Steaking out the lunchtime best

August 8, 2003

BY PAT BRUNO

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I never have to worry about going on a diet, because in my line of work I can't go on a diet. Of course I try to eat sensibly when I am not eating out, but I eat out a lot, so the premise of eating sensibly is a highway filled with potholes.

I have to admit that more than once I pondered the regimen connected with the Atkins diet, but the idea of giving up pasta, bread and dessert was more than I could bear (after skimming through the Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution I went to bed and pulled the covers over my head). My doctor suggested that a modified Atkins diet might work. "Eat the steak, leave the potato," he admonished. I didn't see how that was going to work, since I love some kind of potato with a steak.

I admit that I am somewhat of a protein freak, so the idea of taking on that whole family of red meat holds great appeal. While I was mulling all of this over, I decided to launch a lunch attack on several of my favorite downtown steakhouses. I suppose, in some convoluted way, this was my interpretation of a "modified Atkins diet" (I figured I would deal with the potatoes on my own terms).

Lunch at some of Chicago's top downtown steakhouses has a few hidden benefits: They are not as crowded, the tab can be a bit less (but not always), and you can hang out and not be concerned about overstaying your welcome (you won't get that "we-need-that-table" look from the waiters). Here's how it all worked out.

Chicago Chop House (60 W. Ontario, 312-787-7100). Right off the bat, my willpower was tested. Russ's American fries are killers. The idea of slicing a baked potato and sauteing it with oregano, garlic and onion is very impressive, not to mention the hold it has over an inveterate spud lover like me. I figured the safest route to take would be to tuck into a half-dozen oysters to rouse the taste buds a bit, move on to more meaty matters, and then pull in a vegetable side dish to round things out.

The lunch menu offers a nice range of red meat choices. The New York strip steak was a possibility, as was the butt steak. London broil? Maybe. I was really eyeing the 16-ounce chopped sirloin (the $13.95 price is attractive enough), but I figured it was too close to the hamburger family to make the grade. The strip steak won out. Excellent beef ("U.S. Prime. Aged Minimum 3 weeks," states the menu). Deep mineral flavor. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the steak could not have been more enjoyable. My side dish of choice was the sauteed mushrooms, which were excellent. In truth, though, I was lusting for the creamed spinach. Dessert was not an issue; too much food for lunch (but I can highly recommend the delicious carrot cake).

Rosebud Steak House (192 E. Walton, 312-397-1000). A pleasing and quiet refuge at lunch (a top pick for a business lunch). To kick things off I asked my server for some sliced tomatoes with red onion and a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar (it's on the dinner menu, but not the lunch menu). The tomatoes--thick slices of meaty beefsteaks--were dead-ripe, thoroughly delicious, and practically a meal on their own.

A range of steaks includes butt, pepper steak (medallions au poivre), petite filet, chopped and skirt. I went with the skirt. Skirt steak is from the "plate" (just ahead of the flank). It's not always the most tender cut, but it is loaded with beef flavor. Rosebud Steakhouse serves a generous cut, dressed with caramelized onions. Crispy here and chewy there, but always with flavor, the pommes frites are included in the $13.95 price.

Erie Cafe (536 W. Erie, 312-266-2300) is another relatively quiet spot that works nicely for a business lunch. Under the heading "Steaks & Chops" on the lunch menu are plenty of options. Small strip, petite filet, pepper steak, beef en brochette and chopped steak. The petite filet got the call, and it was a mighty fine piece of beef. Excellent flavor and cooked right on the money (medium rare). I actually passed on that rubble of cottage fries that the Erie Cafe calls "potatoes Erie," and for me that happens to be a big deal (great spuds). Instead I went for the sauteed spinach, which turned out to be a lot more than I could finish, as good as it was.

Gene & Georgetti (500 N. Franklin, 312-527-3718). The granddaddy of Chicago steakhouses. Cool in a way that defies description, G&G has never failed to show me a good time. The list of steaks on the lunch menu mirrors to a certain degree those on the dinner menu in both selection and price. The real bargains are the daily specials (look for the paper tab attached to the menu).

You are not likely to find one of G&G's famous steaks on the specials list, so allow me to direct your attention to the steak sandwich on the regular menu. "How's the steak sandwich?" I asked the waiter. "It's not really a sandwich," he answered. He got that right. This is a knob of petite filet that's as big as my fist. The hunk of delicious beef, slightly charred on the outside and running just a bit red deep into its core, rode atop a slice of toasted bread. The filet was so heavy it dented the bread. Alongside the meat was an arrangement of radishes, olives, a slice of beefsteak tomato and some pepperoncini. This beauty came with thick discs of G&G's fabulous fried potatoes. It's a 20-buck steak, but it doesn't get much better than this.

Gibsons Steakhouse (1028 N. Rush, 312-266-8999). Gibsons is open for lunch only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Lunch or dinner, Gibsons is a steakhouse with full-fledged flair (though the bar at lunch is a wake compared to what takes place during the dinner hours). The steak choices at lunch are weighted as heavily as at dinner (as are the prices), so you get the full Gibsons red meat treatment (filet mignon, sirloin, porterhouse, London broil, bone-in sirloin, etc.) The idea of tackling a "Big Porterhouse" at lunch (never mind the $64.75 price) was more than I could think about.

Two places to menu graze for prime beef on the lunch menu are under the headings of "Locals' Fare" and "Sandwiches." The prices are right, and the eating is splendid. Steak and eggs, for example. The steak is a ribeye, and it comes with a matched set of eggs (your call) and two big slices of beefsteak tomato. (Tomatoes? How about something else?) Now grab a side dish, the terrific habanero hash browns, and that will set you up for the day.

Another fine option is the prime ribeye steak sandwich, which is first-rate eating. The fries that accompany the steak are quite good, too. Unless you are dining with a few others, put a lid on it when it comes to ordering a side dish. It's that Gibsons "try and finish this, bub" trademark.

Pat Bruno is a local free-lance writer, critic and author.