Categories
Chicago Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2015: Dinner at Michael Jordan’s Steak House

This is part of a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2015, held January 30–February 12. Check out recaps from 2014 and 2013, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage.

Michael Jordan’s Steak House Dinner

Garlic bread, Michael Jordan's
Garlic bread with Wisconsin blue cheese fondue

Best Bite: Ever since my first visit a few years ago, Michael Jordan’s has been synonymous with garlic bread for me. Specifically, theirs is the best I’ve ever tasted, and was the subject of one of my very first blog posts (thankfully, I finally have a better photo). The blue cheese fondue poured over the top was just as luscious this time around, and made a wonderful start to our meal. Fittingly, dinner ended with cheese as well: the mascarpone cheesecake had an enchantingly airy texture, with two kinds of sunny orange to cut the sweetness and a little extra punch from the fresh mint.

Mascarpone cheesecake, Michael Jordan's
Mascarpone cheesecake with blood orange curd, graham crumb, and cara-cara oranges

Other notes: Michael Jordan’s is a steak house, after all, so my sky-high, mid-rare filet was another knockout – though that smoked garlic jus on the plate would even have made a basketball taste good. The salad course was a nice surprise, a healthy wedge of gem lettuce surrounded by heirloom cherry tomatoes, onion straws, and a not-too-thick buttermilk-scallion dressing. The portions were so generous that I took home leftovers, especially because we added sides of parmesan-crusted creamed spinach and fries that were dusted with an addictive sweet BBQ seasoning.

Petite filet mignon, Michael Jordan's
Petite filet mignon with gruyere potato gratin and smoked garlic jus

The details: Michael Jordan’s Steak House, 505 N Michigan Ave., Chicago.

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Categories
Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week 2015: It’s here!

If it’s your first time visiting my blog, welcome! This is the first in a series of posts about Chicago Restaurant Week 2015, held January 30–February 12. Check out recaps from 2014 and 2013, or browse all Restaurant Week coverage.

Restaurant Week dessert, Homestead on the Roof
Towering dessert from Homestead on the Roof, Restaurant Week 2014

It’s hard for me to believe that this is already my fourth year celebrating Restaurant Week in Chicago (and my third year blogging about it). I’m going bigger than ever, eager to sample as much fantastic food as possible across nine total reservations. My picks span a range of cuisines, from upscale Peruvian to classic Louisiana Mardi Gras fare (I’m totally ordering the gator). And like last year, I’ll be checking out Ada Street’s themed menu: all the dishes are inspired by the “last meal” requests of famous criminals. Just read through the choices, and then tell me you aren’t intrigued.

As always, I’m also excited about my dining companions, which include two dozen different people this year. I’m kicking things off tomorrow morning with my first-ever Restaurant Week brunch at Lincoln Park’s Knife & Tine. Check back in the coming days to hear how my nine meals went!

2015 Reservations: Knife & Tine // Ada Street // Michael Jordan’s Steak House // Coppervine // The Bedford // Big Jones // Fig & Olive // Tanta // TWO

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2012 Best Bite #10: Garlic bread, Michael Jordan’s Steak House

Each day in December, I’m celebrating my best bites (and sips) in 2012, posted in chronological order.

Garlic bread
Garlic bread

Why it’s a Best Bite: Forgive me, for the photo doesn’t do this dish justice (and was taken after devouring a lot of it), but I had to include it among my Best Bites, as it was unlike any garlic bread I’d ever tasted. Michael Jordan’s seems to eschew the idea that a stack of buttery, garlicky bread slices is enough of a luxury on its own. Instead, the server brings the tower of bread to the table, then pours a silky Maytag bleu cheese fondue all over it. All I can say is that soaking up every last bit of that sauce was beyond heavenly. Since then, it’s been tough to walk down Michigan Avenue with friends and not find an excuse to duck in for a drink and this bread.

The details: Michael Jordan’s Steak House, 505 N Michigan Ave., Chicago.