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An Evening @ Gibson's Steakhouse

awbrig

By awbrig
in The Heartland: Dining

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awbrig

awbrig

Posted
Posted

I took Allison and our kids to Gibsons Steakhouse for Allisons birthday last Tuesday...

Gibsons was best described by a local reviewer:

The city of Chicago exists for Gibsons. Talk about a power restaurant, this bastion of prodigious portions is the epitome of everything in brawny Chicago.

There is nothing subtle at Gibsons, nor should there be. It is a world in and of itself where, for the price of a thick steak or a fist sized lobster tail, every customer can feel like a part of the glitterati. You think all steaks are alike and all restaurants are the same? You haven't been to Gibsons

Here are some pics of the night:

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Arriving @ Gibsons after a 2 block walk from our house...

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Liam checking out the menu

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Gigantic Shrimp Cocktail with Cocktail Sauce with Horseradish

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Your average House Iceberg Salad with a very nice Italian Viniagrette

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Prime Cuts of Beef and a Lobster Tail like none other...

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1996 Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepages to go with our forthcoming Steaks...

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12 oz Prime Filet - Medium Rare

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with Bernaise

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Mountain of Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Allisons Petite Filet

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Emorys Grilled Cheese sandwich and homemade Fries

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Discovering he likes Fries better dipped in Kiddie Cocktail

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Banana Cream Pie that could feed a family of 12

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What we did to it...

Also it turns out that 15 minutes after we left Michael Douglas and his father Kirk Douglas just popped in for dinner...

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sneed/cst-n...s-sneed271.html

Here is Gibsons website if interested...

http://www.gibsonssteakhouse.com

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awbrig

awbrig

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Posted (edited)

Pixel,

I thought I didnt like banana Cream pie and I wouldnt have ordered it except my wife begged to order it...and since it was her birthday....

It was one of the best tasting pieces of pie Ive ever had! :smile:

Edited by awbrig (log)
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Varmint

Varmint

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I was wondering if anyone was going to spot the hidden Inspector Gadget toys around our table :smile:

PS...Dont tell Emory that we forgot them there... :unsure:

C'mon, A.W., I have 4 L'il Varmints. I'm all over those issues!!

Dean McCord

VarmintBites

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awbrig

awbrig

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was shocked the first time I say those desserts.... HUGE... Himalayan in scale...

Have you had any of the other desserts?

Do you have pics of them?

Thanks for the pics.... You have a very precious family.

Thx Suvir...

All the desserts are to that scale...Allison was again there tonight taking clients to dinner and they ordered a chocolate cake that was beyond belief...she brought some of it home after 4 people had some and its still twice as a big as the largest dessert Ive seen elsewhere...and the quality is very HIGH!

When you walk past the street-side windows of Gibsons you can sometimes see a table with one of these desserts and it draws your attention even from the street! They're HUGE!

Edited by awbrig (log)
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Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

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A stunning couple indeed! 

By the way, I particularly like the kiddie toy accessories Gibson's used as table decor!  :raz:

Awbrig,

There chocolate cake has legendary status with many.

Not sure how tasty it is..but it certainly is the LARGEST slice of cake I have ever seen.

It is actually tooo MUCH.

I know a restaurant group that wanted their chefs to copy this dessert... and they actually did. It was much smaller than Gibsons..and yet it was HUGE.

Maybe I ought to try it again... the last time I tasted it, the chocolate was ok.. nothing great.

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Fresser

Fresser

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Posted
Great pictures. I have always like Gibsons for ‘guys night out”.

Will the camera ever turn on the famous awbrig?

Here ya go... :smile:

fc6f9c64.jpg

Allison & I at le Cirque

Awbrig,

Tell Alison that she looks stunning in that pink dress!

Now what is the dapper Emory going to wear to the Hema's dinner? In the Gibson's photos, Em looked like such a stud in that zoot suit & power tie. :cool:

There are two sides to every story and one side to a Möbius band.

borschtbelt.blogspot.com

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Fresser

Fresser

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awbrig - how do you rank Gibson's in the realm of Chicago steakhouses?

Hallo, Craig!

I'm not Awbrig (who is? :laugh: ) but I'll offer my two cents on this topic.

As far as "Star-factor," Gibson's definitely is the place to see-and-be-seen. Celebrities often pop in there (Jack Nicholson has been sighted), and the prime Rush Street location makes Gibson's popular for power-brokers and glamorous types. But frankly, I think there's better steak to be had elsewhere in Chicago.

When a friend and I went to Gibson's, we both ordered the W.R.'s Chicago Cut--a bone-in ribeye. For a well-marbled cut, this ribeye lacked the musky flavor that I've enjoyed elsewhere. I understand that Gibson's wet-ages their beef (as opposed to dry-aging), so perhaps this had something to do with it.

Also, the table next to us had ordered a medium-rare NY strip, which had arrived closer to medium-well. They asked if our steaks were cooked properly, and indeed, they weren't quite as we had ordered them.

Most Chicago steakhouses have their own distinctive atmospheres: Gene & Georgetti is a "regular-guy" steakhouse, with less glitz, a long wooden bar and a genuine pop-up (non-electronic) cash register. Imagine the "Cheers" bar that serves steaks to well-dressed clientele and you'll get the idea.

Morton's is clubbier inside than Gene & Georgetti, and less glitzy than Gibson's.

Has anybody tried the Paddle Steak at Iron Mike's Grille?

There are two sides to every story and one side to a Möbius band.

borschtbelt.blogspot.com

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awbrig

awbrig

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awbrig - how do you rank Gibson's in the realm of Chicago steakhouses?

Hi Craig,

I like Gibsons for the "whole package". I find the steaks very good and the atmosphere terrific...

I definately rank Gibsons in the top 2 of steakhouses in Chicago...

Mortons and Smith & Wollensky (albeit a NY based joynt) are my other favs...

My all time favorite steak, however, is in Milwaukee...Coerpers...

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maggiethecat

maggiethecat

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Briggie, my brother...

Thanks for posting this. Maybe an upcoming Chicago chapter night out?

Great review, great pix.

But mostly...my love to Allison on her birthday. Kisses to my adopted nephews.

And hey...your face finally came out on eG!

Love and kisses,

Magz

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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Aurora

Aurora

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awbrig - how do you rank Gibson's in the realm of Chicago steakhouses?

Hallo, Craig!

I'm not Awbrig (who is? :laugh: ) but I'll offer my two cents on this topic.

As far as "Star-factor," Gibson's definitely is the place to see-and-be-seen. Celebrities often pop in there (Jack Nicholson has been sighted), and the prime Rush Street location makes Gibson's popular for power-brokers and glamorous types. But frankly, I think there's better steak to be had elsewhere in Chicago.

When a friend and I went to Gibson's, we both ordered the W.R.'s Chicago Cut--a bone-in ribeye. For a well-marbled cut, this ribeye lacked the musky flavor that I've enjoyed elsewhere. I understand that Gibson's wet-ages their beef (as opposed to dry-aging), so perhaps this had something to do with it.

Also, the table next to us had ordered a medium-rare NY strip, which had arrived closer to medium-well. They asked if our steaks were cooked properly, and indeed, they weren't quite as we had ordered them.

Most Chicago steakhouses have their own distinctive atmospheres: Gene & Georgetti is a "regular-guy" steakhouse, with less glitz, a long wooden bar and a genuine pop-up (non-electronic) cash register. Imagine the "Cheers" bar that serves steaks to well-dressed clientele and you'll get the idea.

Morton's is clubbier inside than Gene & Georgetti, and less glitzy than Gibson's.

Has anybody tried the Paddle Steak at Iron Mike's Grille?

I would pretty much second this. Gibson's is good especially if you want steak with a huge dose of the "see and be seen/celebrity factor" thrown in, but there are other places in town that almost seem to approach the subject as if it were a religious experience, and it shows.

Gene & Georgetti's is the (wealthy) Chicaga' Guy place -- picture, if you will, Dennis Franz, and you've about hit it on the head. Iron Mike's is a close second to this. It's got all those guy elements -- dark, sports, guy, cigar, Ditka -- it's just not as good.

I recently dined at the Chicago Chop House. It's practically an institution, but it seems to be resting on the reputation of accolades past. The most memorable part of the evening was the three bottles of Chilean Cab that we consumed. As far as the meal goes, I was a bit disappointed.

Ruth's Chris (another chain) is very good, and there is clear pride in how the beef is aged and prepared. I would also give a big nod to Keefer's. Excellent food with a well-balanced menu. There's serious cooking going on in the kitchen -- more than just grillin' up meat, baking potatoes, and stirring the creamed spinach.

Ask five Chicagoans about their preferred steak places; you'll get 20 answers.

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Aurora

Aurora

Posted
Posted
awbrig - how do you rank Gibson's in the realm of Chicago steakhouses?

Hallo, Craig!

I'm not Awbrig (who is? :laugh: ) but I'll offer my two cents on this topic.

As far as "Star-factor," Gibson's definitely is the place to see-and-be-seen. Celebrities often pop in there (Jack Nicholson has been sighted), and the prime Rush Street location makes Gibson's popular for power-brokers and glamorous types. But frankly, I think there's better steak to be had elsewhere in Chicago.

When a friend and I went to Gibson's, we both ordered the W.R.'s Chicago Cut--a bone-in ribeye. For a well-marbled cut, this ribeye lacked the musky flavor that I've enjoyed elsewhere. I understand that Gibson's wet-ages their beef (as opposed to dry-aging), so perhaps this had something to do with it.

Also, the table next to us had ordered a medium-rare NY strip, which had arrived closer to medium-well. They asked if our steaks were cooked properly, and indeed, they weren't quite as we had ordered them.

Most Chicago steakhouses have their own distinctive atmospheres: Gene & Georgetti is a "regular-guy" steakhouse, with less glitz, a long wooden bar and a genuine pop-up (non-electronic) cash register. Imagine the "Cheers" bar that serves steaks to well-dressed clientele and you'll get the idea.

Morton's is clubbier inside than Gene & Georgetti, and less glitzy than Gibson's.

Has anybody tried the Paddle Steak at Iron Mike's Grille?

I would pretty much second this. Gibson's is good especially if you want steak with a huge dose of the "see and be seen/celebrity factor" thrown in, but there are other places in town that almost seem to approach the subject as if it were a religious experience, and it shows.

Gene & Georgetti's is the (wealthy) Chicaga' Guy place -- picture, if you will, Dennis Franz, and you've about hit it on the head. Iron Mike's is a close second to this. It's got all those guy elements -- dark, sports, guy, cigar, Ditka -- it's just not as good.

I recently dined at the Chicago Chop House. It's practically an institution, but it seems to be resting on the reputation of accolades past. The most memorable part of the evening was the three bottles of Chilean Cab that we consumed. As far as the meal goes, I was a bit disappointed.

Ruth's Chris (another chain) is very good, and there is clear pride in how the beef is aged and prepared. I would also give a big nod to Keefer's. Excellent food with a well-balanced menu. There's serious cooking going on in the kitchen -- more than just grillin' up meat, baking potatoes, and stirring the creamed spinach.

Ask five Chicagoans about their preferred steak places; you'll get 20 answers.

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