Lockwood in Chicago: Better than the Reviews (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 83)

We were looking for a nice restaurant for dinner before seeing Amadeus at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and we decided to try Lockwood, which is located in the Palmer House Hilton. Unlike some restaurants that we go to that have a lot of positive buzz and turn out to be duds (in our view), for some reason, Lockwood has gotten a lot of negative press, but we liked it a lot.

We started with a glass of St. Francis Zinfandel for Steve, and a glass of Domaine Carreras Pinot Noir for Lisa. Lisa really liked the Pinot, which was light and fruity with a good flavor, but Steve was not a fan of the Zinfandel. Our amuse bouche was a rock shrimp with cucumber. Despite the presence of a vegetable, we both thought it very good. Lisa particularly liked the olive oil over it. For an appetizer, we shared the cheese course. Overall, the cheese was good, but not outstanding. We both liked the goat cheese, Steve liked the bleu -- which was a bit strong for Lisa -- and Lisa liked the smooth cheddar for its mild flavor. The rest were non-descript.

For entrees, Lisa ordered the ribeye. It was cooked a perfect medium rare, and she really liked its flavor, although finding it a bit fatty, as she usually prefers a leaner cut. Steve's duck was pretty good. It had a great flavor, but it was a bit chewy.

Steve ordered the pear with vanilla flavor, which came with almond crisp and brown butter ice cream. He liked everything but the pear, which is what he expected when he ordered, but he wanted to try the ice cream. He was glad he did, because it tasted like butterscotch and was very good. Lisa had the chocolate terrine, which was not particularly memorable.

We liked Lockwood's decor. It was modern but the tables were well-spaced and it still had a warm feeling. Service was friendly, albeit uneven, as though we had plenty of time, we ended up rushing somewhat to get to the theater.

The total bill for two was $210 with wine by the glass, which seemed about right for what we got. The bathrooms were those in the hotel lobby, and we didn't stop, as we had to the get the theater.

Our ratings for Lockwood, 17 E. Monroe Street, Chicago:

7 of 10 Steak Knives; and, in a first, no bathroom rating (sorry! -- but the play was good)