Chicago Cut Steakhouse

So many options!

In celebration of Father's Day and my dad's birthday, the family and I ventured out to Chicago Cut Steakhouse in River North. If anyone knows my dad, they know him as a connoisseur of all things related to steak. He loves red meat and he loves a nice steak and glass of red wine. If that steak happens to be served with french fries and chocolate cake for dessert, consider it his heaven. After researching several steakhouses downtown, he selected Chicago Cut, due to a recent feature in Esquire.

We were seated in a spacious red velvet booth in the corner of the large dining room. Chicago Cut also features a gigantic outdoor patio overlooking the Chicago river, but on the night we visited, it was too hot to sit outside. Fortunately for us, the numerous windows allowed us a nice view from the indoor tables.

Main dining room

Chicago Cut is equally know for their iPad wine list as they are for their dry-aged steaks. Each table is presented with an iPad to peruse for wine by the glass and bottle. You can search by varietal and country of origin, as well as click on a winery's map for its exact location.

iPad wine list up close

My sister, our family's resident wine sommelier, chose a Cabernet Sauvignon from Woodward Canyon in Washington. This was quite an interesting bottle because every label featured a different painting as part of an artist series.

The bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon we chose

After receiving our wine, we decided to split two salads and a crab cake to start. The first salad was a refreshing mix of burratta, a type of mozzarella, and tomatoes. The salad was finished with sprouts, basil and an olive oil and balsamic drizzle.

Burratta and vine ripened tomato salad

The second of the salads was baby arugula with fennel and oranges. This salad had less flavor than the burratta but I did enjoy the addition of an orange slice. I was very satisfied with the size of the salads for having split them amongst my family members.

Baby arugala salad with candied pecans, pickled fennel and valencia oranges

We also tried the lump crab cake which was tasty and had nice chunks of fresh crab throughout. My mom is pretty critical when it comes to judging crab cakes but she did enjoy this one (although it wasn't the best she's tried!).

Jumbo lump crab and avocado cake with tarragon mustard vinaigrette and coleslaw

Since we were at a steakhouse, we all opted for a steak, of course. All four of us ordered a variation of the filet mignon. I chose the smaller of the offerings, a 6 ounce center barrel cut filet. Since I typically order a filet with a parmigian crust I asked to have mine prepared with some parmesan on top. I was slightly disappointed with the "crust" but I guess that's what I get for ordering off of the menu. Note to self: it's not worth the extra $6. There are several additions available with your steak including cajun seasoning, which my sister chose and hollandaise sauce, which my dad opted for. The steak itself was extremely tender and melted in your mouth. I'm not sure if it was because I didn't order the best addition with my steak but I felt it wasn't seasoned to my liking. All-in-all, it was a quality piece of meat, it just could have used a bit more flavor.

All entrees are served a-la-carte, so we ordered two sides to accompany our meal. The french fries were a must and then we chose the green beans almondine, smothered in buttery goodness.

Side of french fries

Center barrel cut filet mignon with parmesan "crust"

French green beans almondine

Since we were there to celebrate, it was only fitting we enjoy a celebratory dessert. Our waiter brought out a three-layer chocolate fudge cake that had to be nearly one-quarter of an entire cake. Unfortunately, the cake looked more delicious than it tasted and it was a shame since all of the food had been wonderful. However, when you're faced with a chocolate cake, you never let it go to waste--it's cake! It's just like pizza, even if it tastes like cardboard, you're still going to eat it because well, it's pizza!

Chocolate fudge cake

Our family enjoyed our meal at Chicago Cut for their delicious steaks and classy atmosphere. The staff was extremely professional and attentive and I truly believe we received some of the best service I've experienced in quite some time. Although a meal at Chicago Cut is on the pricey side, It's definitely worth it for a special occasion or just to take in the gorgeous view of the river. I give Chicago Cut Steakhouse 4 stars for its impeccable service, the most tender steak I've probably had, and their classy and scenic location. Go for the steak and skip the cake!

Chicago Cut Steakhouse
300 N. LaSalle, Chicago IL 60654
312.329.1800
www.ChicagoCutSteakhouse.com
Reservations at OpenTable.com