Smith & Wollensky in Chicago: Solid Steakhouse Experience (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 44)

It was another in the seemingly endless series of miserably cold Chicago winter days we've had of late, so we decided to go someplace close to home. We hadn't had a chance to rate Smith & Wollensky and we felt like steak, so that seemed an obvious choice. Though we don't usually focus on decor, just walking in the front door of Smith & Wollensky feels like a real Chicago experience, which is ironic because it originated in New York. But the polished dark wood bar, hardwood floors, and clubby furniture are quintessential Chicago.

Fortunately, we got a table away from the window, so it was at least tolerably warm, though Lisa still felt chilled. We started with wine by the glass. Lisa had a Ferrari Merlot, which was medium-bodied and very pleasant on a cold evening. Steve ordered a Syrah, which he found unexceptional. For appetizers, Steve had the lobster cocktail. Lisa also tried it. Both of us thought the lobster was excellent, meaty and flavorful. And there was lots of it -- almost a whole lobster. Lisa had the shrimp bisque, which she really enjoyed. It had good flavor and many pieces of shrimp. Our salads were pedestrian. Steve's wedge was okay, but the lettuce wasn't particularly crispy and the dressing was too tangy. Lisa's mixed green salad had red wine vinaigrette dressing that she didn't much care for.

We had a divergence of experience with the steak. Steve really liked his bone-in Kansas City strip steak. This is a sirloin cut, which Steve usually doesn't like, but Smith & Wollensky's version was charcoaled perfectly and had just the type of flavor Steve prefers in steak. Lisa's filet was cooked a perfect medium rare and tasted good at the very center, but was otherwise just okay.

For dessert, Lisa had the three-flavor chocolate cake. It was an exremely large piece, enough to feed a family of four, and was fairly good, though not quite dark chocolate enough for her. Steve had an uninspired apple crisp with a sad dollop of some sort of unidentified ice cream. Also, while caramel was supposed to be part of the equation, much to Steve's chagrin, this element was clearly missing.

We both wished we could have eaten in the bathrooms because they were the only part of the restaurant that was warm. Both bathrooms were very clean, though nothing particurly fancy.

Our total bill, with wine by the glass, was $180. We thought this was a very solid dining experience with good service and a nice atmosphere. The rating was affected by the average nature of some of the courses, but this is still a place we would highly recommend, and we plan to return in the summer and sit by the windows, which offer a very nice view of the Chicago River. (Or outside, if Steve convinces himself yet again that bugs don't exist by rivers.)

Our ratings for Smith & Wollensky, 318 N. State, Chicago, Illinois:

7.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes