Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VERY EXPENSIVE
Cape Cod Room
SEAFOOD A venerable old restaurant in a vener-
able old hotel, the Cape Cod Room is the kind of place where waiters debone
the Dover sole tableside, while businessmen work out their next deal. There's
nothing nouvelle about the Cape Cod Room, which is part of the draw for old-
timers; the restaurant, located on the lower level of The Drake hotel, is dimly lit
and hasn't changed much since it opened in the 1930s. Although the food is
fine, I think the prices are far too steep for what you get. But that doesn't stop
Cape Cod loyalists—many of whom have been coming here for decades—from
filling up the place.
For starters, the hearty Bookbinder red snapper soup is a signature dish; it's
flavored to taste with dry sherry brought to the table. Or, you might order a
mixed seafood appetizer of shrimp, crab fingers, clams, and oysters. Main course
offerings include sautéed striped bass served with a potato-champagne sauce,
New England scrod, red snapper, or Atlantic salmon baked with a potato-horse-
radish crust. You'll also find a small selection of prime meat cuts, steaks, and
chops. I wouldn't call the Cape Cod Room a good value, but the people-watch-
ing can be priceless.
In The Drake hotel, 140 E. Walton Place (at Michigan Ave.).
&
312/787-2200.
Reservations recommended.
Main courses $26-$40. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-11pm; Sat-Sun
11:30am-11pm. Subway/El: Red Line to Chicago/State.
Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse
STEAK Popular with its Gold Coast
neighbors, Gibsons is the steakhouse you visit when you want to make the scene.
There are sporty cars idling at the valet stand, photos of celebs and near-celebs
who've appeared here, and overdressed denizens mingling and noshing in the
bar, which has a life all its own. The dining rooms evoke a more romantic time,
from the sleek Art Deco decor to the bow-tied bartenders. The portions are
notoriously enormous, so Gibson's is best for groups who are happy to share
dishes (I wouldn't recommend it for a romantic dinner
a deux
). The namesake
martinis are served in 10-ounce glasses, and the entrees are outlandishly scaled,
from the six-piece shrimp cocktail, so huge you swore you downed a dozen, to
the turtle pie that comes with a steak knife (and could easily serve eight people).
Yes, Gibsons has a clubby atmosphere, but the food also deserves some credit for
the crowds who show up every night. You can also order from the bar menu.
1028 N. Rush St. (at Bellevue Place).
&
312/266-8999.
www.gibsonssteakhouse.com. Reservations strongly
recommended. Main courses $22-$35. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am-midnight (bar open later). Sub-
way/El: Red Line to Clark/Division.
Morton's
STEAK Morton's is a well-known chain with a couple dozen
locations nationwide; but it's Chicago born and bred, and many people still con-
sider it the king of the Chicago-style steakhouses. Named for its founding father,
renowned Chicago restaurateur Arnie Morton, Morton's holds its own against
an onslaught of steakhouse competition with gargantuan portions of prime,
wet-aged steaks, football-size baking potatoes, and trees of broccoli rolled out on
a presentation cart. The restaurant is somewhat hidden in an undistinguished
high-rise, and the decor hasn't changed in years. Neither has the menu: starters
include lobster bisque, Caesar salad, shrimp, or jumbo lump-crabmeat cocktail,
but meat is the main event. House specialties include the double filet mignon
with sauce béarnaise, and classic cuts of porterhouse, New York strip, and rib-
eye. A la carte sides include baked or mashed potatoes, hash browns, potato
skins, or potatoes Lyonnaise.
Overrated
