Steak Diane

Anyone know if there are there any good places in Chicago that still do a tableside preperation of Steak Diane.

Don't know if they specifically have Steak Diane, but one place known for tableside prep is:

Lutnia
5532 W. Belmont Ave.
773-282-5335

Steak Diane, prepared tableside (per tradition), is a regular menu item at RL Restaurant. I've never eaten there but Mrs. Kman and some friends are dining there later this month - I'll see if I can get a report.

I think I was about 10 years old the first time I saw/sampled Steak Diane, at the Top of the Town restaurant in Hamilton, Bermuda. "Cool, the waiter set the steak on fire!"

Sabatino's does a very impressive steak diane, all tableside. It is, I believe, $45 for two people, which includes soup, salad, and potato.

Finish it off with peaches flambe, bananas foster, cherries jubilee, or baked alaska.

-ed

Algauer's in Northbrook (Hilton Hotel), on Milwaukee & Winkelman Rd (between Lake and Palatine) still does a tableside Steak Diane, and IIRC it was pretty darn good.

Cafe La Cave in Des Plaines has a steak Diane that is really good. It's a restaurant that is like an old supper club. Their presentation is very showy with older waiters in tuxes but the end result is very enjoyable. They do a few other dishes tableside as well as desserts. The place has gotten pricey in recent years (probably to pay for the addition of the catering hall) It also was big for businessmen on expense accounts due to the proximity of O'Hare. It's worth a try.

Cafe La Cave
2777 Mannheim
Des Plaines
847-827-7818

RL prepares a lovely Steak Diane tableside in a lovely clubby atmosphere.

The Lovely Donna wrote:Cafe La Cave in Des Plaines has a steak Diane that is really good. It's a restaurant that is like an old supper club. Their presentation is very showy with older waiters in tuxes but the end result is very enjoyable. They do a few other dishes tableside as well as desserts. The place has gotten pricey in recent years (probably to pay for the addition of the catering hall) It also was big for businessmen on expense accounts due to the proximity of O'Hare. It's worth a try.

Cafe La Cave
2777 Mannheim
Des Plaines
847-827-7818

Mrs Willie & I dined at Cafe La Cave on Friday evening. Steak Dianne orders were still going strong as we noticed a number of tables enjoying the tableside preparation.

We hadn't been to Cafe La Cave in quite some time, I could have sworn I recall them making tableside Caesar salad but that didn't happen on this visit with our order. Salad was good if heavy on the dressing.

Mrs Willie ordered Seafood Medallions - Shrimp, Crab, and Scallops sautéed in a Lobster Brandy Sauce served with Risotto. Seafood was cooked perfectly, sauce delicious, only negative was the risotto wasn't quite the right texture.

I had the Whole Dover Sole Francais - Lightly Floured and dipped in an egg mixture, pan fried and served with Toasted Almond Butter, Filleted Tableside. Having filleted many a fish & having a taskmaster of a father who was in the seafood business, I noticed that while the server was fast, he was not very good about maximizing the fish served to me, none the less, the sole was delicious and cooked perfectly. Suggestion, unless you REALLY like almond butter, ask the server to go easy on the butter, I had asked him to stop with the butter after he doused the first fillet.

I usually request whole fish prepped tableside to be left alone and I take care of it myself. That way you get to enjoy every bit - including the oft overlooked cheeks and eyes.

Cafe LaCave is still around? Best news I've read in a long time!

stoutisgoodfood wrote:I usually request whole fish prepped tableside to be left alone and I take care of it myself. That way you get to enjoy every bit - including the oft overlooked cheeks and eyes.

Agreed.

My Dad is a bit abrupt when he stops people from tampering with his fish.

Regards,
Cathy2

JeffB wrote:Cafe LaCave is still around? Best news I've read in a long time!

Agreed. I seem to remember reading some time back that it was closing but obviously my memory of that is, happily, incorrect.

=R=