Good food, great ambience. They were really busy last night but the service was still excellent. I loved the Grilled Calamari and the Veal Parmigiana. They seem famous for the Ribeye but it was a little overcooked for medium rare and lacked salt. Huge servings though -- none of us were able to finish our entrees. read more

Erie Cafe - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in here and had a wonderful experience. The food, wine, and service were phenomenal. Definitely will be back!

We went for dinner in a small group this week (sat outdoors on the patio). Food was fine but I was appalled to see the waiters not wearing masks properly... our waiter had the mask only over the mouth (did not cover his nose) but then kept touching it when he was speaking to us. read more

Love this place. Best grilled calamari I have ever had! It is a little pricey, but a nice place for a date night.

Pleasantly surprised here. Definitely has a "chicago" steakhouse feel but with an Italian twist. The portions are large and my chicken Parmesan was literally the best I've ever had. Service is friendly. Wine list has good variety and even under $30 options. Entrees come with a soup/salad. Mostly locals and not flashy. I'll be back. read more

Erie Cafe - Fruitti di mare - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great location ! Docked a friends boat hopped off and got grilled calamari to start which was good then had their whitefish filet it was huge!!!! It's like it just came from the lake . The length of it made me laugh. Server was great! read more

Erie Cafe - Their whitefish filet. They do not skimp on their portions!! Haha the length of this made me laugh. It was tasty - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After visiting Erie Cafe so many times, I feel that I should give it a review! Erie Cafe is a solid spot for a meal. I have mostly visited during lunch, though I have had dinner here in the past. This is a nice spot for lunch, as it is tucked away on Erie at what seems to be a dead-end street. It is usually busy, but not too crowded that you can't get a table. The food is good, and the bread basket is fantastic. I have had a chicken salad sandwich on dry bread before, but in general, all of my meals have been quite good. I stick with sandwiches for lunch usually, but friends have tried the steak and pasta dishes and have all enjoyed them. If I have one complaint, it is the soda served in little glass bottles. I would really prefer an unlimited fountain beverage (or unlimited soda anyway) for the prices. The service really shines at Erie Cafe! I've never had anything but fabulous service. Everyone there really seems to want to make your meal as enjoyable as possible. The value is pretty good for the city, though I do feel that for lunch, it is a bit pricey. In the summer, if possible, try to get a seat on the patio as it's a nice, comfortable, set away spot that is great for a meal. read more

This is one of the classic old restaurants. Nothing super trendy about it but if you're hungry this is the place to come. In fact, the portions are really a bit ridiculous so you should plan on taking some home or splitting a steak. I opted for the 9 ounce filet with 3 grilled shrimp and that was perfect. It was also about 1/3 of the size of other orders. As for the steak, I thought it was prepared really well and I have no complaints about it. The appetizers and sides were all good. The service was excellent. When you put that together with the ambiance of an older restaurant it works out pretty well. The best parts are: no wait and good for large parties. read more

Great food and a wonderful setting on the patio. Had dinner there with friends last night. Staff was great.

Ugh, don't bother. Not worth it! Had the potential to be a great place. Cute Kitchey old school decor, decent bar set up, dining loud but somehow still cozy. The portions are giant but the price and quality doesn't compare to other great Chicago places like Gibson's or Tavern on Rush. Similar pricing, not even close to the same quality of food, presentation, seasoning, service, etc. Tough $50 strip steak, the mashed potatoes were similar to that served in prisons and homes for the elderly; speaking of which, the clientele leans toward the geriatric side. I say this acknowledging I'm on the OLD side of things. Finally my pet peeve- the drive by wait staff. I know this is a personal thing, but I would rather have a rude wait person stand at my table and exchange sentences than be sprayed with the"everything ok??" bullets as they careen down the isle to some abyss as I ask for a steak knife in a steak restaurant. Not worth it in a city full of amazing places read more

Erie Cafe - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came went here for a friends birthday. They greet you when you walk in. Our waiter took our drink order no note pad. He delivered our drinks. They were perfect!! After we spent a half hour socializing with each other. We put our appetizer order and food order. We ordered baked clams which were amazing!! For dinner I ordered the sea bass and my boyfriend ordered the bone in rib eye. His ribeye was 34oz and cooked to perfection. The waiters do an impeccable job memorizing orders. The food is outstanding!! read more

This has been our go to place for 6 years We live just down the street and have always loved the place The food is wonderful, would like to see something new occasionally and get some new desserts - The staff is phenomenal couldn't be better. Each and everyone of them Love Sash and Bobbie. And Ross Of course our favorite friend is. Carlos!!! From the first day we were there, he gave me chicken soup !!!!! So many interesting people to meet on a daily bases Our favorite is to sit outside under the trees , those guys work like crazy hauling food back and forth and we've never had a cold meal We highly recommend this place but bring your appetite, because courses are BIG read more

The service was horrific in this place! The staff carried an attitude when they served you. My company said it might be an Italian personality, but I had traveled to Italy many times and I never came across such an attitude. The food was not good at all. The grilled calamari was too salty even though the sauce was ok. My partner ordered the salmon and it was overcooked and dry. I ordered the seafood linguine, two out of the four mussels were not open (meant they were bad); the salmon was dry and overcooked, and the shrimps had no flavor. The pasta was overcooked and not good at all. Our friends ordered the salmon salad and spaghetti with basil sauce and their opinions were the same in terms of taste. The salad was a joke with iceberg lettuce and one tomato! The potato chips were basically charcoal in your mouth. The onion rings were dry and soggy. The only edible was the overly grilled broccoli. Totally disaster, and for the price you paid, it was a rip-off. Will not go back anymore - sorry! read more

I have enjoyed a number of meals at Erie Cafe and also EJ's the sister restaurant in Skokie. Both restaurants deliver delicious and classic dishes being known for their massive steaks, prime rib, calamari, and chicken with homemade chips! Some people say this is their favorite steak in Chicago.. Tucked away off Erie street and located next to the river, Erie cafe is right off the highway and a convenient meal for a lot of locals and people that commute into the city for a steak dinner. The outdoor seating is also very nice and pretty in the Summer. I usually always order the Athenian style chicken with the homemade chips (not yet pictured!). Coming out of the Kitchen pipping hot and sizzling on the plate, you are definitely excited for this massive meal that is fried in their fantastic olive oil that is likely from Italy. Another "go to" dish for us is the calamari which is cooked in this delicious sauce. Located in Chicago for generations, Erie Cafe delivers a memorable experience for many families with the same wait staff for 30+ years. Even the bar area is a hit on a weekend! If you have never been to Erie, I highly recommend it!! read more

Expensive food for nothing and obnoxious servers and customers alike! If the host does not know you personally, expect no service.

this restaurant was recommended to me. Food, service, atmosphere were very good. we were given one bill for the whole table and were expected to divide it up ourselves. it was so embarrassing. a restaurant that charges this much should ask how to apply the billing for our table.oh... and the prices on the website are not current. they are DOUBLE what the website says. again embarrassing. read more

Erie Cafe has been family favorite destination for years. My daughter loves the cheese ravioli. Baked ravioli appetizer also worth trying as is the shrimp cocktail. Can't go wrong with tiramisu for dessert. I've always ordered filet mignon as my entree but thinking about trying prime rib on next visit. Usually there is an old Lionel electric train circling front room during holidays which both kids and revelers at bar seem to like. read more

Overpriced. Old. Mediocre lame. In the city of chicago about 999 better choices. Wow. How does this survive. read more

What an amazing place. My wife and I first enjoyed lunch at Erie 2 decades ago and have returned often for a date night. This week we enjoyed one of our most romantic evenings ever. Seated on the patio we were isolated from the sounds of city noise surrounded by trees overlooking the river. The food was fabulous and the service impeccable--Jose was fun, friendly and attentive. After dinner you can walk along the river and the Montgomery Ward park. Hurry over while the weather holds. Erie Cafe is a real gem for outdoor dining in the urban hustle of the city. read more

We came here while in town for a business meeting and it definitely didn't disappoint. When we first came in we were greeted immediately by the host and other staff. The place is very clean and a classic interior. We had a party of about 10 so had a larger sized table and a couple designated staff who took our orders and waited on us. Everyone was very friendly, knowledgeable and just made you feel at home. One of the couples with us lives in Chicago so said we had to have the grilled calamari appetizer and the espresso martini. I had both and they did not disappoint, would definitely recommend. I had one of the nightly specials which was a New York strip with a hefty cut of real bacon and grilled shrimp. The sauce was perfect and the steak grilled perfection. We ended the night with some cappuccino and a shared sampling of some of their amazing desserts. Would definitely recommend checking this place out if you're in town. read more

Erie Cafe - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We made reservations at 6pm and got seated promptly. The place was not full yet so when we sat down. We are a party of 12 and the waiter took care of us without any problem. Waiter was attentive and patient. Ordered a variety and everyone seem to enjoy the food. On the weekend they have prime rib which was delicious. Dirty martini was yummy read more

I have not been to the Erie cafe in several years . I loved it back then , but wow it's changed . First, the prices have increased dramatically! A dozen baked clams for $25. I don't think so !!!! The food we ordered was too pricey for what is was, although tasty , not fantastic . Service was poor. Most of the staff were gathered to the side talking and hanging out . We were very disappointed, we will try again, but I am not hopeful. Les Nomades was very expensive , but soooo worth it . read more

This place was just okay - nothing to write home about. We sat by the river, and it was cold. There were a lot of bees, and because we were tucked away, it was hard to get service. The food was really good but left me super thirsty afterwards. read more

Underwhelming and uninspiring. On a perfectly-perfect, late summer afternoon, a friend and I ventured over here for lunch as I was told that Erie Cafe has a lovely outdoor dining area. That much was true. The outdoor dining space is right along the river, which typically I am not a fan of, but theirs was elevated and somewhat secluded, so it made all the difference. We got one of the last remaining outdoor tables and ordered beverages. First strike - the soft drinks are served in those tiny bottles, which is always my pet peeve because it means you get charged for every single one. It's an easy, sneaky way to drive up the cost of the check. My friend and I started to look over the menu. The first thing I noticed was that not one thing had a description. Fair enough; not everything needed to be spelled out, but am I supposed to know what a "wexler" sandwich and "potatoes Erie" are? Nor was there any mention of what came with entrees or sandwiches, if anything. I had no idea if things were a la carte or not. Annoying. We decided to split a caprese salad and a steak sandwich. The salad arrived first. This was one of those times I wished that I had brought a camera. It was the sorriest, most anemic-looking tomato I've ever seen served by a (supposedly) decent restaurant in a season where ripe tomatoes are easy to come by. I took one bite and pushed it to the side, as did my friend. I shouldn't have needed a steak knife to cut through a tomato. The server came by and asked what was wrong and we showed him the tomato. He shrugged and said he would bring a replacement. Then our sandwich arrived. It came covered in cheese, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. I happen to like all of those things, just not on a steak sandwich. Again, the menu description said nothing about all those toppings. I scraped off the cheese and some of the vegetables as there were far too many. A good steak sandwich should be able to stand on its own, minus any toppings. The meat was rather chewy and bland. The fresh-cut fries were delicious though. The replacement salad was brought out. The tomato was marginally better, but only marginally. I took one bite and didn't eat the rest. They should be embarrassed serving such pathetic tomatoes, especially in the summer. In February, I can understand (which is why I never order anything with tomatoes in the winter), but not now. Hell, my local produce market has beautiful, flavorful tomatoes right now. There is no excuse. I didn't want to chance it by ordering dessert so we skipped it. Erie Street Cafe has free valet parking and a lovely outdoor space, but when fries are the best thing I can take away from this place, I doubt I'll be returning. 2.5 stars. read more

The Sopranos may be gone, but you can still catch a glimpse of the family life here at our very own Erie Street Cafe. Scratch that, this restaurant is much more Michael Corleone than Tony Soprano. Maybe not in the mobster fashion, but expect that "one of the family members is always there to take care of you". In their own words. I met the beautiful Andrea R. here for a big glass of velvety Pinot Noir on a Monday evening. I expected it to be slow, but alas, every chair at the bar was spoken for. The dashing gentleman tending bar served me up a small glass bottle of Diet Coke while I waited. Luck be a lady tonight, I found a little cove carved out explicitly for two directly across from the bar. The atmosphere is very Rat Pack meets sophisticated old school supper club. From the well-appointed businessman to the colossally-coiffed soccer moms, Erie Street Cafe packs a classic crowd. No modernism found here, rather, take in the wood paneling, the old 40s-era register behind the bar and even a framed embroidered piece of art, probably crafted by the proprietor's grandmother. If you're looking for a whimsical popcorn greeting you may be disappointed to be reacquainted with loaves of fresh, crusty bread. To sleep with the fishes means to eat like the fishes, okay? I'll update my review once I come back and try one of their heavily-endorsed steaks. My life may be dependent on it! Capisce? ;) read more

After a long afternoon of Chicago River Patrolling, I came to the Erie Street Cafe with some of my favorite people. For one thing, this is a really fantastic location because it's RIGHT on the river. DO eat outside if it is nice but also DO mind the wind because at one point my wine glass almost took flight! We had no problem getting a table around 6PM. A server came by right away to take our drink order. I had a Kir Royale which I usually do not order but have had before. It was certainly tasty, but not the best. The menu ranges from typical steak and chops dishes to a large selection of pastas. Italian Stallion type stuff. I opted for the Chicken Francese. I did not know what this was and when I asked our server he simply replied, "chicken." Re-he-eally? No kidding. I switched to the Chicken Cacciatore but he told me that was a minimum of 30 minutes to wait and since others were selecting spaghetti and meatballs, I did not want to be "that guy". So Chicken Francese it was! Our salads came and they were average - only one of us got dressing on the side when two of us asked. When my mystery chicken came I found it to be delightfully tasty - it was a split chicken breast (a huge portion) lightly breaded and sauteed in a lemon oil sauce. Topped with a little Parmesan cheese and roasted red pepper, the taste worked. Magnifique! I would come back to Erie Street Cafe. True, it's a tad pricey and the waitstaff may not satisfy your inquiring mind, but one cannot beat the location for some scrumptious Italian fare. read more

We're on a mission to try out as many steakhouses in Chicago as possible, but we leave it for the special occasions: anniversary, birthdays, etc since these can cost us a pretty penny. Erie Cafe was recommended to us by some friends who raved about the steaks. We came to Erie Cafe to celebrate our anniversary and was happy to find that they have complimentary valet parking, kudos! However, upon walking into the restaurant we stood by the host stand for a few awkward minutes with no one greeting us, it left us feeling a little foolish standing there and unsure who to ask for. Finally a server greeted us and noted our reservation and sat us in one of their open booths (outside was over an hour wait). Before we could even finish sitting down we were greeted by our server asking us what we would like to drink, at this pointed I proceeded to hurriedly view the wine menu and order and my boyfriend hastily decided on a beer option. Our drinks were served quickly but during the time we waited we had no menus to look at to decide on our dinner, weird. (Yes, we were not seated with menus.) The bread that was serve was decent, nothing stood out, you can ask for OO and Parmesan, my favorite way to eat bread, yum. We went ahead and ordered: crab cake, bone in ribeye with asparagus soup and cottage fried potatoes, filet mignon with asparagus soup and baked potato. At least 10-15 minutes passed before we received our crab cake, which was tasty, but a little burnt although the crispiness gave it a good crunch. Finally our soups came and sadly this was the best part of our entire dinner, not too creamy, just perfect and flavorful. My ribeye was huge and tender, I could of definitely shared this, however it lacked flavorful, more salt and pepper please. The same goes for the boyfriend's filet, delicious cut of meat, but it also lacked flavor. And their cottage fried potato was soggy and oily, barely a few were crispy enough to eat. Unfortunately, Erie Cafe didn't tickle us fancy and left us craving for steaks from our favorite restaurant. read more

Great classic Chicago restaurant, service is impeccable and food is always consistently good. Great place fir a business meeting with parking. read more

I love this place!! I have only been here for late supper's so I really do not know what is is like when full or busy. What I do know is the the food is FANTASTIC!! They have a 20oz. Lobster Tail that is so Delicious! Yes, 20Oz's that's big!!! Their New York's are cooked to perfection with the outside charred which makes the best little dance on your palette.... The house salad is very simple, plain iceberg, but with the meal ahead, so rich and flavorful, it is nice. The service is great as well, very attentive, I realize it was late each time I was in so they really didn't have much else to do accept for waiting for us to finish eating, but still. YUM!!! read more

We have lived around the corner from Erie Cafe for over 3 years and frequent it often. I finally decided to write a review. We love this place. Consistently great service, amazing food and atmosphere. Try the grilled calamari. It's absolutely delicious. read more

Erie Cafe - Steakhouses Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Generic Italian-American stuffing. The downfall of America. Came to Erie Cafe with a group and got a peculiar mixed grill platter - a heroically sized conglomeration of grilled steak, chicken and potatoes all cooked medium-to-medium-well. Underspiced, underaged, undercharred, the entire platter was a waste of biomatter that more or less tasted the same as the juices ran into each other. I hope they do a better job serving this stuff as single items. On the bright side, the drinks are good. Take your group elsewhere, or order something actually Italian. Perhaps they won't screw that up. read more

This is an old school institution. Quite a hangout for the old guard of City of Chicago executives or politicos. The atmosphere and food are good and traditional. They aren't reinventing the wheel here and that's why they're been steadfast and successful for decades. I enjoyed my entrees each time I went and adore the attentive service by the servers, hosts, and valets (all male which lends to the formalish or classic vibe. . . most restauarants only Morton's, at least when I went, is akin). A good place to go out with an older gent or person of distinction when the more trendy or youthful places won't suit. read more

After dinner for four, all having steaks and many bottles of wine, I asked for a scoop of ice cream with my 8$ piece if carrot cake and they said they will charge me 7$ fo a scoop of vanilla ice cream after our bill is already 300$. I said no Thank you I don't think I should be charged for a 10cent scoop of ice cream for an already 300$ bill. I said I would rather not have desert and I'm upset. They said if you don't like It don't come back and handed me my bill. read more

Meh. I've experienced better. We don't normally go out to dinner on Sunday night, but as it was our anniversary I made the reservation. It was for 8:00 and the place was pretty quiet. Fine. We like it quiet; we can talk. The host swung the table out and we were seated. We were excited to have a nice time and a good meal. I saw they had prime rib on the weekend. Awesome! I ordered it. They were out. Sigh... Ok, it's the end of the weekend I guess. Disappointed, I moved on. I ordered the T-Bone medium rare. I asked if I could get a Caesar instead of the included house salad figuring I could just pay the difference. "No, Caesar is full price extra." It seems someone on their A game might have said, "Hey, sorry about the prime rib, but we'll comp you the Caesar." But I don't expect everyone to be on their A game. Anyway, my wife ordered the ravioli with vodka sauce and we got a shrimp cocktail to share. For the price I thought the shrimp could have been bigger and served with a little more style. They were in a metal bowl with a small bowl of cocktail sauce on the side. I guess I'm used to something tall in a glass with a bunch of ice, and some garnish to color it up. But hey the shrimp were fine. After a wait (which seemed too long considering how few people were dining), our meals came and my wife's was good. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but it was good. My steak was sizable, but it was more on the medium side. Because the wait had been so long, I didn't care to send it back. I guess the filet part was mostly medium rare. It had a lot of fat on the sides. I don't know. Just because it's Sunday night doesn't mean you should give up. I had the feeling they were waiting to close. The meal came to $130 (sans tip) with three drinks. For that kind of money there should have been a lot more wow and a lot less meh... Really, there should have been a lot more food. $130? Also, it was our anniversary, and I mentioned that on the reservation. My experience is that the classier restaurants tend to comp you a dessert. I'm not looking for handouts or freebies. It's just something I've noticed. I'd say 100% of the time the nicer restaurants make your special occasion special. Why? Because you'll remember it and you'll go back. You'll also tell your friends and then they go. I'm not giving 1 star because the food was fine. But there is no way this place is on the same tier as Chicago Chop House, Firehouse, Fulton's, or ANY of the finer Chicago steakhouses. NO WAY. We will not be going back. read more

First time dining in and this has been absolutely the worst experience. I explained to the server that I'm vegetarian prior to ordering and asked if the item that I'm ordering is vegetarian. Apparently English isn't the server's first language. He brought my food layered with beef, so I returned it. He apologized and brought a 2nd plate that had marinara sauce, but the pasta shells were stuffed with beef. At this point I requested the manager. The person who came stating that he's the manager, didn't seem to care too much. When the meal came for the 3rd time, I was absolutely disgusted with the place and service and could hardly eat my meal. I don't mind the prices of the meals, but I do have an issue when these prices are accompanied with poor service. First and last time dining here. read more

Located at the end the Street whose name the restaurant bears, this "cafe" (actually a steakhouse) is surrounded by a neighborhood in midst of modernization and rebirth. Unfortunately, this restaurant needs a bit of rebirth itself. Walking in, I felt like I was on a '50s set which I think is pretty accurate since I'd be willing to be the dishes, recipes/food, atmosphere, and decor have not changed since. Sometimes that retro feeling works - I just didn't really feel like it do so here. My starter salad was plain iceberg lettuce with a single slice of tomato. This was followed by a whitefish filet that was pretty good but unevenly seasoned and served on a bed of plain spinach. I'm not sure if the chef expected diners to eat the spinach but assume not. Who eats raw spinach without dressing except for some fish drip off? Wine list was balanced with some low end wines as well as a few high end offerings, but lacking in the mid-range. For the $50 this dinner cost, I expect much better. The service was attentive and very nice. The staff clearly knew the regulars since a number of people received resonating hellos from everyone when they entered. In summary, not a bad place to have a meal, but it would be far from my first choice in the future. read more

My wife and I visited Erie Cafe for a mid-week evening out. In the warmer weather months, they have an outdoor seating area that overlooks the Chicago River. That is the end of the good. After being seated, we were ignored for the next 15 minutes. At this point someone finally brought a menu and promised to bring water and bread soon, but it was easily another 10 minutes. As we are vegetarian, we ordered two pasta dishes and then began to wait. It took just under 60 minutes for our food to arrive. One dish was gnocchi and it was both under-cooked and over-cooked depending on what part of the plate the piece came from -- quite disappointing. After finishing our food and having our plates cleared, we waited at least 25 minutes for our server to return so that we could ask for the check. The worst part is that the restaurant sells cigars for diners to smoke in the outdoor cafe. It was awful. One person has the right to ruin the meals of 30 other people in the cafe, as well as to ruin the outdoors for all the people and their children enjoying Erie Park/Park #511 right next to the cafe. Our experience was particularly bad as there were at least 6 people with cigars puffing away. It was absolutely terrible -- made worse by the fact that we could not leave as the serve wouldn't come back for the check after we were ready to pay. We will not go back and recommend that future diners avoid it. read more

I've eaten here twice. Once long ago, and this afternoon for lunch. There is so much wrong with this restaurant. Not immediately apparent, but so much wrong. First, the food. The experiences long ago was to order lobster at $65, that was almost tasteless and like felt. Not good. This afternoon a $14.00 hamburger that was way to big. Burgers that big are interesting in photo's, but how do you pick it up? How do you get a bite? I ordered medium. I got well done. I specifically said no tomato. I got a tomato slice. OK tasting, for a well done burger, but boring. Definitely NOT worth the price. Then there is the room. Not good. You enter through an area with the bar and a few tables then down a slope to dining tables .... but the windows stay on the same level up there. You sit way below the bottom of the windows. You feel like you are sitting in a bucket . With the lowered floor and the high window sills with big windows, everything in the room seems out of proportion. Very bad lighting. There is a large chandelier way up at the ceiling with no reason for being there. It doesn't give much light. It doesn't seem to fit into the room decor, such as it is, (why the heck did they put it there? Because there was already an outlet?) except it hangs for the ceiling.. Plus it was cold. I did ask them to either turn up the heat or turn it off. They turned it up, briefly, then the cold draft started again. . This place is a bit of the beaten path. I got the feeling this is a place where older wealthy men took their young hopefully to become girlfriends to impress them with the cost of the food, lord knows it isn't the food itself, a place where their wife's with better taste wouldn't go for lunch. There are so many much better paces, skip this. Go to the Walnut Room for all the charm and ambiance, and good food, this places wishes it has and doesn't. read more

I truly enjoyed this place. The breadsticks to the crab cakes to the meatballs, all top notch. It is a little dated, but - has old world rustic mafia charm! I did feel like they were trying to up sell me on wines, but they do have a good selection. I will definitely come back here agin, just for the meatballs! read more

After taking my parents to a matinee show of Million Dollar Quartet I ask them, "I know it's late for you kids but do you want to go get some dinner?" My dad answers, "I already know where we're going." Remarkably, neither my mom nor I have ever been here. My dad used to hang out with the owner back in his youth and as we sit down he tells us a story involving a bar on State Street that had a whore house upstairs, a bogus fire alarm and an extinguisher used on a surprised john and his...well, whore. Later he married (as linda g. made mention) the daughter of Gene & Georgetti's. "He was a really good looking guy," my mom said. "You know, Italian. Dark hair, blue eyes..." The atmosphere is not what I expected. I don't know why, but I thought it'd be darker inside. It's really a fabulous space. Maybe twenty foot high ceilings, vintage posters, exposed brick and lots of light. Dad and I both enjoyed the minestrone soup and we all loved the bread. I ordered the "Catch of the Day" grilled mahi mahi served over lightly sauteed spinach. Dad had the pork chops and mom the ravioli. We were all extremely happy except my mom. Let me explain: my mother is Italian and she likes things cooked the way she cooks them. She makes ravioli with ricotta cheese and basil inside and her sauce is made with pork. This ravioli had ground meat meat inside and was served with a ground meat sauce. Now let me confer: I didn't care for the ravioli either. The texture of the meat inside was odd. I prefer a meat ravioli to be firm and this was strangely loose. The service was excellent. My water glass was never empty and the staff was very friendly and courteous. Personally, I love a spot that brings out the stories of old Chicago from my parents. read more