Short Review: A staple in Chicago in the middle of the…read moreViagra Triangle neighborhood. Friendly staff and patrons. Easy to make friends at the bar. Food is outstanding. Long Review: Met a friend for dinner while in Chicago and he said Gibson's was a must. We went on a Thursday night and the place was absolutely packed. Barely any walking room when you entered the bar / check-in area. We ordered drinks in the bar while waiting for our table and it was a scene - a good one. Very vibrant and really friendly people all around. Piano bar vibes with the live playing at your request. Bartenders are attentive and try to get to everyone quickly. Just to give you a sense of how friendly this place is, I accidentally knocked over my glass of wine while reaching for the bill. Caught it though...phew. But not before I spilled it all over the back of the woman sitting next to me, the man to the right of me, and of course all over myself! Within two seconds, a waitress came over with napkins to help clean up the mess, the guy sitting next to me got on the floor and wiped it all up, and the woman whom I spilled the drink all over was like "Don't even worry about! At least you caught the wine glass!" Wow! I was stunned at how cool everyone was, and it set the tone for the evening. We finally got our table and split the Gipson's ribeye, lobster, sweet potato and brussel sprouts. Seriously one of the best steakhouse meals I've ever had. The waitress was so friendly and very knowledgeable about the food. She was perfect. Folks, I highly recommend this place. Tell 'em the girl who caught the glass sent you!

I so wanted to like this place more!…read more The positive: the location is awesome in the heart of shopping and it has amazing history that's fun the look at. They also had a wonderful person working in the men's bathroom and he was a gem. Our daughter spilled a bit on her shirt and one of the servers had a Tide pen. The negative: for a restaurant where you going to spend over $100 a person, we had to ask twice for water refills, in fact one time we asked the manager and he had to track down our servers. The seating is just ok, it's pretty loud as your on top of each other really. The steak was above average but not great. They seems to char the outside see pictures and it was fairly bland, got the filet. Salad was drowned with dressing and had virtually nothing other than 2 average cheap grape tomatoes. The sides were just ok. I wanted to be blown away as Chicago is "known" for their steaks, the waiter even said they had their own rating. Meh... After eating twice in Vegas this month and getting wagyu I guess I'm spoiled. Go once to get the experience.

Yes, this place hits all the marks very well: service is astounding, food was amazing, ambiance was…read morereally fun (i.e., dark, romantic, lounge-like). I took my wife here for her birthday. She absolutely fell in love with the place and said she was having a great birthday. She wasn't planting seeds, I swear, but our server, ever the professional, said he'd take care of us. And he did, punctuating our dinner with a wonderful dessert with a birthday candle. Speaking of candles, the focaccia appetizer came out with a lit candle that melts a tasty, buttery dipping sauce. I had work done at the dentist earlier, so I had a hard time eating. Every bite was painful, but I heated up our leftovers and fell in love with my rigatoni with vodka sauce all over again. Yum. The only drawback is the prices. We're not rich, but we love a great experience. We understand that an experience like that comes with a price, so we'll be back as much as we can.

First off, what you're getting for your money just doesn't gel…read more I dont mind paying an exuberant amount for food if the food matches the price but sadly it doesn't here.... The good: Salad was amazing with bits of nicely cooked pork belly mixed in and the salad dressing is to die for Focaccia bread was very good but nothing special but the bone tarrow butter was fantastic and carried this bread. Brussel sprouts were flavorful but greasy and overcooked... Beef cheek ragu noodle dish was heavy yet tasty.. Rib eye steak done medium rare was fatty and very very chewy so this was a complete fail, but seasoned very well...extra 10 bucks for some dipping sauce for the steak but worth getting to elevate the steak...Definitely don't do any steak under medium here... Lemon sorbet was the true winner of the night...Delicious without being too tart..... Overall like I said, not worth the $250 price tag before tip...._

I had the pleasure to dine at Penumbra on a Thursday evening. We were celebrating a graduation and…read morethe staff were very welcoming when we arrived. I was visiting from out of town and was not familiar with the parking around the area. I asked one of the staff members and immediately they reassured me that the side street would raking was totally fine to park just so long as it wasn't the front of the building where you have to pay. The food started with a complementary potato soup which was flavorful and lovely. We got a round of drinks and one of our party didn't care for her drink and it was replaced no question. We had the flat iron steak, the chicken, and the salmon and each entree was wonderful. The proteins were all very tender and juicy. I was also very pleased with the salad that came first which was lightly dressed and very seasonal. We finished our dining experience with a slice of cheesecake. It was a nice cap to the end of a wonderful meal. I would recommend this restaurant for any occasion - I would love to come back and try some of the other items on their menu.

**Hidden gem!!!**…read more Penumbra is SUPER sexy and low-key elite. This is one of those spots that will make you look like a total restaurant pro if you take someone there or recommend it. The ambiance is intimate, romantic, and just feels exclusive without trying too hard. I took my girl there for her birthday and she absolutely loved it -- which is always the real test. We had the ribeye and the Rotini Bianco, and both were excellent. The ribeye was cooked perfectly, tender and flavorful. The Rotini Bianco was rich, creamy, and done just right. Every dish felt intentional and well executed. Don't hesitate to book. If you're trying to impress or celebrate something special, this is the move.

We had no intention of eating here, it just happened by accident because we found two seats at the…read morebar and wanted a drink. Perilla is a tastefully decorated restaurant, both loungey and rich, but still makes you feel like the joint is all for you. You know, 5 star service is such a lost art, it makes you forget how much you miss it when all of a sudden it happens to be right in front of you. Ricardo, our bartender, what a gem. Forget about the perfectly made drinks that were served to us. Ricardo made us feel right at home with his kind disposition and friendly demeanor. But it doesn't just stop at Ricardo. Everyone was absolutely fantastic. We could have been served 7-11 sushi at this point and I still would have left 5 stars. Food time. The kimchi pork dumplings were an absolute flavor bomb and that parmesan broth gave the dumplings a little extra kick that took it to the next level. Plus, I love when the dumpling wrapper has a little chew to it and isn't this soft mush that dissolves in your mouth. The beef fat frites were a nice treat as well. They were not extra or over the top in anyway. But you can tell when something is done well and correctly, just like these fries were. The Premium Steakhouse Set, in my opinion, is all two people need to enjoy this very special experience. All the accompanying condiments were exceptional on their own and could have functioned as their own course. The Japchae glass noodles were a stunner. The real sleeper was the chopped lettuce greens tossed in their chili vinaigrette. Could have eaten 20 bowls of those lettuce greens. Sadly, I forgot the name of our server who cooked and cut our meat for us. She really added to the experience. She expertly prepared our food while maintaining a fun and pleasant conversation with us. The meat itself, my goodness, tender, smoky, quality-forward, and perfect served with the condiments. What a spectacular meal and overall experience.

Finally decided to give Perilla a try (not a fan of Asian-fusion type food usually) and it was…read morebetter than expected! We went during happy hour, selection of food and drink items were good and the price is right too! We ordered a bunch stuff to try: * Raw oysters - good, nothing to rave about * Argentinian shrimp - the shrimp were small and looked kinda depressing, flavor was decent though * Bossam - this was probably the lowlight for me, traditional bossam is pork belly, it is just not the same without the fat, pork collar does not cut it! * Short rib skewer- flavorful, cooked just right, delicious * Garlic chive pancake - this was my favorite, full of scallions, nice crunch on the sides and soft in the middle * Chilled soda noodle and kimchi - not traditional cold noodles, but it was tasty * Crudo - it was a TINY piece, certainly not worth the price even though it tasted fine, this was not a happy menu item * Basque cheesecake - wanted the Perilla sundae but was sold out, so settled for the cheesecake, it was just fine Staff were all very friendly and helpful. It was a nice experience overall. For happy hour, I would come back!

John was the best server I've had in a very long time at any restaurant. He made my goddaughters…read more17th birthday very special. He paid extra attention to her to make her day special. Next time I go I will only be sitting in John's section. Thank you John for a memorable experience.

Our servers name Jamie and we just wanted to thank him, he made our experience so special and we…read morefelt so seen and valued as customers. You can tell he truly loves his job, plus the atmosphere and team work together smoothly. The food was presented with love, the sauce on the steak was stunning, everything was excellent and we left so satisfied. We'd like to take a moment for the shrimp scampi because wow. Perfectly cooked shrimp in a sea of magical butter sauce. We hope to be back soon. Thank you for a magical evening. Shout out to the magical moment with the personalized menu and individual birthday cake!! Honestly we'd like to give you the galaxy but we only have five stars :)

I still think about the bread. Especially the pretzel one. Simply superb bread. Burger was good too.read more

It was packed with diners at the downtown Chicago restaurant, but we could still manage to have a…read moredecent conversation at our table. There was a two hour turn around for each table based on my observation. The food was pricey, but everything was fresh and delicious. So it's worth it. The wait staff were friendly, organized, and efficient. Timed our dinner with each course smoothly. We ordered many dishes including stone crab. We thoroughly enjoyed every bite! We will definitely come back.

Best happy hour specials!…read more Can't beat $1 oysters on Mondays. They pay a lot of attention to detail. Service was amazing. Staff are very knowledgeable about the drinks they serve.

We booked a table for 8 to celebrate an 80th birthday. The service was fine as was the ambiance,…read morebut we found the food to be mediocre and overpriced. We ordered the $195.00 seafood tower, only to find that it barely included any seafood, 1/2 of a lobster, 4 shrimp and about a dozen oysters. I understand that Chicago is not a coastal city, but to not even include an entire lobster for a tower that cost $195.00?! Yikes! The drinks are also very expensive, and we found the steaks to be tough and dry. The Niçoise salad was awful, and not at all what we expected. It was drowning in dressing and the combination of anchovies and tuna did not work. It was also quite obvious that the tuna was not seared properly. I did think the roast chicken was good, and the fries were by far the best part of the meal. We went to several fine restaurants over the past few days to celebrate a milestone birthday, and La Grande Boucherie was the absolute worst in terms of value and quality of food. They were also the only establishment that didn't give the celebrant a small desert with a candle to mark the occasion. Just disappointing all around.

Absolutely incredible from start to finish! Every dish was outstanding. The burger was perfectly…read morecooked--juicy, tender, and full of flavor. The handmade gnocchi was phenomenal, with a delicious smoky flavor that made it unforgettable. The croquettes were unbelievably mouthwatering and absolutely delicious, and the burrata was simply to die for. On top of the amazing food, the restaurant had great music, a wonderful atmosphere, and a staff that was welcoming, attentive, and genuinely friendly. This was an exceptional dining experience, and I can't wait to come back. Highly recommend!

My partner booked a table so we could unwind and enjoy a nice dinner before heading to a Broadway…read moreshow. We arrived early and spotted an open bar table, so we grabbed it. Perfect timing because it gave us a great view of a FIFA match while we informed the hotess and settle in. We ordered the hamachi collars, the Midwest salad, and the Amish curry chicken. We forgot to snap a picture of the hamachi collars, but they were a huge, delicious portion. The sauce leaned a bit sweet, but thankfully it wasn't poured directly over the fish. The standout dish was definitely the Amish curry chicken. It smelled incredible and tasted even better. Kudos to the managers for making the whole experience genuinely pleasant