spinynorman99 wrote:In the classic "can't judge a book by it's cover" sense, EJ's menu as a steakhouse is more varied than Myron & Phil's (which is a steakhouse that doesn't call itself a steakhouse). As I noted upthread, only about 20% of EJ's menu is steaks.

That may be, but the OP notes that he/she is dealing with perceptions and categorization by "the 'we don't like steak' contingent of the family". So a place like EJ's that looks and sounds like a steakhouse may be problematic.

I bet most of us here on LTH have experienced food-related problems with family members and their attitudes. I know I sure have...

nsxtasy wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:In the classic "can't judge a book by it's cover" sense, EJ's menu as a steakhouse is more varied than Myron & Phil's (which is a steakhouse that doesn't call itself a steakhouse). As I noted upthread, only about 20% of EJ's menu is steaks.

That may be, but the OP notes that he/she is dealing with perceptions and categorization by "the 'we don't like steak' contingent of the family". So a place like EJ's that looks and sounds like a steakhouse may be problematic.

I bet most of us here on LTH have experienced food-related problems with family members and their attitudes. I know I sure have...

A bit extreme on the hairsplitting. It would be more disappointing to go to a place like Myron & Phil's only to see that it's essentially a steak house.

spinynorman99 wrote:A bit extreme on the hairsplitting.

Yes, that's exactly what you're doing, splitting hairs while ignoring the family's likely reaction to sending them to a place that lists its steaks at the top of the entree portion of the menu and was until recently called "EJ's The Place for Steaks".

Now we know who NOT to ask for advice on how to deal with problematic family members!

Ok, let's move on, please.

Thanks,

=R=
for the moderators

Thanks to all for your thoughtful suggestions. Peace has returned to the valley. I sent around a link to EJ's website and everybody agreed!

Sidenote: The $95 lobster tail was a 24oz. monster. The manager says his purveyor can no longer get them, so they've substituted a 14oz. tail for $82. Still a lot of money, but Mom will have her lobster tail, regardless of the cost.

I'll have a recap afterwards.

Enjoy! And as per my earlier recommendation, don't forget to try the grilled calamari.

would love to hear from the OP where they ended up and how things went....

We had a fine time at EJ's place. We were seated immediately and ordered cocktails. For appetizers, we ordered a few oysters and a plate of sausage and peppers, all of which were delicious. For entrees, I was surprised to see two of the professed non steak-eaters order steaks (?!?!). I took the opportunity to try the fried shrimp, which were almost comically enormous but beautifully cooked, the best I've had in a long, long time. Mom, of course, got her lobster tail. At the last minute, she had a hankerin' for king crab legs, so she ordered those, too. That little lady sure can eat! Portions are huge which, in my opinion, is one of the main reasons the place does such good business. We were seated at 6 and, by the time we left, nearly a hundred waiting patrons were jammed into the lobby and around the bar. For me, the only food disappointment was that, in a place that charges at least 40 bucks for an entree, the dinner salad is an anemic handful of iceberg lettuce and a few pale tomatoes. Nice homemade dressings, though.

The waitstaff were gracious, accommodating and very attentive. Dessert consisted of perfectly serviceable but unremarkable key lime pie and molten chocolate cake. The bill, with tax and tip came to about $650 for 7 people, much less than I expected. There's complimentary valet parking, too.

Thanks again for all your suggestions and, as always, your passionate opinions.

Paul

EJ's Place
10027 Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 933-9800

Paul SL wrote:For entrees, I was surprised to see two of the professed non steak-eaters order steaks (?!?!).

Not really my business, but you've dragged me into this. Did this perhaps make you suspect that their protestations had been more about wanting attention and not so much about culinary preferences?

riddlemay wrote:

Paul SL wrote:For entrees, I was surprised to see two of the professed non steak-eaters order steaks (?!?!).

Not really my business, but you've dragged me into this. Did this perhaps make you suspect that their protestations had been more about wanting attention and not so much about culinary preferences?

Quite possibly but if so, this may not be the best place to discuss it. Definitely interesting but I'm not sure we should veer into such a tangent here...possibly on a thread of its own but definitely not on this one.

Thanks,

=R=
for the moderators

Fair enough.