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David Burke's Primehouse - Yowsa!

David Burke's Primehouse - Yowsa!
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  • Post #211 - May 27th, 2009, 6:36 am
    Post #211 - May 27th, 2009, 6:36 am Post #211 - May 27th, 2009, 6:36 am
    In looking at the picture, it appears that you got a salad on your plate next to the burger. Was that included in the price of the burger?
  • Post #212 - May 27th, 2009, 6:40 am
    Post #212 - May 27th, 2009, 6:40 am Post #212 - May 27th, 2009, 6:40 am
    deesher wrote:In looking at the picture, it appears that you got a salad on your plate next to the burger. Was that included in the price of the burger?


    I would call it a garnish, not a salad. A small pile of undressed greens. No upcharge.
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #213 - May 27th, 2009, 10:21 am
    Post #213 - May 27th, 2009, 10:21 am Post #213 - May 27th, 2009, 10:21 am
    Kennyz wrote:
    G Wiv wrote:
    Kennyz wrote:Here are some pictures of the above-described meal.

    Nice looking pickle.


    Though they were the highlights of the meal, a big pickle and nice buns will only get you so far.


    . . unless you're a male stripper in which case it will take you very far. . .
  • Post #214 - May 27th, 2009, 11:04 am
    Post #214 - May 27th, 2009, 11:04 am Post #214 - May 27th, 2009, 11:04 am
    Ghazi wrote:. . unless you're a male stripper in which case it will take you very far. . .


    :shock:
  • Post #215 - May 27th, 2009, 11:05 am
    Post #215 - May 27th, 2009, 11:05 am Post #215 - May 27th, 2009, 11:05 am
    Hey, I didn't say it, but I was thinking it. I don't know how Kenny managed to restrain himself in the initial post.
  • Post #216 - May 27th, 2009, 2:58 pm
    Post #216 - May 27th, 2009, 2:58 pm Post #216 - May 27th, 2009, 2:58 pm
    Yesterday, I decided to head down to DB and indulged in the $5 burger special. Well worth it. You just get a white plate, with a nice burger, and a tiny garnish. Very minimal but for $5, I don't think you can get a better deal and I think it runs until the end of the week for lunch.
  • Post #217 - May 27th, 2009, 3:03 pm
    Post #217 - May 27th, 2009, 3:03 pm Post #217 - May 27th, 2009, 3:03 pm
    Mhays wrote:Hey, I didn't say it, but I was thinking it. I don't know how Kenny managed to restrain himself in the initial post.


    I actually thought my not-so-subtle choice of phrasing might already have crossed a line, and that more explicitness was unnecessary. :)
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #218 - May 27th, 2009, 3:31 pm
    Post #218 - May 27th, 2009, 3:31 pm Post #218 - May 27th, 2009, 3:31 pm
    Trix & I went for the burger lunch today.

    I think the secret here is to let their high-quality meat (burger) speak for itself and not get any unnecessary add-ons.
    We both went with a plain burger (outstanding bun), two large house salads (nicely dressed. $5 each), and an order of the truffle-glazed fries (marginal), all for $26 plus tax & tip which we thought worked out well. Like Kennyz said above, the burgers were definitely under-salted. However, my biggest complaint was that since this meat was very lean, the kitchen should have been ultra-careful not to overwork the patties which they unfortunately failed to do, making them overly firm. Great meat but could use a bit more fat in the mixture.

    Nevertheless, it still was a nice coarsely- chopped, high-quality unseasoned burger for the great price of $5. Not much to complain about doing it this way.
  • Post #219 - May 27th, 2009, 3:37 pm
    Post #219 - May 27th, 2009, 3:37 pm Post #219 - May 27th, 2009, 3:37 pm
    I agree that the plain burger is the way to go, though that pickle really was good. The rest of the accompaniments did absolutely nothing for me. I think I also agree that there's not much to complain about if you view it as just a $5 burger. I guess I was viewing it a burger from what is supposed to be one of the city's best steakhouses, and expected the place to showcase its best effort with this humble dish. Either they didn't bother with that, which I find disappointing, or their best effort isn't very good.
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #220 - May 29th, 2009, 3:02 pm
    Post #220 - May 29th, 2009, 3:02 pm Post #220 - May 29th, 2009, 3:02 pm
    Just did the $5 burker with a coworker. Both we cooked prefectly med-rare. It did turn out to be a larger investment than $5 (as we did cheese for $1, the bacon/mushroom/onions plus pickles/ketchup/mustard plate for $5, and the truffle fries for $5). So it wasn't the most inexpensive lunch, but the burgers were great. Now we did go later in the day and while it was still busy I could see how our food would have gotten a little more attention than at 12. It was a good lunch for a decent price and it accomplshed butts in seats for the restuarant and tempted us to just have a couple of cocktails until they started serving steaks...
  • Post #221 - July 17th, 2009, 5:19 pm
    Post #221 - July 17th, 2009, 5:19 pm Post #221 - July 17th, 2009, 5:19 pm
    I had a nice lunch at Primehouse today, and so now I'm curious: has anyone here been to one of the Wednesday "Al Greshco" dinners? Thoughts?
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #222 - September 16th, 2009, 3:10 pm
    Post #222 - September 16th, 2009, 3:10 pm Post #222 - September 16th, 2009, 3:10 pm
    Met up with a few friends last night for dinner at Primehouse and had a very enjoyable experience. I'm going to begin this account in the middle because for me, other than the company of friends, the clear highlight of the meal was the 75 day-aged bone-in ribeye . . .

    Image
    75 day-aged bone-in ribeye, cooked medium rare


    Image
    Interior view

    I can say without equivocation that this was the best restaurant steak I've ever eaten. It had an intense and complex flavor, which developed throughout the chew. The aroma was intoxicating. It was cooked perfectly.

    I have a very good butcher -- Zier's Prime Meats in Wilmette -- who dry-ages his prime beef in-house for 21-28 days and I know my way around a grill. These factors, more often than not, make restaurant steaks flavorless and irrelevant for me. The exact opposite was true at Primehouse. This steak didn't need to be cooked over wood. It didn't need to have herbed butter melted over it after it was cooked. It was deeply flavorful on its own. An excellent, distinctive and truly memorable steak.

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    Before dinner, we sat in the J Bar for about 90 minutes, which was ok. I thought the spirit selection was perfunctory and the cocktails were not so carefully executed but service was great and very friendly. As I finished my too-sweet-Sazerac, which featured Templeton Rye (by far, the best spirit on the shelves), I came upon a big pile of undissolved granulated sugar at the bottom of the glass. Next drink was a Knob Creek on the rocks, which was fine. They were out of Woodford Reserve. The only other bourbon choice was Maker's Mark (iirc). The more I learn about spirits and cocktails, the more I come to realize that most bars aren't really very good.

    Items we had before, with and after our steaks were all good. I appreciated that some consideration was given to seasonal and local ingredients in these sections of the menu. Appetizers were tasty . . .

    Image
    Pan Roasted Veal Sweetbreads with roasted fennel, polenta (made with corn from Green City Market) and warm coriander vinaigrette


    Image
    Pan Roasted Baby Octopus with roasted peppers, chickpeas, grilled onions, charred tomatoes and black olives


    Image
    Shrimp Hash & Eggs - celery root, fried quail eggs and asparagus & truffle hollandaise


    Image
    Cheese Popover
    These gigantic cheese puffs were served to each of us with the appetizers. They were crusty and delicious, with a nicely noticeable cheddar flavor. I nursed mine and took bites of it throughout the meal until one of the bus boys whisked it away from the table before I could stop him. :evil:

    Sides were tasty, too . . .

    Image
    Potato Waffle
    A reconcepted baked potato, which incorporated the potato into the waffle batter. It was topped with Benton bacon, scallions, cheddar, sour cream and was also sauced tableside.


    Image
    Corn Spoonbread
    Corny and moist -- made with Green City Market corn.


    Image
    Garlicky Spinach
    Sauteed with olive oil and garlic, which was pleasantly strong.


    Image
    Mushrooms


    Desserts were fine, too. I didn't swoon over any of them but desserts aren't really my thing . . .

    Image
    Carrot Cake 2009
    Carrot cake, coconut creme brulee, pineapple ginger jam, cream cheese ice cream and walnut streussel (sic).


    Image
    The King
    Elvis inspired ice cream sandwich comprised of banana Cake, chocolate cream, peanut butter ice cream, Benton bacon-peanut brittle and tempura fried bananas.


    Image
    Peaches & Grand Marnier
    Grand Marnier Creme Brulee, brown butter and honey-braised Green City Market peaches, orange sorbet and honey tuile.


    Image
    Mignardise
    Almond Financier, Lime Marshmallow, Canele and and Spice Cake (iirc)

    Other than my disappearing popover, service was great. Our server, Stacey, made good recommendations on both food and wines. She was friendly and knowledgeable. I was a little miffed that valet parking cost $30, which seemed absurdly opportunistic.

    If I sound a bit lukewarm on the non-steak items, it's really no fault of the kitchen. It's just that for the appetizers, sides and desserts to have measured up against the phenomenal steak, they would had to have been the best ever. They weren't, even though they were all quite good. Still, it was a very nice overall experience and one that I will definitely repeat. The steaks at Primehouse are utterly compelling and they make it a distinctive destination in a decidedly meat-centric town.

    =R=
    By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada

    Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS

    There's a horse loose in a hospital --JM

    That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
  • Post #223 - September 16th, 2009, 4:48 pm
    Post #223 - September 16th, 2009, 4:48 pm Post #223 - September 16th, 2009, 4:48 pm
    Fabulous pics Ronnie. There's no excuse for a preeminent steak house to have a weak selection of whiskies. Can you BYO? :wink: (I assume J Bar is connected).
    i used to milk cows
  • Post #224 - September 16th, 2009, 5:15 pm
    Post #224 - September 16th, 2009, 5:15 pm Post #224 - September 16th, 2009, 5:15 pm
    Ronnie---
    Amazed you could turn around the pics and full post so quickly. To begin with a sidebar, I think those pics are marvelous both for having been shot in (not very) available light, and further in view of the fact that you fired off the shots so fast you never even broke your conversational stride. I could futz for 15 min. over each of them and never come close.

    Just to fill in from the perspective of one who gets around much less than Ronnie and therefore has nothing like the same benchmarks for either front or back of house---I concur with even greater enthusiasm.

    I had the "Kentucky" bone in rib-eye (28 days age) medium rare, and it had a wonderful texture with grain and chew and still a butteriness that never approached mushiness.

    I also had a taste of the 55-day aged, and there was a clear step up in concentration of flavor and a woodsiness that will make this my next choice whenever I find myself there again.

    The apps were all very good and my favorite among them was the octopus. Like the steaks, it had just the right balance of char, chew, and tenderness. (Something I aspire to in myself.)
    The combination of textures and flavors in the bed of ingredients on which it lay made it perfect appetizer, in the sense of stimulating the appetite. The proportion of olives was perfectly judged to add piquancy to the overall richness, without ever overwhelming the rest.

    I think there was a consensus that the sweetbreads were really good, and needed just a whisper more salt. Personally, I think almost all the other elements could have come on just a bit stronger without drowning out the sweetbreads themselves. Still delicious.

    Shrimp hash was good, if somewhat less wonderful than the description might lead one to hope.

    I just loved that cheese popover. Cheesy, chewy, flaky, buttery ---if I weren't clinging to my last shreds of dignity in this life, it might induce me to say "yummo."

    The sides were absolutely good enough without achieving anything further. I've had corn puddings or similar dishes that had a deeper, sweeter corn flavor than ours did.
    The mushrooms seemed to have been seasoned just right in terms of bringing out but not adding to their natural flavor. The spinach, as noted, was aggressively garlicy in a good way.
    I actually thought the portions on each could have been a bit bigger for the price. But then, I can never have enough mushrooms.

    All the desserts were prettily plated and none were better on the menu than on the fork as can happen with elaborately conceived concoctions. My favorite among them---though The King took the ribbon for "Unlikeliest to Actually Be Good"---was the creme brulee. Great crackly top to break through, custard had real depth of flavor, not just bland richness or 1-note vanilla, and the sorbet was truly intensely orangey and provided a great bit of acid cut through richness of the rest.

    The lime marshmallow mignardise surprised me the most just by being delightful and not ridiculous.

    I didn't have it, but the coffee was pronounced just OK. (However, I believe it was decaf, which would explain a lot.)

    A word on the service: First, I may be wrong, but I believe our server's name was Stephanie, rather than Stacy. It only matters because she was really, really good. It was said at the table that many a dining experience at other good restaurants would be improved just by packing her up and bringing her along.

    She very correctly judged our table's level of interest in the food and engaged us at that level. She knew her menu and wasn't at all coy or shy. or, conversely, pushy about providing personal preferences when asked. Ditto, on the wine. On the white she urged us from the Sancerre under consideration to a Verdelho (I don't recall the specifics). It was in some sort of "pick of the day" special box on the list and a few dollars more, but I wouldn't call it up-selling by any means. Also, it was delicious. Our red pick was a ZD Cab. 2006. She said she'd think over whether anything else struck her as better. (We were also mulling Malbecs.) In the end, the ZD is what she brought. She didn't feel the need either to reinforce our first choices, or improve on them all. It was great to be served by a grownup who was also a pro and didn't obviously wish to be elsewhere. (I speak as a former server who desperately wished to be elsewhere.)

    The wine list was the one place I'd take some issue with Prime House. An awful lot of choices well into 3 figures and virtually nothing under $60 (and very little at that level) that would truly stand up to meat of the quality and flavor they're serving.
    I feel pretty sure that there are many wines out there that they could afford to sell for $35-$50 that would do a nice job with their food. Some Riojas, the right Valpolicellas, Rosso di Montalcino, Aglianico, some more than one Cotes du Rhone, not to mention some other vins du pays that have come way up in quality in the last 15 years, would all be contenders for value choices on the list.

    All in all a terrific evening, both culinary and social.
    "Strange how potent cheap music is."
  • Post #225 - September 16th, 2009, 7:01 pm
    Post #225 - September 16th, 2009, 7:01 pm Post #225 - September 16th, 2009, 7:01 pm
    Mr. B.,

    Thanks, for filling in the not-so-minor details about the individual dishes (and for the kind comments about the pics). I had a sleepless night last night (ended up ingesting a lot of caffeine inadvertantly in the late afternoon after not having it for over a year) and decided to make use of the time by posting in the wee hours, after our meal. While I was sleepless, it's clear from my post that I wasn't exactly 100% awake, and as such, I glossed over some of the important details, which you covered quite well.

    I'd agree about the sweetbreads -- and/or the polenta upon which they sat -- needing a bit more salt. Other than that, they were really good. I enjoyed the shrimp hash a lot, too. The waffle was, in spite of its novelty factor, delicious. I liked the desserts and my only real criticism is that the strong Benton bacon in the brittle really obscured the other elements of The King. Once I let that fade from my palate, I really enjoyed the dessert. I also agree that the creme brulee and the fragrant sorbet that accompanied it, were excellent. Speaking of desserts, there were some very nice cheese offerings, which we did not try. I just find this interesting because conceptually, a steakhouse is the ideal venue for cheeses and yet, something about being all full o' beef really makes it hard to order any of them at the end of the meal . . . although, maybe if I'd ordered the Delmonico . . . :D

    Looking at the ticket, we're both wrong about our server -- her name was Stacie, not Stacey or Stephanie. In any event, you are correct in that she quickly and accurately assessed our level of interest and accomodated us deftly. It really made the experience a more personalized one, which is important when you're having dinner at a steakhouse in a hotel populated by a good many out-of-town visitors. She treated us like regulars, which we certainly are not.

    All in all, a very nice meal; especially that steak which I thought about quite a bit today.

    =R=
    By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada

    Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS

    There's a horse loose in a hospital --JM

    That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
  • Post #226 - September 16th, 2009, 7:04 pm
    Post #226 - September 16th, 2009, 7:04 pm Post #226 - September 16th, 2009, 7:04 pm
    teatpuller wrote:Fabulous pics Ronnie. There's no excuse for a preeminent steak house to have a weak selection of whiskies. Can you BYO? :wink: (I assume J Bar is connected).

    I should have filled my flask with Hirsch 16 and stuffed it in my sock! :D

    It was a surprisingly ordinary and narrow range of choices of non-Scotch whiskey and rum, too (the only items I scouted). All I can figure is that they know their audience and there is no 'need' to stock anything nicer than what was there. J Bar is in the lobby of the James Hotel. I'm guessing it's related to the restaurant, either partially or directly.

    =R=
    By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada

    Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS

    There's a horse loose in a hospital --JM

    That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
  • Post #227 - September 16th, 2009, 7:11 pm
    Post #227 - September 16th, 2009, 7:11 pm Post #227 - September 16th, 2009, 7:11 pm
    Maybe I'm just a wuss when it comes to my meat, but I actually prefer the 48 or 55 day dry aged steaks at Primehouse. I've had the 75 day and while I thought it was ok, it was a bit too intense for my tastes.
    -Josh

    I've started blogging about the Stuff I Eat
  • Post #228 - September 16th, 2009, 7:35 pm
    Post #228 - September 16th, 2009, 7:35 pm Post #228 - September 16th, 2009, 7:35 pm
    Beautiful pictures and descriptions Ronnie. I have not been to David Burke's Primehouse in a while and it looks as though I am missing a number of new menu items (and it sounds like even the popovers have changed a little bit). But my main reason for going to David Burke's is their aged beef, and the color on that 75-day aged ribeye is just stunning. That is easily my favorite item on their menu and I can't wait to get back there in the near future.
  • Post #229 - September 16th, 2009, 7:41 pm
    Post #229 - September 16th, 2009, 7:41 pm Post #229 - September 16th, 2009, 7:41 pm
    BR wrote:Beautiful pictures and descriptions Ronnie. I have not been to David Burke's Primehouse in a while and it looks as though I am missing a number of new menu items (and it sounds like even the popovers have changed a little bit). But my main reason for going to David Burke's is their aged beef, and the color on that 75-day aged ribeye is just stunning. That is easily my favorite item on their menu and I can't wait to get back there in the near future.

    We were told that the menu was really new, so unless you've been there very recently, you're bound to see some changes.

    The beef is definitely the thing at Primehouse. A Washington State-based biz associate who was just here in town asked me 'which is better, Gene & Georgetti or Gibson's?' I told him 'neither, go to David Burke Primehouse.' He took my advice and later told me that the 55-day steak he'd eaten there was the best steak he'd ever had.

    =R=
    By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada

    Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS

    There's a horse loose in a hospital --JM

    That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
  • Post #230 - September 17th, 2009, 5:37 am
    Post #230 - September 17th, 2009, 5:37 am Post #230 - September 17th, 2009, 5:37 am
    Time for the third diner to weigh in.

    I didn’t have the 75-day; I had the 40. And while it was an excellent steak, I’m not prepared to call it the single best restaurant steak I’ve ever had. It’s partly a problem of apples and oranges: I’ve had absolutely superb steaks elsewhere but how do you really, effectively, compare a filet to a 40-day dry-aged ribeye? They’re such completely different cuts that I can’t. I will say this: the bone-in ribeye was, for me as well, the high point of the evening. I can’t offhand recall a better steak but, as I say, I can recall others that I loved as much.

    The rest of the dinner was fine but simply didn’t measure up to the steak. As will become clear, I didn't come away quite as happy or impressed as my companions with the non-steak items. I liked the apps better than the sides and the sides better than the desserts. Nothing was perfunctory but nothing was knock-my-socks off great, either.

    Apps: I’ll echo mrbarolo’s comment about the octopus, which I enjoyed very much. I didn’t think that the veggie bed (roasted peppers, chickpeas, grilled onions, charred tomatoes and black olives) quite came together. I don’t think it was a case of too much—though I understand the chickpeas, I don't think they contributed much—just a case of the whole adding up to a bit less than the sum of the parts. The octopus was the star of the plate and it was cooked perfectly. (Private note to Mark: gee, I’ve always thought you DID embody that perfect combination of char, chew, and tenderness!)

    The sweetbreads were what I most eagerly anticipated and I found them largely disappointing. We all agreed that the dish needed salt—it seemed to have none. Our thought was that the polenta (made, our server pointed out, from Green City Market corn) just sucked up all the salt in the vicinity. Polenta does that and I, for one, had the impression that no one bothered to taste the rest of the dish before it was sent out. I also found the sweetbreads themselves not quite…right. They were pan-roasted and while I wouldn’t go so far as to describe them as soggy, there’s no way I can call them as crisp as I anticipated either. I fear they may have sat just a trifle too long before they arrived.

    The shrimp hash and eggs was enjoyable if perhaps a bit too busy. I found it a little too salty for my taste but that may have been a reaction coming from the unsalted sweetbreads. It also embodied a phenomenon I’m coming to find more and more often: the description exceeded the performance.

    The cheese popover: nice. Well-executed, just the right amount of cheese. But I found myself hankering for some additional bread. I didn’t have ronnie’s self-discipline and finished it early in the meal. It was never replenished and no other bread was brought. Frankly, what with the fine conversation and surfeit of items on the table, it wasn’t a priority and I never asked. But something, anything, else would have been welcomed.

    After a little back and forth with our server, I ended up asking for a steak pink in the middle. My steak was clearly underdone by that standard. I decided to proceed in any event and have to say immediately that the meat’s depth of flavor was simply remarkable. This is not a melt-in-your mouth cut but what it lacks in tenderness it more than made up for in savor and tang and pure meaty goodness. It’s nearly impossible for me to imagine a beefier piece of beef. At 20 oz., even with the bone in, it was a generous serving.

    The sides were there. I was disappointed to have our server recommend the garlicky spinach over the creamed, but she was so exceedingly well-informed (of which more anon) that I didn’t question her recommendation. I tend not to like spinach done this way but I must confess that this was the dish that showed how it can be done and done well. The spoonbread was good but no more and, for the price, a very chintzy serving. I didn’t care for the mushrooms and I love mushrooms. They just weren’t well-done enough, not dripping with earthy goodness. They were perhaps a bit too simply seasoned and sauteed extremely lightly. And again, a surprisingly small portion. The potato waffle was a bust for me. It’s hard not to like something covered with bacon and swimming in butter—but it epitomized the reason I tend to stay away from sides at steakhouses. Excess (or gimmickry) for the sake of excess. And just not as good as I had hoped or expected.

    Unlike ronnie, I love dessert. But I was disappointed with all of them. Perfectly fine in a damning-with-faint-praise sort of way. Nothing that was off or wrong. Just nothing whatsoever that made me swoon. Indeed, nothing that even excited. The sole possible exception was a cream cheese ice cream that offered much more flavor than I would have expected and was quite enjoyable. I liked the crème brulee well enough, but it’s not high on my personal list of favorites. I have to disagree with mrbarolo here. He said that “none were better on the menu than on the fork.” I can’t agree, sadly. So too with the mignardises (though I’ll admit that he is quite right about the lime marshmallow).

    Our server, Stacie G, however, was a gem. As pointed out above, she quickly figured out what our priorities were and catered beautifully to our interests and questions. She knew the menu inside out; she knew the components of the dishes, she had opinions and she had reasons. It didn’t take long to trust her judgment. I can't find it now upon a quick perusal of the above, but someone remarked that she treated us like regulars; that's a great point and, with her knowledge and ability to strike the right note of friendliness, made for a wonderful experience.

    I must also praise her oenological expertise. We had narrowed our choices down to a few bottles for the apps, down to a Sancerre and a Chardonnay, if memory serves. She mentioned something else of which there was one bottle left: 2005 Naiades Verdelho Rueda, a “page pick” from their list. She described it carefully and it was the perfect recommendation. She explained why we might prefer it to one of our selections or why, contrariwise, we might wish to go with our choice. Not having tasted our potential picks, I’ll never know, but she hit that choice dead bang-on. Though she emphasized the floral notes, I was more impressed by the fruit, something I hadn’t entirely expected. In any event, it had enough body to stand up to the varied apps and went down very smoothly with a nice finish.

    For the steaks, we told Stacie our “finalists,” which included a 2006 ZD cab and a couple of Malbecs; we also told her that we were also open to something completely different if she thought we’d overlooked anything. For example, pinots, in my experience, come in all styles and I simply don’t know them well enough to pick a reliable winner. We told her that if she knew of a particularly good example, we’d be open to it. In the event, she brought the ZD cab. In fact, when I first mentioned it, her one-word response was “Yummy.” My only regret is that we didn’t choose it and open it when we sat down. At 14.5% alcohol, it was still opening up as we were considering desserts. Huge and young and we had no right to expect a bottle like that to have the flavor it did. But even though it took it’s time opening up—no surprise there—it was still a pleasure to drink with that steak.

    I want to underscore mrbarolo’s comment about the wine list. As he suggested, the wine list is not even remotely pocketbook friendly. The bottle choices under $100 were way too few and far between. One can argue, I suppose, about the philosophy of crafting a wine list for a place like this, expectations and so forth, but there are far too many excellent bottles out there that could have found their way to that list and didn’t. Far too heavily weighted to the expensive bottle. A great disappointment, notwithstanding the excellent bottles we had.

    The coffee, as Mark noted, was okay. I had the decaf and our fourth comrade had the high-test. He agreed: remarkably average coffee. The day has long since passed when decaf meant bad or even just mediocre. I have had many truly excellent cups of decaf over the last several years and this was just mediocre coffee.

    The high point of the evening, comedically speaking, came after dinner, though. There was a table of ten men to our side. Throughout dinner, a few of them on the end closest to our table watched with great attentiveness as ronnie snapped pictures and eavesdropped on the conversation—largely food-based, surprise, surprise—with apparent interest. As I was walking out, one of them tapped me on the shoulder and said with a slightly deferential hush: “Are you guys food critics?”
    Last edited by Gypsy Boy on September 17th, 2009, 10:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #231 - September 17th, 2009, 9:44 am
    Post #231 - September 17th, 2009, 9:44 am Post #231 - September 17th, 2009, 9:44 am
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Carrot cake, coconut creme brulee, pineapple ginger jam, cream cheese ice cream and walnut streussel (sic).


    Look at the check. What a concept! :oops: You're too polite. You were much righter than I was.

    Just for the sake of posterity and the historical record: On reflection, I think I was typing under the influence. Still somewhat meat-addled, my judgment of the non-meat items (in particular the desserts) was a bit impaired, and in the unblinking light of day I am more (though not entirely) of Gypsy Boy's opinion.

    While I wouldn't call it "a bust," I wasn't as taken with the potato waffle as Ronnie. For all the production values and high-concept, there was, for me, just a whiff of the mid-priced chain "signature" dish about it. Lots of fat and salt and crunch, but nothing really disctinctive beyond that. (Although, I'll also admit that fat, salt, and crunch will get you pretty far with me on most occasions.) The drizzled sauce was really good. But for that much extra heaviness next to a steak, I want something that brings a little more to the table, as it were.

    My enthusiasm for the creme brulee stands.
    And, I'll stick to my assessment that the "Elvis-inspired" King dessert was as good on the fork as on the page, but only because I thought it looked absurd and not very promising on the page. It didn't offend, but it won't live in song and legend, and I wouldn't order it again.

    The cheesecake ice cream that came with the carrot cake did not move me in the way it did Gypsy Boy, and this is where a dessert really was far better on the page than on the fork, or tongue. What I tasted came nowhere near matching the potential of this description, "Carrot cake, coconut creme brulee, pineapple ginger jam, cream cheese ice cream and walnut streussel (sic)"--- with or without typo. For half the price you could get a really nice slab of carrot cake with a good cream cheese icing four times the size at a dozen places around town. Sel Marie, for one. Or that place in Andersonville that hates kids. (Kidding. No, really.)

    Even with a partial reassessment, I will very happily return, order a bit better as a result our experience, and probably come away with a lower check and even happier tummy.

    P.S. OK, (sigh), what am I doing wrong with quotes?
    "Strange how potent cheap music is."
  • Post #232 - September 17th, 2009, 10:02 am
    Post #232 - September 17th, 2009, 10:02 am Post #232 - September 17th, 2009, 10:02 am
    mrbarolo wrote:P.S. OK, (sigh), what am I doing wrong with quotes?


    1. Just stick actual quotation marks around the name only. So instead of [quote=mrbarolo] just type [quote="mrbarolo"].

    2. Cream cheese ice cream, not cheesecake.
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #233 - September 18th, 2009, 10:13 pm
    Post #233 - September 18th, 2009, 10:13 pm Post #233 - September 18th, 2009, 10:13 pm
    I just made reservations for a week from Sunday. I was looking at the menu and noticed that the aged steaks are 'limited availability.' Has anyone not been able to have their choice of steaks?
  • Post #234 - September 18th, 2009, 10:22 pm
    Post #234 - September 18th, 2009, 10:22 pm Post #234 - September 18th, 2009, 10:22 pm
    I don't recall ever having a problem.
  • Post #235 - September 18th, 2009, 10:23 pm
    Post #235 - September 18th, 2009, 10:23 pm Post #235 - September 18th, 2009, 10:23 pm
    Stephen wrote:I just made reservations for a week from Sunday. I was looking at the menu and noticed that the aged steaks are 'limited availability.' Has anyone not been able to have their choice of steaks?


    Yes, but just once. It's generally the longest aged steaks (more than 40 days) that have the most limited availability.
    -Josh

    I've started blogging about the Stuff I Eat
  • Post #236 - September 19th, 2009, 8:14 am
    Post #236 - September 19th, 2009, 8:14 am Post #236 - September 19th, 2009, 8:14 am
    Stephen wrote:I just made reservations for a week from Sunday. I was looking at the menu and noticed that the aged steaks are 'limited availability.' Has anyone not been able to have their choice of steaks?

    It has happened to me on a few occasions, but only with the steaks aged above 40 days. If you intend to order one of the steaks aged more than 40 days, you might want to call ahead to reserve one.
  • Post #237 - September 19th, 2009, 9:13 am
    Post #237 - September 19th, 2009, 9:13 am Post #237 - September 19th, 2009, 9:13 am
    BR wrote:
    Stephen wrote:I just made reservations for a week from Sunday. I was looking at the menu and noticed that the aged steaks are 'limited availability.' Has anyone not been able to have their choice of steaks?

    It has happened to me on a few occasions, but only with the steaks aged above 40 days. If you intend to order one of the steaks aged more than 40 days, you might want to call ahead to reserve one.


    didn't realize one could do that.. how far in advance should/can I do this?
  • Post #238 - October 13th, 2009, 7:46 am
    Post #238 - October 13th, 2009, 7:46 am Post #238 - October 13th, 2009, 7:46 am
    Had a really lovely lunch at DB's with my daughter yesterday.
    I started with the Kobe beef sashimi,
    which was beautifully prepared, but just not to my taste.
    The flavor of the salt just completely overpowered the flavor of the meat for me.
    All I tasted was salt, with maybe a hint of meat- also curiously - you get three slices of meat and 2 slices of baguette- who does that math?
    It did come with a wonderful black truffle mayo that we saved for her fries... YUM YUM

    She had their prime burger with an egg on top and fries which she really enjoyed,
    and I noticed they will be featuring for $5 the week of November 9.

    I went with the Delmonico steak which was wonderful and cooked perfectly medium rare,
    really delicious and rich, with a perfect char.
    my sides were creamed spinach, and spicy chorizo mashed potato, with little bits of chorizo thoughout.

    For dessert we split the slice of prime cake which was out of this world.
    It was light and moist, and had an incredible s'mores type topping-
    Chocolate cakes can often be so heavy and dense and really cloying.
    And this was just fabulous- a wonderful ending to the meal.
    A real treat for a day off from work.
    "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home."
    ~James Michener
  • Post #239 - October 14th, 2009, 10:41 am
    Post #239 - October 14th, 2009, 10:41 am Post #239 - October 14th, 2009, 10:41 am
    irisarbor wrote:She had their prime burger with an egg on top and fries which she really enjoyed, and I noticed they will be featuring for $5 the week of November 9.
    Anyone have details or confirmation that this is coming back? I looked at their website and didn't see anything. I'm sure my coworkers would be down for a little lunchtime excursion (they all loved DB's during restaurant week*).

    -Dan

    * I did notice that DB's continues to offer a set-price 3-course lunch very similar to the restaurant week special, though there's now a supplement ($4-6) to have a steak as the main course.
  • Post #240 - October 14th, 2009, 2:51 pm
    Post #240 - October 14th, 2009, 2:51 pm Post #240 - October 14th, 2009, 2:51 pm
    dansch wrote:
    irisarbor wrote:She had their prime burger with an egg on top and fries which she really enjoyed, and I noticed they will be featuring for $5 the week of November 9.
    Anyone have details or confirmation that this is coming back? I looked at their website and didn't see anything. I'm sure my coworkers would be down for a little lunchtime excursion (they all loved DB's during restaurant week*).

    -Dan

    * I did notice that DB's continues to offer a set-price 3-course lunch very similar to the restaurant week special, though there's now a supplement ($4-6) to have a steak as the main course.


    If so, I hope it comes back in an improved form. The 5 dollar lunch burger at DB was nothing to write home about last time.
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food

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