Bloomberg: The Best Steaks in Chicago
Chicago is America’s spiritual steak capital, having once packaged most of the country’s beef. Nowadays, it’s known for flavor-packed ribeyes and bone-in filets served in elegant chophouses. Here, top chefs recommend the best.
s there a better steak town in the U.S. than Chicago? Experts make a good case for the Windy City: They’ve picked their favorite cuts from their top steakhouses and told us why they’re remarkable.
If you haven’t eaten steak in Chicago in a while, you might want to start making plans. Now. The city has an obsession with top-quality beef, with an assortment of must-have sides and sauces. On this list: A certified classic steakhouse that was a favorite of Sinatra’s, a modern meat place in Google’s local headquarters, and even a Korean barbecue spot.
These recommendations come from people who know their beef—some of the country’s very best chefs and restaurateurs. Let them guide you to the right cuts.
Gene & Georgetti’s
500 N. Franklin St., River North
312-527-3718
geneandgeorgetti.com
“I think you can look at Chicago steakhouses in two different ways: traditional or modern,” says Stephanie Izard, who is beloved as a Top Chef winner and for such restaurants as Girl & the Goat. “For traditional, my favorite is Gene & Georgetti’s. It’s the perfect place to sit in a big leather booth with a martini. It feels like you’re eating your meal in a historic Chicago dining room. My go-to order is bone-in ribeye.”
Chicago’s oldest steakhouse doesn’t look as though it has changed since it opened in the 1940s—Frank Sinatra was a regular—with wood paneled walls and red leather seats pulled up to white cloth covered tables. Preparations are appropriately simple. The prime beef is wet-aged, then broiled. Besides steaks and chops, there’s a section of Italian specialties, such chicken parmesan, and a strong wine program.
—Recommended by Stephanie Izard, chef/partner of Girl & the Goat and Duck Duck Goat, Chicago.
