The Formal, Fine and Atmospheric Dining Thread
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Joeboo
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To be fair, I can count on 1 hand the number of steak restaurants that I've had a steak that I felt was better than what I can grill at home. They are few and far between, and I don't think any of them were less than maybe $50 just for the steak alone(whole meal being much more). A great steak is a thing of beauty, but 99.9% of restaurants aren't as good as what most people could make at home if they just took the time and care to do it themselves.
Falstaff
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Lot's of options in Chicago but these are the best of the best in my opinion:
https://content.alinearestaurant.com/html/index.html
http://www.grace-restaurant.com/
Less "formal" but more relaxed atmosphere and the food is just as good, if not better:
http://elideas.com/(this is my favorite)
https://www.elizabeth-restaurant.com/
http://schwarestaurant.com/(probably the hardest reservation to get... and the hardest to keep) Great article with more info:http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-r...harlie-trotter
https://content.alinearestaurant.com/html/index.html
http://www.grace-restaurant.com/
Less "formal" but more relaxed atmosphere and the food is just as good, if not better:
http://elideas.com/(this is my favorite)
https://www.elizabeth-restaurant.com/
http://schwarestaurant.com/(probably the hardest reservation to get... and the hardest to keep) Great article with more info:http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-r...harlie-trotter
Joeboo
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Saw EL on the Bizarre Foods show, looked pretty interesting. Beyond the unique food, the whole idea of a small intimate room where the chef prepares courses of his choosing each night, and only serves 1 round of seatings per night is a neat idea. The guests are allowed to wander around in the kitchen, help make/serve stuff, etc. Would be a really fun experience.
How can you not like a place that has this as the first picture on their website when you visit:
How can you not like a place that has this as the first picture on their website when you visit:
Falstaff
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Yeah EL is a really great place. I think Bourdain went there on a Chicago episode of No Reservations during the final season?
The Schwa article is kind of outdated now that I've read it again, and doesn't mention the biggest problem, which is that Michael Carlson is notorious for cancelling reservations the day of. I've heard plenty of horror stories of people being called at 3 in the afternoon and being told the restaurant was closed for the night with no explanation given.
Here are bunch of Chicago food nerds talking about it for 25 pages:http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic...248df9ae42044b
The Schwa article is kind of outdated now that I've read it again, and doesn't mention the biggest problem, which is that Michael Carlson is notorious for cancelling reservations the day of. I've heard plenty of horror stories of people being called at 3 in the afternoon and being told the restaurant was closed for the night with no explanation given.
Here are bunch of Chicago food nerds talking about it for 25 pages:http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic...248df9ae42044b
Soygen
The Dirty Dozen For the Price of One
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I agree. Peter Luger, in my post above, is one that is better than any I've had at home and the other is at a restaurant called Blackstone in Long Island, NY. I'm talking about the porterhouse at both place. Both excellent, but if you know what you're doing at home, it's often much better than restaurants.
99% of the time I'm eating anywhere nice like these places, it's being paid for by business interests. I would almost never pay 50+ bucks on a steak, but if it's free? Shiiiiiiiit. That makes it taste even better!
Alex
Still a Music Elitist
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I agree on the steak. Very few steaks I've had in a restaurant that are better than what I can make at home.Jeff Rubyrestaurants always have excellent steak - especiallyThe Precinct. I've been to a Morton's and didn't think it was anything exceptional.
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Sure, I'll play:
Berns Steakhouse - Tampa, FLhttp://www.bernssteakhouse.com/
STEAKS
Rest of menu
Granted this is just Tampa, and there are plenty of other places just as good or same atmosphere. However this place is set apart by two things.
First thing:Dessert room
Dessert Menu
Second thing: Wine Cellar
You can do a tour of the wine cellar after you eat dinner. It's pretty amazing and they take you through the kitchen also.
Berns Steakhouse - Tampa, FLhttp://www.bernssteakhouse.com/
This is a big deal in Florida, trust me. NOWHERE requires this outside of maybe a few places in Miami. I've been to steakhouses that cost just as must and taste just as good as this place that have no dress code. FLORIDA.
STEAKS
Rest of menu
Granted this is just Tampa, and there are plenty of other places just as good or same atmosphere. However this place is set apart by two things.
First thing:Dessert room
Dessert Menu
Second thing: Wine Cellar
You can do a tour of the wine cellar after you eat dinner. It's pretty amazing and they take you through the kitchen also.
I pity the poor motherfucker that has to memorize that shit so it doesn't take him 9 hours to find what you ordered.
McCheese
SW: Sean, CW: Crone, GW: Wizardhawk
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A bit off topic, but I've always wanted to try a bit of one of these insanely expensive (i.e thousands of dollars) bottles of wine. I'm curious if it really tastes so much different/better than what you can get at the liquor store. In my experience liquor has diminishing returns, in that the taste improves as you increase in price, but not at a nearly equivalent rate. The taste difference between rail liquor and top shelf at a bar is quite noticeable, but the difference between (from a personal experience example) a bottle of 12 year scotch from a random bar and a $450 bottle of 25 year scotch was hardly noticeable.
They've done taste tests where Two Buck Chuck was DECIMATING $100 bottles, and all these wine snobs picked the cheaper as the better. I really don't think their is a $3000 bottle of wine out that there will ruin it forever for you.
boston are has so many restaurants it's funny.
ruth's chris as mention above, excellent menu and service, but the parking sucks in that area.
for a meal similar in quality/price, in Peabody, MA
Pellana's Steakhouse:http://www.pellanarestaurant.com/
not quite as good
beverly depot in beverly ma-http://beverlydepot.com/
ruth's chris as mention above, excellent menu and service, but the parking sucks in that area.
for a meal similar in quality/price, in Peabody, MA
Pellana's Steakhouse:http://www.pellanarestaurant.com/
not quite as good
beverly depot in beverly ma-http://beverlydepot.com/
Grand Cru wines are tasty, sure, but imo not worth the price. There really isn't any need to spend more than 100 euros on a bottle of wine unless you want to impress someone.
Soygen
The Dirty Dozen For the Price of One
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I've never had a wine that was in the thousand+ range, but I've had ones that were several hundred dollars a bottle. Some are great, others aren't as good as the 10 dollar bottle of cab I bought at Target. I'll stick to the cheap, but tasty stuff.
Falstaff
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I've been buying a lot of wine from Costco recently and using this as a reference point for finding stuff I like
http://costcowineblog.com/
http://costcowineblog.com/
ZyyzYzzy
RIP USA
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Besides homemade wine the only other I drink now is Charles Shaw. Sometimes I feel like a hobo, but it is so good. Can't beat 12 bottles for $35.
