Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse - Lombard

I visited the Lomard outpost of Harry Caray's last night for the first time last night for a business dinner. My vedors wanted steak, and I didnt want to drive to and from Chicago to vist any of my standbys(Joes, David Burkes, Saloon), so Lombard was a compromise. Harry Caray's is located in the Westin Hotel @ Yorktown, and is a very nice space. A huge bar complete with a display of the "carnable wagon"( weekly friday afternoon feature) from my favorite radio show The Roe Kahn show.

We started off in the bar, and Harry Cary's has a decent selection of tequilas, I had 2 Cazadores, as well as a couple of Budweisers(although they did have alot of beers on tap, I wanted to stick with an old lighter favorite). We moved onto our table, and were seated by the kitchen(thanks Open Table.. ) The restaurant has a few different rooms, and we were in the main didnig room. White table clothes, with booths, and tables. We were there for meat, so we had some bread and after checking out the meat cart I took the lead and ordered the $89 surf and turf(9 oz filet & a 14 oz. rock lobster tail). Haray Carays says the serve prime, dry aged beef, so I was hoping they did. My didnign companions followed my order although I ordered my filet rare, the others ordered theirs medium well, and medium rare. We ordered no sides, knowing the lobster and beef feast to follow. I had another Bud, and another shot before the food came, and was feeling pretty good. The filet was cooked perectly, and was a full 9 oz. for sure. However it was not as good as filets i have had at the steak houses I regulary eat at down town. The lobster tail was broiled, and removed from the shell for us. Very tasty, and cof course served with drawn butter. Overall a decent dish, but way overpriced at $89 each. I was just glad I was not picking up the bill, and was the guest of one of my vendors. Overall I would go back again if I was in the neighborhood, but I probably would eat @ Holy Mackeral anothe Harry Caray joint also in the Westin. They looked like they had the same steaks, and a few more seafood options.

So, what would you consider a fair price for that meal?

jimswside wrote:Haray Carays says the serve prime, dry aged beef, so I was hoping they did. My didnign companions followed my order although I ordered my filet rare, the others ordered theirs medium well, and medium rare. We ordered no sides, knowing the lobster and beef feast to follow. I had another Bud, and another shot before the food came, and was feeling pretty good. The filet was cooked perectly, and was a full 9 oz. for sure. However it was not as good as filets i have had at the steak houses I regulary eat at down town.

Harry Caray's serves prime, dry-aged beef, as well as prime, wet-aged beef, and nonprime grass-fed beef, so it would depend on what you ordered. Since filet is a very lean, naturally tender cut, almost no one -- including David Burke's Primehouse -- dry ages it very much.

What was it about your filet that made it less good than at downtown steakhouses?

LAZ wrote:

jimswside wrote:Haray Carays says the serve prime, dry aged beef, so I was hoping they did. My didnign companions followed my order although I ordered my filet rare, the others ordered theirs medium well, and medium rare. We ordered no sides, knowing the lobster and beef feast to follow. I had another Bud, and another shot before the food came, and was feeling pretty good. The filet was cooked perectly, and was a full 9 oz. for sure. However it was not as good as filets i have had at the steak houses I regulary eat at down town.

Harry Caray's serves prime, dry-aged beef, as well as prime, wet-aged beef, and nonprime grass-fed beef, so it would depend on what you ordered. Since filet is a very lean, naturally tender cut, almost no one -- including David Burke's Primehouse -- dry ages it very much.

What was it about your filet that made it less good than at downtown steakhouses?

I am pretty aware of the differences between dry aging , wet aging, grass fed, and prime beef. Being a former buyer of meats for a Hotel I am also very aware of the limitations, and differences of the different cuts. That coupled with many visits to Saloon, David Burkes, and Joe's downtown I have eaten my fair share of the above mentioned varieties. So I was not expecting dry aged filet.

The steak I had was barely prime, and had a vein of fat running through the middle of the steak. The filet is not my favorite steak by a long shot(I prefer a bone in KC strip(like the dry aged one @ Saloon), or a big Porterhouse. However these were an additional upcharge for the surf and turf which I think was already over-priced ( I think a price more around $75 for that plate was appropriate not the $89 price tag imho.) I can get a Stone Crab, and filet surf and turf @ Joe's in the city for much less.

Not the worst place I have been, I would possibly return(not on my coin). However, all the Cubs paraphanalia they had their kind of made it hard to eat without choking.

LAZ wrote:Since fillet is a very lean, naturally tender cut, almost no one -- including David Burke's Primehouse -- dry ages it very much.

LAZ,

I'm not a fillet fan boring texture and taste, and tend to view it the same way John Wayne did quiche. Only way I'll eat it is off the little woman's plate after I finish my rib-eye.

That said, the bone-in lightly dry-aged beauty at David Burke's Primehouse is the absolute best fillet I've had the pleasure of snagging bites from. A completely different animal than the flaccid effete fillet of other, even top tier, steakhouses.

David Burke’s Primehouse, South Side Fillet



Enjoy,
Gary

David Burke’s Primehouse
606 North Rush
Chicago, IL
312-660-6000

LAZ wrote:Since fillet is a very lean, naturally tender cut, almost no one -- including David Burke's Primehouse -- dry ages it very much.

G Wiv wrote:That said, the bone-in lightly dry-aged beauty at David Burke's Primehouse is the absolute best fillet I've had the pleasure of snagging bites from. A completely different animal than the flaccid effete fillet of other, even top tier, steakhouses.

I agree -- it's a wonderful steak. But compared their rib steaks, it's barely aged at all.

I wish they'd call it "tenderloin" or something. A steak with a bone is not a fillet, even in French. But I guess if you can call chuck "short ribs," you can call a bone-in steak a "fillet."

Last night for my 39th b-day dinner with my mom & wife we ended up @ Harry Carays @ the Westin @ Yorktown. For me a b-day dinner isnt a b-day dinner without surf and turf. I didnt want to trek back into the city after spending all day there Saturday, so the plan was to stay out in the burbs. It was my choice of where to go and the last 3 places on my list were Al Capone's out in St. Chuck, Holy Mackerel, and Harry Carays. Since you can order off of both menus @ the Westin locations of the latter, it was off to the Westin for an early dinner.

My wife and I arrived @ 4:00, and had a few rounds of drinks. I was drinking Don Julio, and Miller Lite drafts(gotta cut those calories somewhere). As we drank @ the bar that spilts Harry Carays, and Holy Mackerel, we decided that there was too much foot traffic that goes through the dining area of Holy Mackerel from the lobby of the hotel, while the Harry Carays steakhouse is set off by itself, darker, and quieter. I switched my 5:00 Holy Mackerel location, & we were sat @ Harry Carys around 5:30(it was at our leisure, after we finished a few drinks).

Much better ecperience @ Harry Carays this time... from the location of our table, to the food. When I ate @ harry Carays last ime I reserved a table with Open Table, and my run of bad luck with them continued. With Open Table I have had a reservation "lost", and I will typically end up with a table near the bathrooms, or kitchen for some odd reason. Not tonight, perhaps sine I changed the reservation in person. We had a half round booth that was comfortable, and at one end of the dining room.

We started off with a crab & brie fondue. Excellent, rich, and cheesy. For dinner my wife went for the chicken vesuvio, my mom went for a 9 oz. filet special, and I went for a 1.5 lb live lobster off the Holy Mackerl menu, and a 9 oz Rare filet(not typically my steak of choice, but I wanted steak, and I didnt want to order a lobster & a 50+ steak on my moms dime) off the Harry Carays menu.

Lobster perfectly steamed, meaty, and flavorfull, filet perfectly cooked to medium rare, flavorfull, and as good of a filet as I have had anywhere. The pic turned out a little fuzzy, and my flickr account is full for the month(I ate well this month, and the past weekend for sure)

Overall a great night, and a very good meal.