Count me a fan. Stopped in mid-walk home from Christkindlmarkt (BTW, from my observation there was less variety in food vendors this year- no kilometerwurst or goulash, but then again, it was shoulder-to-shoulder crowded and quite over-stimulating on a Saturday evening.) Back at P. Room we ordered an array of their apps. (still a bit full of bratwurst). Mussels sweet and succulent- not the most generous count- but some of the freshest I've had in quite some time. Scotch egg fried hard with Chicago style Italian sausage- a nicely spiced take on the original. Steak tartare the standout- egg yolk all over the place, thank you. Frites could have used a second fry, but there was plenty enough other business to keep us merrily occupied. The Surly Bender Ale nicely alcoholic on a blustery winter's eve. Really glad to have a new eat and drink alternative in walking distance (especially considering the decline of the kitchen at the Silver Palm).

Jefe wrote:Count me a fan. Stopped in mid-walk home from Christkindlmarkt (BTW, from my observation there was less variety in food vendors this year- no kilometerwurst or goulash, but then again, it was shoulder-to-shoulder crowded and quite over-stimulating on a Saturday evening.)

I was at Christkindlmarkt Thursday evening. After some searching, I found the kilometerwurst at a stand facing Dearborn. The sausage had a good spicy flavor, and the casing provided an excellent snap.

If it is available in more than one place, I may have overlooked its presence at the other stands. Antonius' post from a couple years ago indicates that it may only be offered on the Dearborn Street side of the market.

--
edc

G Wiv wrote:It's my opinion Fri and Sat evening are booze, and simple preparations at that, only at the Paramount Room, maybe an appetizer at the bar if need arises. Most every negative comment, mild or otherwise, I have heard concerning the P Room has been generated by people sitting downstairs on a busy weekend evening.

There you have it.

I absolutely agree that's not the way it should be, especially if it's such an obvious pattern. A place that has such aspirations ought to be able to tune.

But still, like you said, if that's the way it is, then one can simply route around it.

edc wrote:I was at Christkindlmarkt Thursday evening. After some searching, I found the kilometerwurst at a stand facing Dearborn. The sausage had a good spicy flavor, and the casing provided an excellent snap.

I realize now why I didn't find the sausage. There are restricted areas for beer drinking and my companion and I hit the beer tent first. The kilometerwurst were probably on the other side of the fence. I love the freedom of an open beverage downtown, but they really keep us cooped up!

Jefe- I couldn't agree with you more on the frites. A double fry! It doesn't seem that hard to me. The fries are really soggy here, when they go through the effort of making them fresh, why not go the extra step of the double fry? Does anyone have any insights or the chef's ear on this?

Stopped in here yesterday afternoon after the Renegade Craft Fair at Pulaski Park when the wife gives me the parameters of "I want someplace I can sit down, be served, have some good american food and drink good beer." Good thing she's married to me and I've got all these places in my mental LTH filing cabinet.

Had the scotch egg for starters, which was good but for some reason it seemed that the egg was so overcooked it looked like an artichoke heart - somewhat grey and flaky. Maybe that's just what happens when you pack it with so much sausage around it. I dunno.

I had the burger/pint deal, which is great on the wallet but I was thoroughly unimpressed by the burger. I was hoping beyond hope for a Kuma's killer but it wasn't meant to be. Didn't get asked my cooking preference, got just under medium. Fine. $1 add-on of sauteed mushrooms got me five - counted 'em, five - mushroom caps. After I placed my order, my wife looked at me and said, "Don't you want fries?" I didn't realize I had to add fries to the plate. My fault entirely, but c'mon, they're fries. Am I stupid for assuming that a hamburger at a bar/grill should come with fries?

Turns out I shouldn't have sweated it - swiped some fries off my wife's plate and I concur with the last few posts, way, way soggy.

Just so this take on the place isn't completely negative, the fish & chips were really, really good. Perfectly fried fish, flaky but not dry, nice dark batter that had a much better depth of flavor than most other beer batters. Tartar sauce had a nice little bit of spice to it. Malt vinegar came in its own little ramekin, which I thought was pure genius to not serve the bottle. When you put malt vinegar on from the bottle, it tends to soak in and make the dish too soggy. When it's on the side in its own serving container, you can add it bite by bite and maintain the crispness of the fried exterior. Really, really good.

And Tuesday is all you can eat fish and chips night? Jeez, one serving is practically all you can eat already. There was a hell of a lot of fish on that plate.

The other thing I wanted to point out in the positive is the fact that one can get good beer and some good food in a small, comfortable room that's willing to watch football. Yeah, I know, there's too many TVs everywhere in town but sometimes I really want to go to Kuma's, order a burger and a bloody mary with a beer back and watch a football game. But when I've been there on Sunday they're too cool to watch football. I'm not that cool, so I'm glad Paramount is around to have a midday game on with a good beer list (My Dark Horse Red Ale was tops).

Paramount Room is on the rotation of places now, hopefully I'll work my way around the menu sooner or later. but I'll be searching for things other than burgers, which is fine with me. I eat too many of the damn things as it is.

nicinchic wrote:Jefe- I couldn't agree with you more on the frites. A double fry! It doesn't seem that hard to me. The fries are really soggy here, when they go through the effort of making them fresh, why not go the extra step of the double fry? Does anyone have any insights or the chef's ear on this?

I have noted the greasy, soggy fries elsewhere on the forum, and have had at least two conversation with the restaurant management about them. Bottom line: they like them that way. I couldn't disagree more, but hey - it's their restaurant. I skip the fries, as I find them virtually inedible. Luckily, I find plenty else to like very much at Paramount Room.

whiskeybent wrote:I had the burger/pint deal, which is great on the wallet but I was thoroughly unimpressed by the burger. I was hoping beyond hope for a Kuma's killer but it wasn't meant to be. Didn't get asked my cooking preference, got just under medium. Fine. $1 add-on of sauteed mushrooms got me five - counted 'em, five - mushroom caps. After I placed my order, my wife looked at me and said, "Don't you want fries?" I didn't realize I had to add fries to the plate. My fault entirely, but c'mon, they're fries. Am I stupid for assuming that a hamburger at a bar/grill should come with fries?

Whiskeybent and I have had conversations about burgers before, and I'm pretty sure we have different tastes. One thing we do agree on: one should not go to Paramount Room expecting a Kuma's burger. They are completely different animals (well, OK - they're both cow). One starts with hand-formed, high-quality beef cooked to perfection, and anything added is there to complement the flavor of the excellent meat. The other starts with pre-formed, machine-made patties cooked to random doneness, then swamped with a monstrous array of toppings that make the actual hamburger a small player in the final dish.

RAB and I dined at PR last night. I was our second meal there. Like several others, I'm rather conflicted about the place. Some things I like, some things I don't.

PROs:
- Solid beer list, with changing taps
- Friendly, helpful service
- Tasty fried fish - light and flaky and all-you-can-eat on Tuesdays
- Tasty green beans - I enjoy the watered-down sriracha sauce
- Pretty good steak tartare (I think my problem with this one is that I'd just had Publican's, which I prefer, a few days prior)

CONs:
- I just don't think the burger is good. I love the $10 beer and pint idea. But, the burger, after two attempts, just hasn't delivered. Last night's was closer to medium than the requested medium rare. My burger looked nothing like the burger in photo that Rene G posted in July. However, the major problem was that the burger meat was over-worked, resulting in a dense, hard, and not-at-all juicy patty. Unforgivable.
- The fries just aren't good. It's too bad, because they have a wonderful potato-y flavor. But, they're not crispy.

I want to like the place, but don't think I'll be returning unless I get a craving for all-you-can-eat fried fish.

Hello All - Jon from Paramount Room here. First off, thanks so much for your interest and support, and for awarding Paramount Room an LTH Forum GNR - we are very appreciative. This post is in response to queries and comments raised up-thread - and to report on recent fine-tuning and ongoing efforts to deserve your business.

We just renovated our lower-level area, and in addition to building out a beautiful "mini" version of our street-level bar (tucked under the mezzanine), we added several decor elements to soften the space and improve its atmosphere. From an operations perspective we are staffing heavier and constantly revisiting service standards and execution. It is our hope that this, combined with the new layout and improvements, will notably improve the overall lower-level experience referred to in previous posts. Enjoy what you eat, and you will enjoy life.

Jon

BTW Gary - the foot rail went in today!

DDI-Thanks for the response, but you glaringly ommitted the fry issue... Some on this board do not understand why the management likes soggy fries.

Maybe they just want everyone to order the green beans.

danimalarkey wrote:Maybe they just want everyone to order the green beans.

Alas, the green beans (on my one time having them) were greasy. If they lived up to the name "tempura", they'd be a great french-fry alternative.

DDI Guy wrote:BTW Gary - the foot rail went in today!

And I made good use of it Sunday!

ronnie_suburban wrote:The kobe burger... had a very unpalatable seasoning on it. Some at the table thought it was thyme but I thought it was more menthol-y than that and actually reminded me of pine sol. Another person in our group said it reminded him of eucalyptus.

I've had more than a dozen Paramount Room burgers, and the above description just never made sense to me... until tonight. There must be some kind of seasoning that occasionally gets dumped in by accident, because what I just had tasted nothing like what I've had in the past, and exactly like what Ronnie described. It was really unpleasant.

Tempura green beans tonight were excellent, but it's time for me to make a difficult confession which I've been holding in for some time. I nominated Paramount Room for the GNR it received, based on numerous visits which produced outstanding results. However, tonight was my third visit in a row (at least), where the food was sub par. In recent visits, I have found it nearly impossible to get a burger cooked to my specification (some overcooked, one ice cold in the center), and the fries - as I have noted - have been just dreadful. They also changed the caesar salad preparation - the most recent one had less of the much-loved anchovies I've raved about, and lettuce that was chopped too fine, and not as crisp as I've had in the past.

Writing this feels almost like I've disowned part of my family. I also feel a bit of guilt and responsibility for misleading LTHForum readers. There is still much to like about The Paramount Room, but I don't get the same enjoyment from eating there as I used to.

Kennyz wrote:Writing this feels almost like I've disowned part of my family. I also feel a bit of guilt and responsibility for misleading LTHForum readers. There is still much to like about The Paramount Room, but I don't get the same enjoyment from eating there as I used to.

I say this even though I'm not a huge fan of PR, but, rather than disowning your favorite place, have you considered just taking some time away from PR? Give it some time, a month, maybe two, three; then go back and maybe the old bloom will be back on the rose. Writing passionately about your favorite place is certainly not misleading anyone . . .

It's still doing the trick for me. I never had the fries, and somehow I get lucky with hot, fresh tempura green beans every time. Burgers, tartare, Caesar, baskets of bacon if the kitchen is not too busy, pints, Lagavulin 16, and they have a wicked sense of humor upstairs. I'm looking forward to my next visit (this is "guys night" ground central these days).

aschie30 wrote:I say this even though I'm not a huge fan of PR, but, rather than disowning your favorite place, have you considered just taking some time away from PR? Give it some time, a month, maybe two, three; then go back and maybe the old bloom will be back on the rose. Writing passionately about your favorite place is certainly not misleading anyone . . .

I'd be surprised if I don't go back. As I mentioned, I do still like many things about PR. On the other hand, at least some of the staff/ owners know me and read the forum, so it will feel weird when I go back after posting this. That's why I thought about and delayed the post for so long. It wasn't only after several disappointing visits that I guess I felt a certain obligation to set the record straight, after having given so many gleaming reports.

Santander wrote:It's still doing the trick for me. I never had the fries, and somehow I get lucky with hot, fresh tempura green beans every time. Burgers, tartare, Caesar, baskets of bacon if the kitchen is not too busy, pints, Lagavulin 16, and they have a wicked sense of humor upstairs. I'm looking forward to my next visit (this is "guys night" ground central these days).

That's really good to hear. I need a place like PR Room in my life. The Bristol has formed something of a replacement for me, but - while the food is significantly better - the feel is just not the same.

Kennyz, I know exactly how you feel. I really, really, want to enjoy the food here. It's so convenient for me. I'm mostly disappointed in the owners that won't take suggestions. (take that god awful seasoning off the burger) I only find myself going there on some type of special night like half price wine. The food just isn't doing it for me either.

I had a nice meal at the Paramount Room the other night, although my burger was two degrees of doneness more than specified (MW as opposed to MR) -- which doesn't seem like should happen on a burger of that thickness -- it was still a very good burger (no weird seasoning issues for me). The fries actually were crisper and better than they've been in the past, but sounds like I may have just lucked out with some fries that maybe got a more well done treatment by accident. Service was great.

I've always thought of the Paramount Room as a really good beer bar (not at the level of a Map Room or Hop Leaf, certainly in terms of overall size of selection, but a very well-curated tap list) with pretty good food. Going in with those expectations -- beer first, then food -- makes it a semi-regular stop for me. Plus it's right down the street.

I had a longer post written out and lost it to the computer gods. The short version - I really enjoyed my first visit to PR last night. Beer=outstanding, 1/2 price wine=great, Service=mixed (really good server/clueless food runner/busser), Mussels=good (not as good as Hopleaf), Oysters=good, Burger=excellent (even with aforementioned seasoning and slightly overcooked egg), Fries=good (agreed, not crispy enough, but wonderful flavor), Green Beans=great.

I had a nice meal at the Paramount Room the other night, although my burger was two degrees of doneness more than specified (MW as opposed to MR) -- which doesn't seem like should happen on a burger of that thickness -- it was still a very good burger (no weird seasoning issues for me)

I had the same issue today at lunch; ordered my burger medium rare, received a burger that was at least medium well if not well done. Also, both me and my gf had added the fried egg and received eggs with fully cooked yolks. It was still tasty enough, but disappointing after a near perfect burger on my first visit several weeks ago.

LTH,

Finishing up at the Green City Snout to Tail too late to join in YouPalWill's send off a group of us headed to the Paramount Room for post pork decompression, which proved the perfect choice. Lively crowd around the bar, Steven Dunne in rare raconteur mode and a couple of tasty appetizers as ballast to the bourbon.

Enjoy,
Gary

For those in a festive mood tomorrow, the Paramount Room opens tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. as opposed to the typical 3:00 p.m. opening time. Paramount Room has Ommegang Brewery's "Inauguration Ale," aka "Obamagang," on tap, and the tap handle for that is well worth checking out (and the beer's not so bad either -- but I would recommend drinking at a slightly higher temperature than the temperature at which it is served).

My wife and I spent a nice hour or so this afternoon at the Paramount Room. I had a Bell's Hopslam, which was excellent, followed by an Obamagang (I may have had the inaugural pull off of that keg, as Shawn put the tap handle on while we were sitting there and the beer was not on the day's beer menu) that got better as it went along -- my initially muted reaction may have been due to a combination of my palate being affected by the bitterness (and perhaps the alcohol) of the Hopslam plus the Obamagang being more suited to a slightly higher temperature. Great service and atmosphere, per usual.

Happy hour at Paramount Room last friday, excellent burgers across the board. Mine was on the rare side of medium-rare, but the seasoning tasted spot-on to me. I can't recall having a better burger. I'm a huge beer geek and was impressed by the brew selection. I settled on a few Surlys after starting out with a delicious Chouffe tripel/IPA, which was light enough to complement the burger and tempura beans nicely. I'll be back as often as possible.

In the spirit of giving a restaurant a third and a fourth chance, because I really want this to be my go to place, I had dinner and a bottle of wine at PR last night. I am now staying away from the burger. I want to give kudos to PR for cooking the fries. They are still not double fried, but a VAST imporvement over the limpy oily fries of before, mine were good with my croque madame, and hubbies good with the all you can eat fish. No complaints on the fish, light and crispy as in the past. The croque was Ok, although the brioche was cut into massive slices, I had to deconstruct, and the fried egg, again had brown edges. The wine was a very nice Italian for $41 a $10 up sell but it was half price night so $20.50) , and off a reccomendation from the waitress, as they didn't have an updated wine list and they were out of the Malbec I wanted. All in all, a postivie experience. I have now decided that this is my GNB (bar) instead of GNR, if I go for drinks, and get some food and it turns out good, I'm going to be happy with that.

I have heard of a $5 PBR and a shot special offered @ Paramount Room. can anyone confirm or deny this, or have any specifics regarding this drink special?

The highlight of my Saturday food crawl had to be my vist to Paramont Room. I arrived around 1:15, and the bar had a few people there eating brunch, and there was a steady flow of customers the 4 or so hours I spent there. As the day progressed the item of choice for the customers was the Kobe burger, and I was almost going to get one, but stuck to my original plan. The $5 PBR & a house shot was my drink of choice for my time there(probably the best drink deal in the city). The staff was friendly, and the customers seemed to know many of each other. The bar area is small, but nice.

Since I was still full from my lunch @ Amanacer Tapatio, I waited until about 2:00 to order the ale steamed mussels. Darn good dish, the mussels were tender, and the broth was excellent. Overall a great dish, and a bargain @ $12. I then waited until about 4:30 to order the sandwich I was most excited to try. The Croque Madame was everything I thought it would be, and takes a place for me as one of the top 2 or 3 sandwiches in Chicago. The fried egg makes this sandwich, and I enjoyed it.

Overall the Paramount Room was a great way to spend an afternoon. Friendly staff, good food, cheap drinks, and a neighborhood vibe. I can see why this place is a GNR.

Croque madame:




Ale steamed mussels

Went here on a Friday night for a birthday. Our serveuse Becky was awesome, and patient with our group which took an hour to dribble in, ordered food in staggered intervals, etc., and comped me a Belgian ale. Would def come here again for food and drinks.

I had my first brunch on Saturday and will return. PR is making me happy again for their food! I had the Alaskan King crab scramble. It was more of a frittata than a scramble and next time I will add some gruyere. It was chunks, and I mean chunks of crab, where you could see the joints that the meat had been freshly extracted, it was fantastic. It had some sauted brussel sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, and a side of potatoes, peppers, onions and toast. The only small quibble is that the only hot sauce they have in the whole place is sirachha. I guess no Tobasco even for bloodys. I don't like that over powering garlic flavor in that sauce for breakfast. I prefer some type of Louisiana hot sauce. Jman had the burger with blue cheese and bacon, fries were ok, I'm still holding out for a double fry. I had a couple of proseccos as they were out of nectar for the bellinis, but no worries, Jman had a couple beer and a shot specials. We were there around 2, and the entire bar was full, we had a really enjoyable afternoon.

I don't usually like to make two posts in a row, but PR has listened, and I had really, really good fries tonight. Jackie said they are soaking them differently. They were crisp, and brown ,delicious, not a soggy one in the bunch. And.....Tabasco!! I will be at brunch on Sunday for the crab scramble. Thank you PR for listening.