David Burke's Primehouse

»Primehouse review - Mediocre at Best

Our experience was mediocre at best. My one star reflects a beleif that one shouldn't pay $100 a person for mediocrity. Maybe this place was really good a few years ago, but I don’t get it.
We had a 6:30 reservation on a Saturday night. When we walked in there were about five hostesses talking with each other, apparently too busy with each other to notice guests arriving. They acknowledged us...+READ Our experience was mediocre at best. My one star reflects a beleif that one shouldn't pay $100 a person for mediocrity. Maybe this place was really good a few years ago, but I don’t get it.
We had a 6:30 reservation on a Saturday night. When we walked in there were about five hostesses talking with each other, apparently too busy with each other to notice guests arriving. They acknowledged us and then proceeded to take us through the dining room to a small deuce located directly next to the curtains separating the dining room from the kitchen. At this point the dining room was maybe 30% full; I would not seat guests at this table until all others were unavailable. We asked for a different table and were shown to a booth where the upholstery was coming off (I uploaded a picture of this). I took a closer look at our table and realized it was a plastic table covered with vinyl. This would not normally be a big deal, but this is $100/pp.
Our server was very friendly and immediately brought us a wine list and menu. We ordered the wedge salad, the arugula salad, a filet, a 35 day KC strip, the baked potato gnocchi and tempura fried green beans. Here are my thoughts.
Popover bread – this was pretty good but I’ve had better. No real complaints here.
Wedge salad – this was our favorite. A more modern take on an iceberg wedge.
Arugula salad – arugula with pine nuts and smoked tomatoes. I enjoyed the smokiness of the tomatoes with the peppery arugula.
35 day KC Sirloin – the steak was really crusty on the outside, and some parts of the crust even seemed gritty, like it came off of a dirty grill. I could taste the gamey aged quality especially near the bone and it was different.
European cut filet – again the outside was really charred and that flavor overpowered the rest of the steak.
I understand that grass fed beef can be inconsistent, but I expected much higher quality of the steaks.
Baked potato gnocchi – This was not the fluffy gnocchi I have experienced at other steak houses like BLT steak. It was a very heavy gnocchi in a rich sauce.
Tempura fried green beans—expected a light tempura batter, what we got was overcooked green beans in a greasy batter.
In summary, there is nothing special about this place and the basic dishes aren’t high enough quality to justify the price.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (9 Replies) (by willygreen, created April 23, 2011)

»WOW

We started with the Surf and Turf Dumplings..my only complaint is that there weren't more. I ordered the 40 Day Dry Aged Ribeye with a side of Smoked Gnocchi and swiss chard. Pefectly cooked and fabulous!! (by schmack, created December 18, 2010)

Day 2: David Burke’s Primehouse

Last year, our burger trip took us to Kuma’s. While very good, putting it at the end of a 5-day caloric catastrophe (in a god way…) was not very smart. By that time our palates were exhausted and our stomachs pleading for mercy. To avoid such events this time around, we scheduled our burger as early as we could. I’m sure glad that we did, because this was unlike...+READ Day 2: David Burke’s Primehouse

Last year, our burger trip took us to Kuma’s. While very good, putting it at the end of a 5-day caloric catastrophe (in a god way…) was not very smart. By that time our palates were exhausted and our stomachs pleading for mercy. To avoid such events this time around, we scheduled our burger as early as we could. I’m sure glad that we did, because this was unlike anything I have tasted in patty form.

We arrived at 11:30 and were immediately seated. Literally being the only two people in the dining room at the time, service was expectedly quick, helpful, and friendly. My dad and I each started with the soup of the day: A beer and cheddar soup. Shortly thereafter, our soups arrived with a complimentary side of their delicious assiago popovers. OK, with the near 100-degree heat outside, this wintery dish might have sounded unappealing. But it really hit a savory–spot with me with its classic sharp cheddar and yeasty beer flavor that harkened back to my childhood in cold Wisconsin winters. What really kept me going back for more bites was the little kick of spice (maybe cayenne?) that would creep up after every spoonful. The popovers, which arrived steaming hot with a crackling exterior, served as an excellent way to sop up the cheesy remnants at the bottom of the bowl.

Soups finished, our two “Burkers” arrived. This isn’t any normal burger, however. These are 8-9 ounce patties of 40-day dry aged prime beef. Now, just for a little perspective, to my knowledge I have never had dry-aged beef before, let alone 40-days. And I am now regretting the number of years that have passed where it was not in my life. The burger was cooked a perfect medium-rare and had the most luscious, funky, intense beefy flavor I’ve ever had. Each bite I would go in expecting the ground beef I was used to and was surprised of the complexity I came away with. Not only that, but the texture was amazing as well. The patty was obviously hand formed, but the meat had what I can only describe as a “pull.” The meat wouldn’t just crumble away from its original form, yet it wasn’t tightly packed and tough. Quite simply, it didn’t feel like I was chewing a burger so much that it felt like I was chewing a steak. This likely has something to do with the coarseness of the grind they use, but whatever it is, I hope they keep doing it.

According to our waiter, the beef is only lightly seasoned with salt and pepper - letting the meat stand on its own. I found this kind of odd, considering the burger is topped with garlic spinach, crispy shallots, and bacon mayonnaise (literally bacon mixed in with mayonnaise). The condiments were meant to replicate a steakhouse experience. I usually consider myself a burger purist and rarely add more than some onions and mustard. However, I have to say that it all really worked well together. The fried shallots offered great texture, and the spinach and bacon mayonnaise wasn’t globbed on in overkill amounts and instead worked with the beef to make this not only a burger of well-prepared ingredients but also of surprising creativity. The toasted potato bun was also a pleasant surprise. Being used to the flimsy potato buns of super markets, one of my biggest worries was that this juicy burger would create a bun that was a soggy shadow of its former self. Instead, it was firmer than expected, almost cibatta-like sturdiness without the unpleasant chew. On the side, we received a mountain-sized pile of shoestring fries topped with assiago and truffle oil. The fries by themselves were unremarkable, but the cheese and truffle oil made them addicting starches to snack on in between burger bites.

After our meal, we were able to visit the butchering and aging room below the restaurant. Inside was the very friendly butcher who explained to us the process the meat goes through from delivery to plate. After it is carved and the differing cuts separated, the meat is placed into an aging room. The smell of the room was certainly pungent with hundreds of pounds of meat and mold doing their magic. He showed us the back wall of pink salt from the Himalayan Mountains and told us that it not only dries the air out, but also it flavors the meat in a distinct manner. Thus, if we were to purchase 40-day dry aged meat from another establishment, it will taste somewhat differently from Primehouse’s because of the salt sourcing. The butcher then showed us some aging ducks and quail, stating that they are “experimenting” with aging different kinds of meat. I’ve only seen these types of operations online or on TV, so I thought the whole experience was fascinating.

I must admit, after my first encounter with dry-aged meat, I have feelings of both joy and sorrow. Joy that my world of what meat can taste like has substantially increased, and sorrow that it will be sometime before I can experience it again. But, if I had it all the time, it wouldn’t be so special. This is a rich, filling meal for even the most insatiable carnivores. But if you get the chance, I would certainly try what has become my favorite burger experience.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (31 Replies) (by pastry634, created July 18, 2010)

This was the first one that I tried during Restaurant Week, and I will tell you that I will eat there again this week. The food was incredible. I did the lunch, and for $22, it was amazing. The Kobe Beef Sashimi was incredible ... and the truffel mayo ... OMG!! The Delmonico Steak was so tender ... But I was surprised that the server did not know what "blue" was, so I had to explain to him that...+READ This was the first one that I tried during Restaurant Week, and I will tell you that I will eat there again this week. The food was incredible. I did the lunch, and for $22, it was amazing. The Kobe Beef Sashimi was incredible ... and the truffel mayo ... OMG!! The Delmonico Steak was so tender ... But I was surprised that the server did not know what "blue" was, so I had to explain to him that it would be considered extra rare. The mushrooms had great flavor, and the basil whipped mashed potatoes were incredble. I did the "King" for dessert, but I want to go back and do the White Chocolate Cheesecake ... I saw that come out, and it looked unbelieveable. I think that I will also do the surf and turf dumplings the next time as well. Overall FANTASTIC!! So I thank you so much for that recommendation ... Oh, and I would do lunch for the special if possible. I just think that it is an incredible deal.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (28 Replies) (by jgvick, created February 19, 2010)

Of the two you mention - Gibsons. At least Gibsons knows how to serve a steak cooked correctly/properly. Fans of David Burke's often rave about the quality of the meat - the uncooked meat. I don't eat uncooked meat, however. Tales of woe about David Burke's ruining a good steak are commonplace. Given the price of the steaks at the top restaurants now, why take a chance at wasting your money....+READ Of the two you mention - Gibsons. At least Gibsons knows how to serve a steak cooked correctly/properly. Fans of David Burke's often rave about the quality of the meat - the uncooked meat. I don't eat uncooked meat, however. Tales of woe about David Burke's ruining a good steak are commonplace. Given the price of the steaks at the top restaurants now, why take a chance at wasting your money. Also, I've found the service at David Burke's to be at a level far below Gibson's.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (14 Replies) (by gomexico, created February 10, 2010)

»Best steaks in Chicago!

(by nsxtasy, created February 21, 2010)