaurants we passed still doing well.

But how are they doing on Tuesdays?

By some really nutty coincidence I stopped by Powerhouse today on a non-dining errand. I was really impressed with the space, I'm going to have to check it out, maybe first at lunch.

This past Tuesday night- we had a group of friends and coworkers meet at The Bar side of Powerhouse for The Girlfriends 40th B-day.
Not a huge group - but Jimmy certainly did a lot to make us feel welcomed.What a wonderful man.
A consummate Restauranteur.

The Pomegranate Martinis were flowing- full of flavor- and the casual comfortable tone of the separate Bar
( a small Factoid Jimmy shared with us- the City made them establish 2 liquor licenses- one for the "Southern Side" bar- and another for the Restaurant and "Northern End Party/Meeting Room"- 2 separate establishments on Paper, for reasons not fully explained to me) made for a great after work Party.
Some of the appetizers we shared included the Grilled Shrimp atop a Bruschetta- w/perfectly grilled succulent shrimp, and a tomato topping with just a touch of heat.
The Garlic Dressing and Crudite were also shared- compliments of Jimmy.

Perhaps there coulda been more filled tables at 6pm on a Tuesday nigh.
Ideally- the developers woulda designed the buildout- to FULLY capture the 30+ foot high ceilings in the space- w/ perhaps a Mezzanine atrium design (not unlike what Sir Terrance Conran designed in NYC w/a fmr. Streets and San Truck lot, thats now called Gustavinos, located in the footings of The Queensborough Bridge)
And- they shoulda given Jimmy/The Powerhouse rights to serve on the RoofTop Terrace.
But- they didn't- and the space is what it is.

Go and support this place.
They sure deserve it.

Has anyone been here recently? I've noticed a HUGE change in menu. I went to Powerhouse tonight with a friend and found the menu to be that of a steakhouse...or even a room service type menu. Name a typical dish and they had it...simple lamb lollipop dish, steak, chicken, burger, etc. Nothing like what was posted when it started. I know that the Chef has changed and what not but wow....what a drop in quality. I felt like I was eating at a pricey sports bar.

*and about the Alexander sauce....that's the owners claim to fame which has been passed down by his family for years

I went here in November, Jayz, and I agree with you. It really seemed like mid-range hotel room service food choices. More steak choices than most room service menus I have seen--but that is besides the point when the quality is also typical of mid-range hotel room service food. I had a salmon that was not at all tasty and my dining companion had a salad with sliced steak on top that appeared and in fact was very grissley. We didn't complain because we didn't feel anything could be done to rectify the situation based on the rest of the menu and the looks of the food on other tables, and unfortunately for Powerhouse we won't be back.