New Owner at Biasetti's?

My nephew, a regular at Biasetti's, was told by his waitress that there was a new owner. He said that the menu was different and some of sides he likes were gone. But the kicker was that the rib recipe that we have enjoyed over the many years we lived in the city has been changed-and not for the better. I hope that it was just an off night. Hell, why would a recipe be changed on a product that was selling in the neighborhood of at least 25 cases of ribs per week (this fact from a waitress last year). Anybody else have any recent experience at Biasetti's?

I was there Friday night and there was a different menu, but in general if was a very Biasetti's like experience. The relish tray was actually fresher and better than last severl visits. I and my dining companion both had Filets and they were pretty darn good for the price. It included a baked potato and giant onion ring. Instead of serving packets of butter on the table, they now provide a trangular piece. I think they're trying to move upscale a bit. The salad with the blue cheese dressing was changed a little bit. The dressing was the same and beets were included but they've added blue cheese crumbles. on the side. The food was very good for the price, the servers were good as ever and the goofy keyboard player was churning out show tunes and standards with all the electronic keyboard bells and whistles.

The menu was one of those that printed and inserted in a sleeve for easy update. Most of the old favorites seemed to be present. My son wasn't with us, otherwise he could have offered his pov on Chicken Parmasen, which he orders EVERYTIME we go there.

. . . . as for the ribs. I have never cared for them. If I wanted ribs in that sort of atmosphere I would have gone to Carsons, but now that requires a trip downtown or Deerfield. (I know they're not smoked, but they are slow cooked and not parboiled before cooking, so they have some fight in them, which I like).

In conclusion. . . .there seems to be changes, I didn't ask for ownership changes, but in general it seems to be holding up.

Headed down to Biasetti's Steakhouse for dinner tonight.

When I used to live down in that area in 2000-2002, I hit this place about 4 or 5 times. I had a friend that loved this place, so I would always sadly
tag along. Although I know that Biasetti's has been a neighborhood favorite since the 40's, I always thought it was mediocre food at gourmet prices. I had the ribs on about three of the visits and they were just horrible - mushy and tasteless one night and a rubbery mystery meat under a heaping of stale BBQ sauce the next. I found the place lacking in ambiance, dirty and generally flooded with ill-behaved, screaming children. I also found the service disinterested at best.

Well, things have changed for the better. They have a new owner now. The place classed it up a bit and looks great. The ribs were fantastic (good slight char; fall off the bone but not overly cooked; good rub). The sauce was very good, if not quite outstanding. The baked potato was perfect and the steak fries spot on. The vegetable tray and fresh bread served as we sat down were very good. The shrimp cocktail was pedestrian but with a good amount of shrimp for the price. And the lemonade was damned good to boot. French onion soup was very good as well.

The service was excellent from the host to the server to the busboys. Very attentative yet not intrusive.

Good deal on the ribs too...a gigantic full slab with choice of potato for $13.99 - that's pretty darned good in Chicagoland for that sized portion of good quality ribs.

For two appetizers; two lemonades; and two full slabs with tax and tip ran $60 - that's not bad for two full-on rib dinners.

It's now called Biasetti's Steakhouse - I highly recommend this place.

Biasetti's Steakhouse
1625 W. Irving Park Rd.
773-281-4442

Biasetti's lost sooooo much of its charming, quirky character when they "niced it up" a few years ago...very, very sad remodeling...ruined a true classic to please people who think anything with a historic old atmosphere is automatically "dirty"...(the same people who likely would like to see the Green Mill cleaned up to look like a Bennigans)

And of course, they raised the prices to help pay for this "improvement"...business has fallen way off, and they've been struggling...used to be an hour wait for a table on weekends...now you can waltz right in at any time...

I hear they have again sold..this time to long time regulars who miss the old place and all it meant to the neighborhood....although the time-machine ambiance is shamefully gone forever, hopefully this will mean a price reduction/greater menu focus...

But at least we still have the legendary Stan Zimmerman on the organ every weekend (and hostess Joyce of course)..