Chicago's top spots tested by Vicki Williams
“Chicago is my kind of town,” sang crooner Frank Sinatra in 1964, and for many visitors it quickly becomes their kind of town too. Why? Perhaps it’s something to do with Chicagoans’ Midwest warmth and cultured sophistication, set against the backdrop of a stunning city with a rich history.
It may also have something to do with Chicago being a food-centric city with a tremendous variety of choices for a memorable meal. When it comes to power dining – where you need a restaurant with a seamless combination of great food, the right ambience and the ability to talk shop undisturbed – where do the business crowd go? The following five establishments meet the power meal criteria and have either become part of the city’s culinary landscape – or are destined to do so.
The Berghoff Restaurant Background: A Chicago institution, Berghoff’s has been attracting the business crowd since 1898, when Herman Joseph Berghoff, a brewer, decided to open the Berghoff Café (one door down from its current location) to sell his beer, which also came with a free corned beef sandwich. During Prohibition the café expanded into a full-service restaurant, and by 1933 it had established as much of a reputation for its food as it had for beer. It became so loved by foodies that when it was announced it would close in 2006, Chicagoans came out in force with lines snaking around the corner in its final days. This overwhelming response persuaded fourth-generation Carlyn Berghoff to reopen after nine months, much to the relief of locals and visitors alike. The space: Entering the large restaurant is like stepping back in time (in a good way) with its many original features, classic black-and-white tiled floor, stained glass, tiffany lamps, mahogany panelling, wood furniture, long wooden bar and historical photos. The clientele: The full business crowd spectrum. The fare: The menus brim with classic German offerings, complemented by contemporary American dishes. Highlights from our lunch included mini brats and knockwurst, mushroom and goat cheese strudel, Reuben sandwich and Wiener schnitzel. Another table-pleaser was the free-range lamb chops, served with a salad of mixed greens, feta cheese, olives, and a zesty lemon and oregano vinaigrette. The dinner menu features many of the lunch items, plus dishes such as coffee-crusted beef medallions drizzled with a chocolate-infused red wine sauce, and stuffed sole (stuffed with Dungeness crab, rock shrimp and spinach) over a pea risotto. All bread is made on the premises. The service: Efficient, friendly and swift. Optional extras: The restaurant was awarded Chicago’s first liquor licence at the end of Prohibition, which is on display. Other dining options for a quick lunch include the downstairs café and the bar’s “Lunch Counter”. Berghoff still makes its own beer – try the Beer Flight (a sampling of five excellent brews) or the signature root beer. Power lunch or dinner? If time is limited either join the buzz of lunch or get drinks and small bites at the vibrant bar for a casual end-of-the-day meeting. Dinner of course allows for a longer meeting and the chance to sample a wider selection of fine fare. The bill: Appetisers US$5.25-$8.50; salads and sandwiches US$6.50-$13.95; mains US$14.85-$18.95. www.theberghoff.com Henri Background: In the short time that Henri has been open (July 2010), this award-winning, critically acclaimed restaurant has become a firm favourite for power meals. The restaurant is named after influential Chicago architect Louis Henri Sullivan, known as the “father of the skyscraper”, who designed the ornamental façade of the building at the turn of the 19th century. The space: A beautiful, swanky restaurant that was modelled on a European salon, featuring sea-green mohair-covered settees, chocolate velvet-covered walls, hardwood floors, chandeliers and crisp white tablecloths. There is also a small and popular alfresco area. The clientele: Suited and sexy. The fare: “Energetically American, French influenced” is how the restaurant aptly describes its cuisine. To which I would add innovative but at the same time classical, with beautiful plating. My Prix Fixe lunch experience is still vivid in my mind after many months. While tempted by the smoked steak tartare with quail’s egg, the slight chill of the day had me opting for the autumn vegetable potage. The soup was comforting, perfectly seasoned and flavoursome, with the addition of bacon and scallions providing textural contrast, and goat’s cheese adding depth. Roasted chicken breast served with beet, artichoke, little gem lettuce, lemon and goat’s cheese was my main selection. The breast had fantastically crispy skin and was delightfully moist and bursting with flavour, while the salad tasted as wonderful as it looked and was sublimely dressed. I picked the lightest dessert, crème brûlée, a delicious end to a sensational meal. Simple fare executed with perfection can often be the hardest to achieve, but at Henri it is done masterfully. The service: Professional and friendly. Optional extras: The wine list is almost exclusively biodynamic. Henri also has a strong reputation for its cocktails. Henri’s other spot-on self-description is “fine dining without pretension”. Power lunch or dinner? To get the deal done, lunch. The bill: The set menu is US$30 for three courses (a choice of four appetisers, six mains and three desserts). A la carte menus are updated seasonally; appetisers and sandwiches from US$12; mains from US$22; oyster and crustacean selections range from US$18 to US$32. http://henrichicago.com Lou Malnati’s Background: Lou Malnati first began making deep-dish pizzas in the 1940s in the city’s first pizza joint. In 1971 he decided to open his own place with his wife – it was successful from the get-go, and is still in business. In 1978 he passed away and his eldest son joined his mother in the family business, with the younger son coming onboard several years later. Today there are 34 pizzerias scattered throughout “Chicagoland” (the metropolitan area and suburbs). Malnati’s remains family run. The space: I visited the newest and largest location (seats 366) on North State Street. The restaurant has an industrial feel (exposed pipes, large foundry objects used as decoration) combined with a sport’s bar vibe (multiple TVs showing sports while music plays). There is also a small pavement-side alfresco area. However, despite the volume of customers and the sensory distractions it is still possible to communicate with your dining companions. The clientele: Casual crew who know their pizza. The fare: We began with the signature Malnati’s Salad (romaine lettuce, tomato, black olives, mushroom, Volpi salami, gorgonzola and Roman cheeses) and the excellent BuffaLou Wings, which are oven roasted, then fried and tossed in a slightly spicy sauce. Our two pizza picks – Cheese (Malnati’s version of a Napoletana) and the Malnati Chicago Classic (featuring extra cheese, lean sausage and the “famous buttercrust”) – were hearty fare indeed, and the thin, crunchy crust had a decidedly buttery feel in the mouth. A unique feature of the Chicago deep-dish is the reverse order of the ingredients – lashings of cheese, then other toppings, finished with chunky tomato sauce and generally eaten with a knife and fork. I recommend you pair the pizza with a beer from the local microbrewery, Goose Island. The service: When the place is heaving it can be hard to attract your server’s attention. Optional extras: The family is committed to consistency and quality. For example the Californian vine-ripened tomatoes used are hand-selected by a Malnati’s team every summer and canned within five hours, and the mozzarella comes from a small dairy that has been the supplier for over 40 years. The pizza dough is a family secret. Power lunch or dinner? If there is going to be a lot of shoptalk then lunch is best, otherwise dinner for the full Chicago experience. The bill: Salad costs US$7.75-$11.25 and wings US$7.95; cheese pizza US$7.05-$22.25 (size dependent), classic pizza US$5.95-$18.25 – extra toppings US$0.65-$2.25. An express lunch of soup or salad and a six-inch pizza plus soft drink is US$7.75. www.loumalnatis.com Morton’s The Steakhouse Background: Morton’s has been serving up prime steaks since 1978. The original Chicago restaurant (still in operation) quickly became the go-to place for many a celebrity craving a superb steak, from Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli to Matt Damon and Gordon Ramsey. Cofounder Arnie Morton described the original venue as a “neighbourhood saloon for the rich and for people who like to splurge now and then”, and this mantra has carried forward to the subsequent 70-plus steakhouses. In Asia Morton’s can be found in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Macau. The space: A typical steakhouse feel, with exposed brick, leather and dark wood, with a wall of banquette and booth seating. Crisp white tablecloths and the signature pewter pig table lamp complete the look. The dining room is looking a little tired, though. The clientele: Expense account steak aficionados. The fare: Our meal began with a velvety lobster bisque, which was saved from becoming one-dimensional by the addition of a small amount of cayenne pepper and big chunks of juicy, sweet lobster. I opted for the Chicago-style bone-in ribeye, which is enormous – if you are not super hungry one of the “smaller steaks” such as the filet mignon single cut would be more appropriate. The non-steak eater is also catered for with a choice of seafood, chicken and lamb mains. Diners select their preferred steak from a server-presented meat cart and are given a detailed description of each prime cut, which has been wet-aged on the premises. One bite had me understanding why the restaurant attracts the rich and powerful – perfectly cooked and seasoned, Morton’s serves a damn fine steak. We managed a few bites of the rich and intense Morton’s Famous Hot Chocolate Cake that was complemented by fresh raspberries. The service: See below. Optional extras: One reason to pick the original Morton’s over Wacker Place is its general manager, Raki Mehra, who has been at the State St restaurant since the beginning. A charming and affable host, he is only too happy to share some of the many highlights of the restaurant’s history and his interaction with its influential diners. Power lunch or dinner? Wacker Place for lunch, while for dinner head to the original State St restaurant (situated near a lot of bars). For a less formal meeting try the bar at either branch for a drink and a selection of bar bites (from seafood to mini burgers). The cocktails are excellent. The bill: Soup US$15; 22oz ribeye US$55; 6oz filet mignon US$39, 8oz US$45,12oz US$50; sides US$12; dessert US$14.50; wine by the glass from US$10.75. www.mortons.com Shanghai Terrace Background: Shanghai Terrace is The Peninsula Chicago’s Chinese restaurant with a focus on Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisines. The chef de cuisine, Ivan Yuen, hails from Canton (Guangzhou), and the restaurant is considered one of the city’s best for Chinese food, winning a number of awards. The space: The elegant dining room is inspired by supper clubs from 1930s Shanghai, with furniture, light fixtures and decorative objects all in keeping with the Chinese art-deco theme. The tables are simply set and this prevents the room (which is flooded with natural light during the day) from feeling too formal. The generous space in between tables makes it perfect for power meals when a sense of privacy is necessary. The clientele: Fine suits and designer heels. The fare: Chef Yuen understands the classic nature of Chinese dishes but is also inspired by Asian cuisine, which reveals itself in many of the creative dishes. Lunch selections include a variety of dim sum (also available at dinner), seasonal salads such as Asian chicken salad with fresh mango and almond dressing, and small plates including cold noodles with spicy crab and peanut sauce, and marinated beef with crisp cucumber in a citrus onion sauce. For dinner we enjoyed the kung pao chicken, tender wok-fried chicken with peanuts, garlic and ginger with a kick of chilli, and the Shanghai fried noodles with shrimp, pork, chicken, peppers, basil and premium lime soy. Peking duck is also a signature dish. Diners from Hong Kong or China will need to come here with an open mind so they can enjoy the dishes for what they are – delicious, but certainly not strictly authentic replicas of what you eat at home. The service: Five-star, as is expected of The Peninsula. Optional extras: Alfresco dining or cocktails and a nibble on The Terrace, a gorgeous outdoor space that can be accessed from the restaurant. It opens for the summer season this month and is extremely popular. Power lunch or dinner? For lunch it has to be The Terrace, for dinner step back inside and soak up the old Shanghai ambience. The bill: Dim sum US$5 each (two pieces); salads US$10-$12; small plates US$7; kung pao chicken US$26; Shanghai noodles US$18; Peking duck US$32 half/ US$64 whole. www.peninsula.com
Sightseeing
The following two tours are a great way to see more of the Windy City:
Segway Experience of Chicago
Riding around Chicago on a Segway is a fantastic way to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time, and it’s also great fun. The friendly and knowledgeable tour captains lead small groups across the road from the shop, walking their Segways to a small park before each person is given individual instruction and a chance to practise before heading out. It really is easy to use and the initial nerves disappear quickly.
The two-hour Park Glide tour (US$70) takes you through Grant Park, stopping at Buckingham Fountain, and along the Lakefront Bike Path with its stunning views, stopping at numerous sites of interest. www.mysegwayexperience.com
Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise
Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper and this 90-minute tour cruising the Chicago River highlights 50 of the city’s most iconic buildings (and their architects), including the Renaissance-inspired Wrigley Building, the circular Marina City and the breathtaking Aqua building. Even if you are not into architecture you are bound to enjoy the leisurely pace and unique perspective of the city that this tour provides. A bar onboard serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and dry snacks. Each tour is hosted by a volunteer from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, lending a personalised touch as each has his/her own favourite stories to tell. The tour (not including drinks/snacks) is priced at US$35 for advance purchase and US$38 for same-day purchase.
www.architecture.org or www.cruisechicago.com
