Everest - Almost the Pinnacle (Chicago Area Restaurant Review Number 51)

And they said it wouldn't last. Our blog has reached its one year anniversary. We wanted to celebrate with a special dinner so we picked a restaurant we have loved in the past, Everest. Everest, which is a fine dining restaurant, is on the top floor of the Chicago Board of Trade Building and has a tremendous view of the Chicago area. The room is very relaxing and elegant at the same time, and the tables are perfectly spaced for conversation. The service is extremely informed and helpful, which adds to the overall grand experience.

With help from Everest's sommelier, we started with a bottle of L'Evengile Pomerol 1996. As with most Pomerol this tasted a bit tart at the outset but as the wine had time to breathe it got better and better. We really liked this bottle. Our first course was a heavenly caviar. It was accompanied by tasty blinis and more than enough creme fraiche (as well as other stuff we ignored). The caviar alone made this dinner worthwhile. Our next course was a cheese plate with camembert, goat and blue cheeses from the midwest. This came with raisin toast which was a perfect match with the cheese. Again this course was superb.

The only flaw of any substance with this experience was Steve's entree. The short ribs were surprisingly tough and chewy, rather than being tender as he would have expected. Lisa's beef tenderloin, however, was cooked a perfect medium rare and tasted wonderful. Steve had a bite and also thought it was great. Had he ordered that instead of the short ribs this might have gotten a perfect score but a bad entree does preclude perfection.

Desserts were pretty although Steve's banana crepe with chocolate was a bit much on the chocolate for his liking and Lisa's chocolate sampler with five types of chocolate was very good but none of them was superb on its own. Dinner also included a starter and dessert amuse bouche. The appetizer amuse bouche consisted of a pudding-like substance with pistachio, which we both thought bordered on vile. But the asparagus soup with lobster and the capon were both excellent. For dessert Lisa had some chocolate pieces including one that looked like a conehead and a jelly-like dish and a lemon maccaroon. She particularly liked the jelly and the lemon. Steve had a milk chocolate piece and the maccaroon. He wasn't fond of the chocolate but would have liked 10 maccaroons instead of the dessert he had.

Both of us thought the bathrooms were perfect. They were spotless, the right temperature and well decorated. Of particular note were the sinks which had a clear glass basin.

Dinner for two at Everest, with a bottle of wine and caviar was a fitting $1,000 (only the best for a dynamic blog like ours), but it would have been more like $500 with wine by the glass and no caviar. Certainly this is not a place to go often (unless your name is Pritzker or Crown) but it is the perfect place for a special dinner and perhaps, unlike Trotter's or Tru, one could justify a few trips here per year.

Our ratings for Everest, 440 S. LaSalle Street Chicago Illinois

9 of 10 caviar spoons (new rating); 3 of 3 Bathroom Brushes

The Reel Club: A Blight On Oak Brook (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 50)

Usually we love everything about Oak Brook Center. We like the outdoor shopping (at least for the six or seven days the weather is good), the Wildfire is our favorite restaurant of all, and we have liked other restaurants we've tried there. The Reel, which we were surprised to find is part of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant chain, is like the black sheep who drags the whole family down.

We actually couldn't believe how bad we felt this restaurant was. The evening started inauspiciously when, on a cold Tuesday night, with no one around the host stand, the maitre d' claimed there was not a single table available in the dining room for an hour. Lisa found this more credible, as she did see most of the dining area filled when she passed to visit the Women's Room. Steve was not convinced. We were seated immediately, though, in the bar area, which had nice high top tables. Plus, with the smoking ban, it can actually now be pleasant to sit in a bar.

We started with an Oregon Domaine Pinot Noir, which was far too tart for both of us. It tasted like green apples. It did grow a little on Lisa, but Steve never warmed up to it, and neither of us would order it again. Steve was confused about the food from the outset. The place is called "The Reel," but the first thing the waiter mentioned as a specialty was the steak. Perhaps that should have been our first clue, but we did not pick up on it. We started with tuna tartare, which we expected to be good since we still thought we were at a seafood restaurant. It was okay, but the sauce obscured the tuna taste. The service intruded at this point, because the salads were brought before we'd even come close to finishing the appetizer. Lisa's ceasar was okay, but bland. Steve's baby iceberg came with brown lettuce, but the blue cheese made it at least edible. To call the service uneven would be an understatement. After having the salad come right on top of the appetizer, we waited for what seemed like an eternity between finishing the salad and getting the main course. Also, no one cleared the appetizer or salad plates, which made our small table very crowded.

The entrees were almost laughable, except we were hungry and would have liked to have something to eat rather than laugh about. The salmon Steve ordered was the worst either of us had ever tasted. Lisa compared it to the cafeteria salmon where she works. Lisa's crab cakes were also miserable. Sometimes she does not like crab cakes because many restaurants prepare the breading with Southwestern spices. There were no worries about that here. Instead, the breading and the crab tasted like frozen fish sticks by Mrs. Paul. Our advice -- save some money and just visit the frozen seafood aisle in your local supermarket (not even Jewel quality -- more like Aldi's).

Desserts were uneven. Steve had butterscotch creme brulee, which had the potential to be fantastic but which instead tasted sort of like old Brach's butterscotch candy. Lisa really liked her dessert, which was homemade chocolate ice cream topped with a scoop of orange sherbet and served with chocolate sauce that was fairly dark. This did not save the meal, but at least saved the place from our worst rating ever.

The bathrooms had very interesting sinks. The water cascaded onto a flat white surface with gutter-type borders to catch the overflow. It worked fine, though Lisa felt nervous that the water would splash on her or the floor. Still, it was kind of neat, and Lisa otherwise would have rated the women's bathroom fairly high, but it was quite chilly. Steve thought the men's room was acceptable but nothing special other than the sink (and he did manage to slop some water over the gutter and onto himself).

Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was $220 and would have been about $145 with wine by the glass. Not terribly expensive had the food been even reasonably good, but definitely too much for the actual quality.

Our ratings for The Reel Club, 272 Oak Brook Center Dr., Oak Brook, IL:

4 of 10 Fish Hooks; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes

The Palm in Downtown Chicago: Resting Uneasily on its Laurels (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 49)

The Palm is a steak restaurant chain that started in the early 1900s in New York. When a branch opened in Chicago about twenty years ago, Steve couldn't wait to go there because he had loved the one in New York so much. And at that time, the Chicago Palm was fantastic. However, the years have not been good to this place and when we went there recently, a once fine restaurant had turned.

The first thing we noticed was how cold it was inside the dining room even though, for the winter we've been having in Chicago, it was not that bad outside, and we weren't seated near the door. While the decor itself is still interesting -- including caricatures of many celebreties -- there is a tired feel to the place which is reflected in uninterested service and questionable food. An example of this was the wine. We ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir and instead were given a half bottle (although at least they got the type right). The wine itself was a Ken Wright 2006 Pinot which was a little tart for Lisa, but which Steve really liked. However, there wasn't much of it.

Our first course was steak tartare, which we thought would be top notch. We were very disappointed. Lisa actually characterized it as gross, largely because of the overpowering mustard sauce. Steve was slightly less underwhelmed, but only slightly. Then we had salads. Lisa's mixed green was okay, though the lettuce was somewhat wilted. Steve had the same experience with his hearts of lettuce salad. The only good part was the blue cheese dressing. We pinned out hopes on the main course, and it' s a good thing we weren't gambling in Vegas that evening, because the steaks were no better than the previous courses. Steve convinced Lisa to try the bone-in New York, which is what he ordered as well. The waiter, in a feat of misdirection, claimed that medium rare at The Palm means a cold, red center (which is usually rare), so we ordered our steaks medium and, of course, they in effect came medium well. Lisa's had no pink at all, and Steve's had one small pink blotch. We're just grateful they weren't burnt. Ironically, Lisa, who is not a charcoal fan, thought this charcoal tasted good, but that was about all she liked. Steve's view was similar. The only part of the meal that lived up to expectations was the half and half, which is cottage fries and fried onions. Both of us actually ate a good amount of this because we could not finish our overcooked steaks.

Given the rest of the meal, we did not make the mistake of expecting our dessert to save things. Based on our lowered expectations, dessert was okay. Lisa had the molten chocolate lava cake, which she thought was good except that the chocolate was not dark enough. Steve had creme brulee, which was sort of tired, like the restaurant.

The bathrooms were hard to find. You had walk upstairs and out of the restaurant into the hotel. The bathrooms were both clean enough but cold, and there was not enough soap coming out of the automatic soap dispensers to allow for a good wash, which was disconcerting.

Our total bill for this lackluster experience was $320 with only a half a bottle of wine. It would have still been $250 with wine by the glass, which is outrageous in our minds for the quality we got.

Our ratings for The Palm, 323 East Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL

4.5 (being charitable) of 10 Steak Knives; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes

Exposure Supper Club: Even Better This Time (Chicago Restaurant Review Update)

Since Exposure is one of the only good restaurants in our South Loop neighborhood, in our opinion, we decided to return for an update. When we first visited, it had just opened, so the menu is quite a bit different now. For the most part, we liked the changes. We also still loved the decor, which is heavy on red and has an Asian influence.

We started with wine by the glass. Steve had a Pinot Noir recommended by the waiter, which was pretty mediocre (Steve should have known since it violated his rule on wines, as it was the cheapest rather than the most expensive Pinot by the glass). Lisa, on the other hand, had the most expensive of the two Zinfandels by the glass, a Cline red Zinfandel, also on the waiter's recommendation. While we liked the waiter a lot, some of his choices didn't suit us and Lisa's wine was another of them. She found it a bit too tart.

Our first food dish was a heavenly ahi tuna with wasabi caviar. This is some of the best ahi tuna Lisa has ever had. In fact, she usually doesn't care for it much, but this had great flavor. Steve also loved it. The beef carpaccio was also excellent. There was lots of thinly sliced beef and the accompaniments of vegetables and onions were also good. The beef itself was top notch and fell just short of our favorite at Gioco (which used to be our favorite restaurant in the South Loop, but which we feel has fallen off some of late -- see future review).

We then had the cheddar cheese fondue. It came with ample dipping items, including bread, yellow tomatoes, apples, broccoli and mushrooms. The cheese was only okay, as it tasted bland, particularly for cheddar. We liked the au gratin potatoes, but they were not quite as good as the first time we visited Exposure because they were not fully cooked in some spots. After having all that food, we wanted only one more dish. The waiter, in keeping with his strange (to Steve) tastes, recommended dates wrapped in bacon (which Lisa usually likes, but Steve does not) and edamame (no chance). After Steve finished scoffing at those two choices, we think the waiter just gave up and recommended french fries. That was also a bad choice because the fries were fat (Steve likes shoestring fries best). Lisa liked the ketchup and the mustard sauce, which had a honey undertaste, but they were not anything remarkable, and Steve found the whole thing to be a waste of calories.

Dessert, however, marked a return to excellence. The chocolate fondue is very dark chocolate, and served at just the right temperature with abundant dipping items, including marshmallows, bananas, brownies (for truly decadent eating), and grapes. This fondue is as good, if not slightly better, than the chocolate fondue at Gejas, which is Lisa's favorite dessert of all time (though last time Geja's seemed a bit skimpy on the portions).

We again loved the decor of the bathrooms, and we must have been smarter this time, as both of us figured out how to rinse our hands in the fancy glass basins under the faucets. For those who didn't read our prior review (and you really should), the bathrooms have a coppery-colored stone tile, individual small rooms with Asian-screen-like doors and are overall very attractive.

The total bill with wine by the glass was a bargain at $100.00.

Our ratings for Exposure Supper Club, 1315 S. Wabash, Chicago, Illinois:

7.5 (up from 7) of 10 Steak Knives; 2.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes

La Tasca in Arlington Heights: Our New Favorite Tapas Restaurant (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 48)

We felt like tapas and wanted to try somewhere new, so we chose La Tasca in Arlington Heights. It was a great choice. The first thing that struck us when we entered was the decor. La Tasca is in a faux historical building with large rooms and high ceilings, so it feels spacious and relaxed (although it could get loud if somewhat more crowded than it was when we were there). The atmosphere in the main dining area is friendly, if not overly authentic.

We started with a bottle of really good Spanish wine, Conde De Valdemar, which was fruity with a chocolate undertaste similar to Godiva dark chocolate liqueur. Even Steve, who usually struggles to finish one glass, really liked this. Every dish, except the desserts, was exceptional. Particularly noteworthy was the garlic potato salad, which is a staple at most tapas places, but which was tremendous here. Also, the smoked salmon rivaled that at any top-notch seafood restaurant. Our other cold tapas was a smoked Spanish meat and cheese plate. We loved the cheese, although the meat was only so-so. Next time we would definitely order only the cold cheese plate.

The hot dishes also were excellent. The baked goat cheese and tomato sauce was tasty, though Lisa still likes Wildfire's better because this was a bit salty for her. The tomato-flavored baguette with fresh tomatoes was delicious. Finally, the beef tenderloin, which is often weak at tapas restaurants, here was as good as everything else. The meat was top quality and the sauce was excellent.

Desserts were a bit disappointing. Steve's rice pudding was far too thick and gummy (which is too bad because rice pudding is usually only good at tapas places). Lisa ordered a chocolate mousse dish reputed to be dark chocolate, but which was more like bland milk chococolate, so she didn't care for it.

The bathrooms both were unisex and were fairly clean, but the particular type of floor made them appear less clean than they were and ruined the effect. Also, the door had a heavy metal handle that opened from the inside, which Steve did not like because he imagined millions of bacteria teeming on it.

The total bill was about $140, with a bottle of wine, and would have been about $100 with wine by the glass. The dishes were served at exactly the right pace, which is difficult to do at a tapas restaurant. We had just enough time to eat without feeling rushed, but weren't kept waiting long between courses. This is definitely worth the trip to Arlington Heights. Also, the area is a pleasant one to walk in on a nice night.

Our ratings for La Tasca, 25 W. Davis St., Arlington Heights, Illinois:

8 of 10 Steak Knives and 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes

Phil Stefani's: Pretty Mediocre (Chicago Area Restaurant Review 47)

We wanted to support the first (and we hope annual) Chicago Restaurant Week, where participating restaurants donate a portion of their dining proceeds to charity, so we picked Phil Stefani's because it was one of the only participating red meat-oriented restaurants. What we got was very standard Italian steakhouse fare at prices which would suggest much better food than what Phil Stefani's offers.

Since it was during the week, we started with wine by the glass. Lisa had a Cellar Zinfandel, which had a good fruity flavor she enjoyed. Steve ordered the Clochere Pinot Noir. He thought it was just average. The meal started well enough, with a very tasty lobster cocktail (though not quite as amazing as Smith & Wollensky's). Next, we both had tomato, onion, and blue cheese salads. The tomatos were served sliced, not chopped, and had little taste. Steve also thought they were hard. Both of us found the onions too tangy and, given the weak tomatos, they overpowered the dish. At this point we also noticed the service was a bit rushed, since our entrees came out on top of the salads.

For an entree, Lisa had the filet mignon. It was a cooked medium rare, as requested, and Lisa thought the center tasted good, and the rest was just okay. Steve's Kansas City strip was disappointing. The bone, which gives this cut its flavor, was almost non-existent (must have been an athletic injury for the cow), and accordingly the cut was fairly flavorless. Or unfairly flavorless, given the price we paid.

Dessert did not really save things. Steve's key lime tart with honey ice cream was only half good because the honey ice cream was excellent, but the tart itself was bland. Lisa had marscapone and almond, which she did not like at all. That might be partly due to her having mixed up marscapone with marzipan, which she does like, when she ordered. But it also was advertised as being served with dark chocolate sauce and in fact came only with what may have been a couple smeared dabs of chocolate, which seemed to be there only for decoration.

The bathrooms were average. Both were clean but a bit chilly, and certainly nothing out of the ordinary.

Our total bill, with wine by the glass, was $200. We are happy that part of this went to charity, but this was way overpriced in our opinion for the mediocre food.

Our ratings for Phil Stefani's, 437 N. Rush, Chicago, Illinois:

5.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes

Stay Tuned for our one-year anniversary, when we will visit one of our favorite restaurants, Everest, located at the top of the Chicago Board of Trade.