Fulton's on the River - Chicago

[jesteinf]

I've talked a lot of smack about Fulton's since eating at their Disney World outpost a couple of years ago. When Chicago Magazine picked Fulton's as one of the best new restaurants of 2006, I scoffed.

But then, word of mouth was getting better and better. The oyster program has been lauded in several places. Based on all of the positive reviews, I decided on Fulton's as an option for the rehearsal dinner the night before my wedding.

I went over there during lunch today to check out the room and talk logistics. Coming away impressed by the presentation I decided to sit at the bar and have lunch.

Wow, was it great. I started with half a dozen Sunset Beach oysters that were hands down the best oysters I've had in Chicago. Absolutely pristine. Just a small squirt of lemon and they were good to go. I moved on to the seafood Cobb salad, that was full of scallops, bay shrimp, and dungeness crab. Again, everything was fantastically bright and fresh tasting.

I'll definitely be making many many return trips for lunch, and it's definitely moved up the list of places I need to get to for dinner.

[ronnie_suburban]

Mike Sula's piece in The Reader a few weeks back definitely intrigued me:

WHENEVER MARK MAVRANTONIS comes across an oyster that refuses to open, he caresses the bottom of its shell and speaks to it softly. “They’re not stupid,” he says. “They know something’s up. Imagine your eyes are shut, you don’t know what’s going on, you’re moving around a lot, and this guy tries to shove a knife in the side of your head.” But if he reminds the oyster of its position at the bottom of the food chain, he says, it will relax and accept its fate.

Mavrantonis is the executive chef at Fulton’s on the River, the giant downtown steak-and-seafood house. It’s part of the Levy Restaurants corporation, which owns a few fine-dining jewels like Spiaggia but makes most of its money through sports arena concessions. When Fulton’s opened in October 2005 the company gave Mavrantonis carte blanche to use his personal contacts with hundreds of oyster farmers all over the Pacific northwest and the Atlantic coast to develop a top-notch shellfish program.

The Oyster Whisperer

=R=

[nsxtasy]

AFAIK, each location of a Levy's restaurant is a separate entity, in terms of menu, atmosphere, concept, etc. So I wouldn't expect Fulton's on the River in Chicago to necessarily have any more similarity to the Fulton's Crab House in Florida as it would to, say, Bistro 110 in Chicago, aside from the fact that both specialize in seafood.

Like Josh, I've heard lots of good reports about the seafood at Fulton's. Right now it's sitting at number eight on my list of nice restaurants I need to try.

Edited February 1, 2007 by nsxtasy (log)

[santo_grace]

After spending last Monday night discussing the Oyster Whisperer article, we got a taste for some oysters. We went to Fulton's on Friday night for Happy Hour. It's 4:30-6:30pm with $1/oysters and sushi rolls. We only ended up getting the oysters and martinis. Both were very nicely chilled. The oysters were all very good. We ordered all the ones that were offered (sorry, can't remember any of their names). We would definitely go back for the oysters. We sat in the bar upstairs, which has a very nice view.

I can't say that we would go back for dinner though. I had a bowl of clam chowder and the crab cakes. Both were OK, pretty non-descript and not good enough to want to go back for them. My husband and friend had the stuffed Mahi, which I they liked. We sat downstairs and the room was freezing, so we didn't stay for dessert or after dinner drinks. The space downstairs is so large I'm not surprised it was freezing. There weren't many people there, so there wasn't much body heat to warm the place. And it probably isn't worth the money in trying to heat the place.

On the way out we did see the Oyster Whisperer himself talking with a table and seemed very happy to be discussing the oysters with them. He had a pipette with him, I'm not sure what was in it and how he was using it. Overall, we would go for the oysters again.

[LAZ]

There's a large menu, with prime steaks as well as seafood. I thought the fish dishes kind of on the fussy side, though tasty, and the sushi nothing special. But there's lots to choose from, so I'd happily go back, even though it is a little costly (not overpriced, but expensive). My favorite items came from the starters menu -- pastrami salmon, truffled deviled eggs with caviar -- and sides -- colossol tater tots.

I also love the venue, with the terrific views of the river, great outdoor seating in summer and dining rooms on a grand scale. That's almost more attractive than the food. (I know, I know, that's not a very foodie attitude, but sometimes you want to go somewhere that's not a no-frills storefront or a bistro with exposed brick and funky local art.)

[santo_grace]

(I know, I know, that's not a very foodie attitude, but sometimes you want to go somewhere that's not a no-frills storefront or a bistro with exposed brick and funky local art.)

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Ha! I agree. I see this as a good afterwork option, a place to take newcomers to the city to sit by the water, or if general I just want to lounge somewhere. I would still stick with some of the less expensive items.

Did you have the colossal tater tot? Is it just one large tot? Seems like that's not a 'tot'.

Edited for grammar.

Edited February 5, 2007 by santo_grace (log)

[LAZ]

Did you have the colossal tater tot?  Is it just one large tot?  Seems like that's not a 'tot'.

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No, but "colossal" is right. It's about the size of a large Idaho potato. The texture doesn't quite match the Ore-Ida product, but the flavor is just right.