Aja Steak in Chicago: Great New Steak Concept (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 98)

The newest entrant to Chicago's steakhouse scene is Aja Steak in the edgy Hotel Dana, which is in the River North area of Chicago. This definitely is not your father's steakhouse, it is very modern, with unpainted concrete and exposed ductwork and no leather booths. Even though there are many other things (like sushi) on the menu here besides steak, we thought the steak was among the best we've had.

We started with, for a change of pace, mixed drinks rather than wine. Lisa had an almond pear blossom, which had amaretto and pear absolut and a slice of pear. It really tasted like almonds and pears and was not overly strong, so Lisa liked it a lot and ordered a second. Steve had the sake sangria, which really tasted just like regular sangria and was quite good. The first food was a kimchee amuse bouche, which basically was spicy cabbage and sesame cucumbers. We both loved the cucumbers and found the cabbage a bit too spicy. On the other hand, it is the only time either of us can recall eating cabbage in our adult lives (or, for Steve, at any time).

For appetizers, we split the beef carpaccio and the chicken skewers (which had a fancy name but were still skewers). Both were excellent. The carpaccio was a little different from what we're used to, as it tasted almost smoked, but it had good flavor and was served with some crunchy stuff that set it off well. The chicken on the skewers was very tender, juicy and tasty.

Our salads were not so good. Steve's wedge was the oddest he's had, as it was topped with some sort of meat that could have been pork or beef and, in any event, was not too good, the lettuce was fairly wilted and drowned in indeterminate vile dressing. Obviously, it wasn't one of his favorites. Lisa's pear and gorgonzola was a bit better; but, for her taste, did not have enough gorgonzola and had too much vinegar flavor in the dressing.

For a change, the best part of this steakhouse was actually the steak. We split the porterhouse for two. It was cooked a perfect medium rare and had enough charcoal for Steve and not too much for Lisa. We really liked the taste of both the New York side and the filet side, as both were full of flavor. This dish alone made us want to come back (preferably to sit outside if we can avoid the bugs and if the weather actually ever gets warm).

We weren't that hungry, having eaten so much steak, so we decided to share the cheese plate rather than getting traditional desserts. There were three cheeses, accompanied by various fruits and nuts and lots of toast. The first cheese, which seemed to be a light colored cheddar, tasted store bought and not particularly interesting. The second, which may have been a goat cheese, as it was creamy, had a nice flavor, and we both enjoyed it. The bleu cheese was okay, and not too strong for Lisa, but it was not among the best that Steve has had (and he is a great fan of bleu cheese). When we go back, we probably will try desserts instead, and skip the salads.

The bathrooms were both very clean and nice, with attractive fixtures and floors, and the fancy new high powered hand dryers. However, the faucets were difficult to turn on and required almost a full turn to shut off (think of those germs -- and no towels to use for the shut off).

Dinner for two with 3 mixed drinks but one shared dessert was $260, which sounds expensive, but was, in our view, worth it for the steak alone. The restaurant would have rated higher if any of its other dishes were equally inspired.

One tip if you want a quiet dinner, go early, because the restaurant becomes very noisy as it fills up, which happened about 7:45 on a Friday night.

Our ratings for Aja Steak, 660 N. State, Chicago, Illinois:

7.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 2.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes

Crofton on Wells: Good Food in Spartan Surroundings (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 97)

A long time ago, we decided to try Crofton on Wells, which has always gotten high marks from various restaurant reviewers. We really liked the food, although the surroundings kind of detracted from the total experience. This was particularly so because, despite the restaurant being almost empty when we arrived, we were seated close to the window on a cold night and the hostess would not move us to the back.

We started with a bottle of Radio Couteau Zinfandel. We found this a bit tart, but not unpleasant. The amuse bouche was a cheese puff, which we liked a lot. Our appetizer was a cheese plate. We found the goat and cheddar cheeses unexceptional. We both loved the Brie, which was very smooth, and Steve loved the bleu cheese, though Lisa thought it a bit strong. We both ordered the baby green and warm goat cheese salad, which we liked, especially the goat cheese. The dressing tasted tangy, but not overly so.

Lisa ordered beef tenderloin for an entree. It was perfectly cooked and had a lot of flavor. Steve's veal was a bit tough, but did taste good. We ordered a side dish of carrots (trying to be healthy for a change) and they were extremely good and crisp, prompting us to vow that we would order more vegetables in the future (which we have not really done) (but we should). We also liked the Yukon mashed potatoes.

For dessert, Steve had the tangerine pana cotta, which was really good except for the tangerine. Steve always likes custard-like dishes, but often does not like the fruit that comes with, because it is fruit, so don't blame the tangerines. Lisa had the rocky road, which sounded perfect, as it was advertised as including devil's food cake, chocolate mousse, and bittersweet chocolate ice cream, but the expresso flavor of the dish was overpowering (and Lisa does not like coffee, other than when a slight amount is present to bring out the dark chocolate flavor, the only proper function for coffee).

While the surroundings of Crofton on Wells are somewhat spartan, it did have a soothing dark decor with nice plants, so if it were not so cold we might have been bigger fans. However, for a restaurant that serves this type of complex food, one would expect more attention to decor. The bathrooms were very small, but clean, and the Women's was cold; thus they were somewhat in keeping with the rest of the restaurant's atmosphere.

Dinner for two, with a bottle of semi-expensive wine, was $350. With wine by the glass, it would have been about $270. While this is somewhat high, we did think the food was very good.

Our ratings for Crofton on Wells, 535 N. Wells, Chicago, Illinois:

7.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes.

Rox City Grill in St. Charles: A Disappointing Experience (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 96)

We felt like taking a walk along the Fox River (though the weather turned out to be a bit cool despite it being May), so Steve checked opentable.com and found Rox City Grill in St. Charles. We have not had much luck with restaurants in the Fox River area, even though we love cities like Geneva and (sort of) St. Charles. And Rox City Grill was no exception.

Steve was excited to try this restaurant because it advertised that its executive chef was a veteran of Charlie Trotter's. The restaurant is in a very nice old hotel with quaint elevators and a nice lobby. Rox City Grill is somewhat incongrous in this location because its ambience struck us an attempt to be modern to the extreme. The tables are a bit too close together and the room is rather loud, particularly when the electric guitars start playing.

Decor aside, the food here was not up to the hype. We started with wine by the glass. Lisa had a Daniel Hill Pinot Noir which was a bit tart for her taste. Steve ordered Four Sisters Shiraz (which Lisa considered because she liked the name). Steve found this very dense and almost bitter.

The appetizers were the best (by far) part of the meal. We had the lobster martini, which included wasabi mashed potatoes. The lobster was very fresh and tasty and the wasabi added just enough flavor without overpowering the dish. Edemame added some crunchiness. We also had the ahi tuna. The tuna was seared medium rare and had an excellent flavor. We also loved the warm bread. It tasted flaky and fluffy, and Steve ate a lot of it. We'd like to comment on the salads we ordered, but we are still waiting for them. The server simply forgot, and we didn't realize that (as the service was generally very slow) until our entrees arrived.

We thought the entrees were very bad. Lisa's short ribs were tough, tasteless, and totally overcooked to the point of being rather leathery. The wasabi mashed potatoes that came with it were good, and are about all she ate. Steve's lamb was too rare (almost raw) and wholly without flavor. (But he did finish it.)

Desserts also were uninspired. Steve had the lemon curd with some type of crunchy accompaniment that looked like shredded wheat. The curd and raspberry sauce were not terrible but it is certainly not something Steve would have again. Lisa ordered the pot de creme, billed as dense chocolate custard with mandarin orange slices. As a whole, the dessert was far too sweet for her, and too watery, and the oranges tasted canned rather than fresh. In what may be a first for her with a chocolate dessert, she ate about 1/8 of it, despite being hungry from having had no salad and not eating more than a couple bites of the leathery short ribs.

The bathrooms, which were in the hotel (which we liked) were very nice. Both were very clean, although the Men's was a bit too small and plain to merit a perfect rating. The Women's had marble sink counters and stalls that were more like rooms because they had wood doors, which Lisa likes.

The total bill for two, with wine by the glass and without salad, was $145. This seemed a bit high to us considering it is for one less course than we usually have and considering the (lack of) quality. Rox City Grill seems to be getting somewhat of a positive vibe, so you may hear about it and be tempted to go. Take it from us, and save yourself the long drive.

Our ratings for Rox City Grill, 100 W. Main, St. Charles, Illinois:

4 of 10 Steak Knives; 2.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes