David Burke Primehouse

[jesteinf]

I would agree with Ron here. It's really not accurate to describe Custom House as a steakhouse and to try to compare it to Primehouse, Gibson's, S&W, etc.. I always tell people that the menu is steakhouse-like (a la carte items with an emphasis on sides, a good selection of raw/marinated seafood appetizers), but the style of food food certainly isn't.

BTW, I had another great dinner a Custom House this past weekend. But that's for another thread.

[LAZ]

Again, I greatly prefer wood-fired.  I guess that's why I found the steak at Primehouse so anti-climactic.

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Yes, I can see that would make a difference. Wood and and charcoal can elevate even lower grade steaks to deliciousness, which is why the choice steaks at places like Wildfire and Weber Grill can be a deal.

I have to admit that I love steak in nearly all its forms, including Grecian skirt steaks at diners!

But there's something about the intense beefy tang of dry-aged steaks that really elevates that form for me.

[ronnie_suburban]

Again, I greatly prefer wood-fired.  I guess that's why I found the steak at Primehouse so anti-climactic.

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Yes, I can see that would make a difference. Wood and and charcoal can elevate even lower grade steaks to deliciousness, which is why the choice steaks at places like Wildfire and Weber Grill can be a deal.

I have to admit that I love steak in nearly all its forms, including Grecian skirt steaks at diners!

But there's something about the intense beefy tang of dry-aged steaks that really elevates that form for me.

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Don't get me wrong, I can certainly appreciate that distinctive, dry-aged tang. My butcher, Zier's Prime Meats, in Wilmette, ages their prime beef for 21 days (at an approximate 3% loss per day) and I can definitely taste and appreciate the difference over non-aged, which almost tastes flavorless to me these days. That said, it's the cooking method that puts a steak over the top for me. I'd love to have another go at a Primehouse ribeye -- but cooked on a charcoal grill, with lump charcoal, next time around. I wonder if they'd sell me a couple of raw ones . . .

=R=

[LAZ]

Don't get me wrong, I can certainly appreciate that distinctive, dry-aged tang.  My butcher, Zier's Prime Meats, in Wilmette, ages their prime beef for 21 days (at an approximate 3% loss per day) and I can definitely taste and appreciate the difference over non-aged, which almost tastes flavorless to me these days.

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By the way, I had a chance to taste the choice steaks (Sterling Silver brand) that Treasure Island is dry aging. Really good for the price.

(The Clybourn store is having a seminar on dry aging on Wednesday. http://www.tifoods.com/schedule.htm)

[chefmcone76]

Went to Primehouse tonight and was quite dissapointed. The service was great despite the fact that the rest of the evening was a bust. Started off with a great bottle of wine...03' Honig Cabernet. It was one of the few decent wine values on an otherwise unipressive list. For starters we ordered the Caeser with crabcake croutons and the surf and turf dumplings. The tableside prepared Caeser was good, but not spectacular. The crabcake croutons were good as well. The surf and turf dumplings is where the night took a slide.

The dumplings were served cold. Not even barely room temp. We were given replacements but of course they charged us even after saying they would be comped. I didn't want to even dispute the check at the end of the meal. I just wanted to leave. The replacements were definitely texturally challenged as Ronnie said, and were a snore with no discernable flavor enhancement aside from a watery mousse filling.

Next came the steaks. The rib eye was halfway decent but quite fatty even for a rib eye. The dry aged flavor was present but the overall fatty cut was too distracting. thhs steak was temped perfectly and was one of the few things executed well technically over the course of the evening. My girlfriend's sirloin was inedible. It was not tender at all and was undercooked. At least the dog will be happy we spent $300.00 on this evening... I didn't feel like waiting for a refire so we soldiered on through the meal.

For sides we had the tempura green beans which again we recieved room temperature. They were greasy and salty and a sad excuse for tempura. The chorizo mash was decent but had a huge pool of grease left in the bottom of the staub that made it not go down quite so smooth.

For dessert we had the cheescake lollipops. It was definitely a cute presentation and the lollipops themselves were good. My suggestion is to save your money anfd go to a reliable steak house like Gibson's. Oh yeah...David Burke was actually there tonight and working the room. He looked a lot better in person then he did on TV in his landslide loss on Iron Chef...

[Barbara Moss]

Why didn't you find the manager and let him take care of these issues? My feeling is that they want you to be happy. they are not doing these things to be mean. If you slip between the cracks, you can tell them in a nice way what is acceptable and they will do whatever it takes. Yes, there will be times when they are just too snotty( had this experience at the French Laundry) but for the most part I have found that they will do what they need to do. If not,I write a polite note or phone call the next day.

[jesteinf]

The fiance took me to Primehouse last night for my birthday, and we both thought it was outstanding.

I had an insanely decadent appetizer of Kobe beef sashimi, which is served on top of a block of salt. Accompanying the wonderful slices of raw beef was a little dish of black truffle aioli and a couple slices of lightly toasted bread. Just way over the top good (in fact, I raved so much about the aioli, I was given a small container to take home).

For my main I went with the bone-in ribeye which had been dry aged for 40 days. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best steak in the city right now. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the steak had just the right amount of that dry-aged tang that makes a dry aged steak so special. We decided to gild the lily by accompanying the steaks with truffle mouse, which was just as good as it sounds. Sides of basil whipped potatoes and broccoli rabe we both very good.

We finished off with an unnecessary dessert of the Kiickin' Doughnuts, little doughnut holes that you get to inject with three sauces. Of the three (chocolate, vanilla, and apple butter), the apple butter was the standout.

While not inexpensive (bottle of wine, 2 appetizers, 2 steaks, 1 dessert, and 2 glasses of dessert wine ran about $300 before tip), I thought it was well worth it. I think Primehouse should be one of the first answers that comes up to the ever popular, "what's the best steakhouse in Chicago" question.

[babern38]

I went to Primehouse with my mother this last Tuesday for my first dinner there. I had been twice for brunch in the past, but was looking forward to trying their steaks I've read so much about.

First off, I really enjoy the look of the restaurant and I was surprised in the difference in atmosphere from daytime to night. We were not extremely hungry so we skipped appetizers. Besides, i had experienced the surf and turf dumplings (good, but a little chewy) and lobster bisque (very nice, but needed more lobster) in the past. I did have the ceasar prepared tableside which was done very well.

For steak we both had the reserve cuts of 40-day dry aged ribeye. My mom ordered medium-rare and I ordered medium. We also ordered a side of mushrooms and hash browns.

We found the stakes to be done to their respective temperatures and tasty unlike I've read comments about. While I'm not that knowledgeable in the differences between dry-aging etc. I found my ribeye to be very juicy and tender for a Ribeye. The only put-off was that there was a lot of fat around the bone and meat that required some dissection. While fat does offer flavor, I would have preferred a bit more trimming in the kitchen. The mushrooms were excellent. The hash brown were okay, but could have used a little more salt, pepper, or something else for flavor.

For dessert we ordered the fill your own donut holes and the lollipop tree. While neither dissapointed the cheesecake lollipops were the clear winnder. They were served with a little pan of raspberry cream. The donut holes were good, but I found the three injectable fillings of (banana, chocolate, apple butter) were not that strong with flavor and did not add that much to the donuts. And trust me, I tried to squirt a ton of filling into them.

All in all a decent meal but probably a little pricey for what we got. I still think I prefer Ruth's Chris (which is also cheaper). although some of you might find this blasphemy. I've never dined at David Burke's other restaurants (like in New York), but I think I've had my fill of primehouse for a good while.

[JWest]

So.. I'm going back to Chicago for a third summer vacation in a row...I'm possibly staying at the James Hotel and want to know if Lunch and Dinner is roughly the same dining experience since I plan on visiting a couple of other restaurants that are dinner only. If anyone has done both or either one... let me know what you think!

Edited June 9, 2007 by JWest (log)

[babern38]

Honestly, I would consider lunch at primehouse instead of dinner. I was there on the weekend when they only serve brunch which doesn't offer their steaks so I wanted to go back for dinner. However, I do think you can get a steak for lunch during the week. Also, they offer all of their interesting and tasty appetizers on the lunch menu. I'd save your dinner for somewhere else and try some of the interesting things Primehouse has for lunch. Their 3-course prix-fixe doesn't sound too bad.

http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaura...ehouse/menu.php

[Elrushbo]

So.. I'm going back to Chicago for a third summer vacation in a row...I'm possibly staying at the James Hotel and want to know if Lunch and Dinner is roughly the same dining experience since I plan on visiting a couple of other restaurants that are dinner only. If anyone has done both or either one... let me know what you think!

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Avenues is very close to the James, I hope you have it on your list! Incredible experience!

[JWest]

So.. I'm going back to Chicago for a third summer vacation in a row...I'm possibly staying at the James Hotel and want to know if Lunch and Dinner is roughly the same dining experience since I plan on visiting a couple of other restaurants that are dinner only. If anyone has done both or either one... let me know what you think!

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Avenues is very close to the James, I hope you have it on your list! Incredible experience!

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Avenues is always on my list!

[JWest]

Thinking about getting lunch at David Burke Primehouse.. even though I have changed hotel plans from The James to The Raffaello. As much as the $25 3 course prix fixe menu sounds like a bargain..the menu it self doesn't seem that appealing. Anyone want to change my mind otherwise?

Edited June 16, 2007 by JWest (log)

[BryanZ]

The prix fixe lunch menu is lamesauce. You're not even getting steak, and, last I checked, Primehouse was in fact a steakhouse.

As a general rule, I don’t eat at steakhouses. I think my last true steakhouse meal was at like Ruth’s Chris—coincidentally, in the Chicago 'burbs—five years ago. Sure, I order the occasional steak when dining out, but the steakhouse thing doesn’t really do it for me. With that said, when it was brought to my attention that my family would be staying in the James Hotel, a visit to David Burke’s Primehouse seemed fitting.

We were able to secure a Saturday evening reservation with just a few hours notice, so after touristy drinks at the John Hancock we made it back to the James and Primehouse. Although but a few of the tables were occupied at this relatively early hour, we were first seated at a table directly next to a party with a baby in a high chair. I’m all for bringing kids out to restaurants, but the restaurant should not have tried to seat us here with so many open tables. After asking for a booth on the other side of the restaurant we were briefly led back to the host stand before finally being led to a comfy booth. I’ll also add that the red leather table coverings are rather amusing—cow is literally everywhere.

After receiving the whole schpiel on their signature steaks, the cow the restaurant owns, and the salt cave, we set out to order. The four of us sampled the following dishes:

Popovers

A nice, warm way to start the meal. The butter, topped with what I'm sure was Himalayan rock salt, was wayyy cold though. It flaked more than it spread.

Apps

Surf and turf dumplings

Two lobster and two braised short rib. A successful dish but they weren’t particularly hot when we received them. Another minute or two in the steamer would’ve made the dish even better.

Lobster bisque

Not the best picture, but this was a really nice update on the classic. The “foot-long lobster spring roll,” despite being gimmicky, actually provided a nice bit of textural contrast. We all really enjoyed this dish in a fashion similar to the Caesar salad. Something we wouldn’t normally order but made interesting, or at least worthwhile, with the David Burke touch.

Caesar salad prepared tableside

Sorry, no picture. This salad was particularly delicious, however. I can’t think of the last time I ordered a Caesar salad, but this was what other Caesars should be. The dressing was creamy, salty, with just enough citrus to add balance. Get over your foodie superiority complex and order it. I did.

Meats

All steaks were ordered med-rare

Petite, bone-in filet

This was a special and the right size for a diner with a moderate appetite. It obviously doesn’t have the same hulking appeal of the full-size cut but still allows one to sample the bone-in filet that’s become a signature dish here. This was obviously the most tender but also the least interesting in terms of flavor. I generally don’t like tenderloin as a steak but this was quite good.

40-day reserve ribeye

Notice the artful chive garnish. That's what we're paying the big bucks for. Nevertheless, this was a very nice piece of meat. The eye of the ribeye was good if not great but the deckle is what really shined. The fat was particularly luxurious and made for great eats with the meat from the cap. The most distinctively flavored of the steaks I sampled.

Porterhouse for two, post-slicing

This was perhaps the best of the bunch. Of course, it’s nice to get two cuts of beef in one, but the appeal of this steak was its balance. It managed to be noticeably more tender than the ribeye but not so devoid of interesting flavor as the bone-in filet. Obviously this is expected, but it was really clear in this steak. I would say this was cooked closer to rare, not a problem for us, but those with a significant attachment to true medium-rare might’ve been somewhat perturbed.

We also got some sides and an order of the truffle mousse. The mousse is kind of like a super whipped truffle butter. We applied this to everything, steaks and sides and fingers, in copious amounts. The sides of asparagus with shallots and hashbrowns were also quite good. Nothing to complain about there, and I’d probably order them again.

Hashbrowns

Dessert

Cheesecake lollipop tree

Yeah, I gave in. I’d never order this in New York, but here it just seemed right—steakhouse, Caesar, and a gaudy lollipop tree. It was tasty but not so much that my enjoyment of it overcame the extreme gimmickry of the thing. I would’ve preferred a bit more differentiation between the types of the cheesecake on, or is it in, the tree.

In general, they got us the food mighty quickly. We had plans for later in the evening so this wasn’t a problem, but it’s quite clear that they’re trying to turn tables and do so quickly. If you’ll notice, a few of the dishes would’ve benefited from just another minute of cooking/reheating just to make them hotter. Even ordering three full courses and wine, we were out of there in just shy of 1.5 hours. With that said, I really liked the place. The steakhouse thing isn’t so much for me, but Primehouse does a good job of blending the boring old school steakhouse with the depressingly trendy new age steakhouse. I’m not sure if Primehouse is the best in Chicago, but I enjoyed myself thoroughly. A few minor changes and it would’ve been an excellent meal.

[kai-m]

Anybody been there recently?

I think about skipping one of our "high end" dates in the city for a real good steakhouse since this is something you really don't get in germany in sufficient quality...(as opposed to "modern french" or "experimental" cuisine. And after reading molto e's post, I think my dad would be grateful for something that suites *his* preferences for a change...)

There is just one thing that I have often seen now on pictures from US-steakhouses: the steaks often look rather black and "burned" on the outside - is this american custom and a question of better aroma or something? Because in germany they would never ever do that (actually most people here would send the meat back if it looked like this...but maybe that is because we don't know how to cook steak... )

Anyway, thanks for an update on Primehouse (or other steakhouse suggestions).

Regards

kai

[LAZ]

Anybody been there recently?

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I had a terrific meal at Primehouse this weekend. Our group of four ordered two Kansas City steaks and two rib steaks (40- and 55-day aged), at temps ranging from rare to medium well. Every one came out perfectly cooked to order.

Two of our group had never tasted dry-aged beef before and were suitably impressed; however, the 55-day, medium-rare said she would order rare next time, and it occurred to me that if you aren't used to dry-aged beef your expectations in terms of texture and juiciness at particular levels of doneness may be different. Dry-aged beef is denser and dryer than wet-aged, so the effect may be of more cooking.

I had an appetizer of shrimp benedict, essentially a deconstructed eggs benedict with grilled shrimp. It was good, but too heavy with everything else. I'd have preferred a more lemony hollandaise, too. I expect to go back to the caesar salad next time.

Service was top-notch.

For the summer, Primehouse is doing a Friday afternoon "butcher shop," where you can buy raw steaks to take home and cook yourself. I did not inquire as to prices.

There is just one thing that I have often seen now on pictures from US-steakhouses: the steaks often look rather black and "burned" on the outside - is this american custom and a question of better aroma or something? Because in germany they would never ever do that (actually most people here would send the meat back if it looked like this...but maybe that is because we don't know how to cook steak... )

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Yes, better steakhouses will sear the outside; the resulting Maillard reaction adds flavor.

Primehouse is really the best steakhouse in town when it comes to meat. If you're looking for less expense, or a more traditional or "Chicago" experience, or better sides, there are tons of others.

[kai-m]

Thanks for the update LAZ.

And thanks for explaining me what a maillard reaction is

But I think there is a huge difference between the maillard reaction that adds flavor and a burnt steak - or "charred", as it is called in the US, I think. (Another cultural difference in taste, I suppose)

greetings

kai

[LAZ]

But I think there is a huge difference between the maillard reaction that adds flavor and a burnt steak - or "charred", as it is called in the US, I think. (Another cultural difference in taste, I suppose)

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Perhaps. But it doesn't taste burnt. It tastes delicious.