At the risk of reigniting the Kobe wars, this discussion reminds me of my recent meal at Volo (which is under the same ownership as Paramount Room, as far as I know). My wife and I had what was billed as "Braised Kobe Beef w/ Egg noodles". The server told us that the meat was "petite fillet". He later brought us a picture of a cow and pointed to (if I recall) the bottom sirloin. The next time I was at Paulina Meat Market, I asked what a "petite fillet" and was told that it is a small piece of the tenderloin, not the sirloin (though I suppose it wouldn't be incorrect to refer to any small piece of beef that doesn't have a bone as a "petite fillet").

The dish itself was wonderful - I would order it again in a heartbeat. Given the price of the dish, though, I'm pretty sure the meat was not true Kobe beef.

Kennyz wrote:
rosemary + ground beef + overcooking + limp fries + greasy tempura green beans + chalky mashed potatoes + rusting lettuce + poorly breaded chicken + ...

I need to go back in time and stop you from nominating it for a GNR!

I do think there is some luck involved, indicating an inconsistency which is a lamentable weakness at Paramount. I have personally never seen rusty lettuce or overcooked beef there, and several friends I've introduced to it have adopted it as a favorite place. On the flip side, it has significantly annoyed others I've dined with. Another of my absolute favorites, Xni-Pec, seems to work the same way, though I think their ingredient quality and menu honesty is unassailable.

Darren72 wrote:Given the price of the dish, though, I'm pretty sure the meat was not true Kobe beef.

Am I correct in thinking that Kobe Beef means Wagyu breed cattle, raised in Kobe, Japan, kept in harnesses, fed hi-quality grains and beer, and massaged on a regular basis? And that any deviation from the above might still be Wagyu, but can not be called Kobe?

Are there any Wagyu cows drinking beer and getting massages here in the US?

Sadly, my Paramount Room burger experience yesterday was consistent with the less-than-enthusiastic reviews that have been posted recently.

I went for a medium-rare burger (specified "mostly pink with a bit of red") with cheddar, bacon & egg, sauce on the side. The burger showed up significantly overcooked, almost well-done (brown all the way through and fairly dried out). I probably should have said something, in hindsight, but opted to just eat the damn thing & get on with our day.

My sister's medium burger was actually cooked to medium, but our friend's rare burger was medium, medium rare at best. All of our toppings were great as usual, nice runny yolks, extremely generous amount of thick, perfectly-cooked bacon, and the correct cheese for all of us. My wife's Brunch BLT was excellent also.

It's really a shame that the burger patties were so weak...the staff was friendly & personable as usual, and our server Jackie made some killer bloody marys (from scratch, apparently...she mixed them using a batch of homemade bloody mix she'd whipped up). Hopefully they'll get back to their burger-making prime, because I love everything else about the place.

phredbull wrote:

Darren72 wrote:Given the price of the dish, though, I'm pretty sure the meat was not true Kobe beef.

Am I correct in thinking that Kobe Beef means Wagyu breed cattle, raised in Kobe, Japan, kept in harnesses, fed hi-quality grains and beer, and massaged on a regular basis? And that any deviation from the above might still be Wagyu, but can not be called Kobe?

Are there any Wagyu cows drinking beer and getting massages here in the US?

this is being discussed in some other thread i'm too lazy to dig up the link to, but keep in mind that virtually no wagyu rancher, in the US or japan, does the beer/massage thing anymore.

gleam wrote:this is being discussed in some other thread i'm too lazy to dig up the link to, but keep in mind that virtually no wagyu rancher, in the US or japan, does the beer/massage thing anymore.

The thread to which Ed refers can be found here.

=R=

Go to www.mishimaranch.com, This is the exact producer that Paramount room is using.

We also have an informative powerpoint presentation on our website- www.jdymeat.com choose featured partners and click on the Mishima ranch logo.

Interesting website. I like that they're feeding their cows pasticcios

Panic.

For the first time in 15+ visits, the Paramount burger with bacon, egg, and chedder didn't do it for me. Meat was slightly overdone(requested rare) and underseasoned. Also, there was no juice; which was one of the biggest draws turned flaw for me. The egg was overcooked, and not at all runny. And wait, there's more. I don't know if they ran out or what, but out of the five burgers at our table, only my wife had the brioche bun. These other buns were gross with a dry texture and took away from the sum.

I'm also in a panic because I think they might be phasing out the $10 burger + pint deal. The menu no longer advertises it, but instead says "home of the $9 kobe burger". We got the deal, but had to ask and order by 7:00.

I've always been an avid supporter of the Paramount, and have referred literally dozens of people there. I'm praying that this was just an off night, and that they don't phase out one of the best burger deals in the city.

Has anyone else noticed any changes?

Reassurance.

As has been recorded in the Great Book of LTH, Kennyz and I used to be the same person, but were split into two individuals and accounts after a space-time singularity in the Moto kitchen shortly after the Paramount GNR nomination. We remain indistinguishable to some, but our views on the Paramount have necessarily polarized, our quarks spinning in equal and opposite directions since the incident, he of the charm flavor, I of the strange. I fear for mankind the day of reconvergence.

I had a Paramount burger earlier this very week, and it was a characteristic ruby-blooded jewel of fresh meat and herbs with an ideal bun. The fresh-cut fries are better than ever. There are no plans to discontinue the burger-and-pint special; you just have to ask for it (this has been the case for some time). The cellars of Lagavulin remain well-stocked. Motorcycles and beautiful women abound. The tartare is silky, and the Amish Chicken special peculiarly spiced as ever, this week with star anise and nutmeg. If you get something not cooked to your liking, you can send it back without guilt; they're foodies. They accept gift certificates, and even 11-month-olds during off hours.

So mote it be.

Sweetbread wrote:Panic.

For the first time in 15+ visits, the Paramount burger with bacon, egg, and chedder didn't do it for me.

One off night in 15 plus visits is, at least not in my book, cause for worry, much less full-on panic.

I have been to the PR twice in the last week, and I can say they are putting out some really good food. The steak tartare was so delicious, we ordered two. They've revamped the menu a little and added Poutine which was very good last night, the pulled pork and gravy really flavorable and not too thick, but good and smokey. I still haven't gone back to the burger but IIRC, they had two types on the menu now.

For those of you who have spent any time at the bar at the Paramount Room, you know that one of the most delightful things about the place is the presence of the bartender/beverage manager Shawn (shown accepting the Paramount Room's GNR award here), a genuinely nice guy and kind soul. When we lived nearby, my wife and I were semi-regulars at the Paramount Room and always sat at the bar and enjoyed chatting with Shawn, hearing about what was going on in his world, both behind the bar and away from work, exchanging tips about children (he is a relatively new dad, with a young daughter), and just shooting the breeze.

Unfortunately, we learned today that Shawn found out a few weeks ago that he has brain cancer and had to undergo emergency brain surgery to remove some tumors. He is now in intensive rehab/physical therapy (to regain speech, motor function, etc.) and potentially has a further tough and long road ahead once the doctors figure out the type of cancer and the appropriate course of treatment. This Monday (Feb. 8th), the Paramount Room is having a benefit to help support Shawn and his family while he is out of work and I thought I would pass along the info below, from a Facebook page (you may have to have an account to access the link) announcing it. Just thought I would pass this along in case anyone is interested.

Join Paramount Room on Monday February 8th for a benefit in support of Paramount Room Beverage Manager and good friend Shawn Koch in his fight and recovery against brain cancer. 1/2 of the day's sales will be donated directly to Shawn and his Family from 3:00pm until when we close at 2am.

A full menu will be available throughout the night, as well as raffle-giveaway prizes such as: gift certificates to area restaurants, artwork, custom tattoos, and much more. There will also be an opportunity to donate directly to Shawn, Katie & their daughter Charlie to help with expenses, bills and whatever they may need while he is in recovery form surgery and unable to work. This will be a great evening of positive energy, support, well wishes, music, surprises, plus old and new friends - everyone is welcome.

For more information about Shawn please visit his website at http://www.shawnkoch.com

**If you would like to donate something for the raffle-giveaway for this event please contact direct message us on this site or call Paramount Room directly at (312) 829-6300 - otherwise just bring yourself!

Matt-

Thanks for posting about this. It's such a heartbreaking story. The support shown on the http://www.shawnkoch.com site is moving. I've not had the chance to get to the Paramount Room yet, but hope to soon.

-Mary

Thanks Matt, this news is staggering. We too have spoken to Shawn many times but had no idea that this was going on.

Should we post this on the events page to get more PR?

petite_gourmande wrote:Should we post this on the events page to get more PR?

Good idea; done.

Stephen will be slicing and serving Iberico de Bellota ham behind the bar on Wednesday lunch hours. We may bring in some help from Spain if he is struggling.

Steady hands Stephen, steady hands.

Downhill alert?

Paramount Room has many fans. I live just a few blocks away so have been known to stop in from time to time and even hold a party there. While never holding it in as high of regard as other readers, it has a good bar and decent food at fair prices. However, the competition in the neighborhood is tough and IMHO Paramount Room has never been in the top tier even considering its’ good value.

Yesterday was by far the worst experience I have had there. And it was father’s day taboot! The waitress was downright unpleasant and also very unaccommodating. The wife was hankering for a chicken sandwich, and despite having a chicken breast on the menu, and plenty of sandwich/burger supplies, they would not make a chicken sandwich. I understand that trying to order a baked potato at Alinea because they have the cold potato/hot potato dish would be a no no, but we didn’t think a chicken sandwich was too much to ask for out of a bar.

The biggest disappointment was that the three burgers we ordered medium rare all came out Medium+ to Medium Well+. As it was father’s day and we didn’t want to make a scene, we were starving, and we already knew we had a very unaccommodating waitress, we just made do. The bacon on my burger was super scorched as well. These were pretty poor burgers folks...

I sincerely hope for the fans out there that this was a very off day or hour (~5pm) but I would be very hesitant to think of this place as an option in the future.

Chico

(And please note- this is the first negative post I have written in a long time as it isn’t my place, but bad attitude and bad food is a killer combo. Last somewhat negative post was about Graham Elliot and the chef’s muse, Jim, decided to send me a snotty, whiny, aggressive email. I have not been back there since!)

Hmm, I think your unfortunate experience was a one-off. I was just there on Friday night having a celebratory birthday happy hour for my bf. We had a group of 12, so we had called ahead and got a big table downstairs held for us. I ordered my first beer and our sweet-as-pie waitress comes over to me, apologizes that the beer I want isn't cold enough yet, and gives me a complimentary beer-on par with what I ordered- to drink until my beer is ready. It was a small touch, but very thoughtful.

Through the evening we all ordered burgers and every one got rave reviews, from those new to and those familiar with Paramount Room. We seemed to have 2 waitresses, and at the end of the night (not late at all, about 9pm) the other one brought us over 'birthday shots' (tequila or whiskey)and did one with us. I've never had a bad experience here, and looking around the room it seemed that waitresses were friendly and familiar with a lot of the patrons. I hope that your experience was just a product of a busy Sunday, or maybe a waitstaff that would prefer to be with their fathers, too.

If you read this thread and the other one, you'll see that it isn't that uncommon to get an overcooked burger at Paramount Room.

I feel your pain regarding the chicken sandwich. This is one of those times where you want to just tell the waitress that you'll have the chicken breast, plus a plain bun and a side of mayo/mustard. Though would you have to order a burger to get a bun?

Darren72 wrote: Though would you have to order a burger to get a bun?

If so, you get the chance to tell her to hold the burger between her knees ala Jack Nicolson.

misterchico wrote:Downhill alert?
The biggest disappointment was that the three burgers we ordered medium rare all came out Medium+ to Medium Well+. As it was father’s day and we didn’t want to make a scene, we were starving, and we already knew we had a very unaccommodating waitress, we just made do. The bacon on my burger was super scorched as well. These were pretty poor burgers folks...

I was at Paramount Room yesterday (Father's Day) and the guy sitting next to me had the same problem with his burger. The server apologized and said that they made a change to their grill the that they had been having problems all day. They brought out a replacement burger which was cooked perfectly to his specifications.

I had a great dinner at Paramount Room last night.

First off the beer selection, as always, was great. The tap list included a brown ale from Dark Horse, Duvel Green and a sour blend from Ommegang on tap. The lines are nice and clean and the taps are always changing.

We started off with an order of the tempura green beans and the poutine. The tempura was light and crispy and the green beans had excellent crunch to them. The poutine had less gravy than in the past, which I think was a good thing. The fries were smothered in melted cheese and topped with an earthy pulled pork. This was the best version I've had there and was definitely sized for sharing.

For an entree I tried the croque madame. Each bite featured grilled ham, melted gruyere cheese, crunchy grilled bread and fried egg. The sandwich had excellent balance between the ingredients and good textural contrasts between the crunchy bread, gooey cheese and rich egg on top. My dining companions ordered the steak tartare and the kobe burger. Both were high quality as usual. The burger was a perfect medium rare.

I've read about the inconsistency and I can't say I've shared that experience. I've only been 4-5 times, but each time the food is great and the beer list interesting.

We hit the Paramount Room on Friday before the Bulls game. It was our first time there. We started off with a couple of cocktails. Mr. X had something bourbon, possibly an old-fashioned?, and I had the Spring Showers, which was gin, cucumber and lime. Both were delicious. For food, Mr. X had the Cuban with tempura green beans. At the suggestion of our server, I had the polenta with sauteed chard, white beans and root vegetables. Mr. X's sandwich was a monster. He thought the balance of meat was off, but he enjoyed it anyway. The green beans were delicious. My dish was good, but not great. I felt it could have used a bit more flavor, maybe some grilled red onions. No dessert for us -- we split a cocktail ("Nuts & berries" -- don't ask me what was in it. )

I'm sorry it took us so long to visit the Paramount Room. Even though we didn't love our food, I enjoyed the vibe and the service was good. I look forward to going back.

Capped off a great day here yesterday - ran the Shamrock Shuffle, showered, hit the Blackhawks game, and then had an outstanding late lunch at Paramount. Hadn't been in awhile, but my mussels/frites and Jonathan's Kobe Burger/Tempura Green Beans were as good as we remembered. Laid-back vibe, friendly service, good beer on tap, all served as a reminder to get here more often.

P.S. - Ran into GWiv at the bar who seemed to be having a pretty good time too. Definitely a GNR! -Lynn

LynnB wrote: Capped off a great day here yesterday - ran the Shamrock Shuffle, showered, hit the Blackhawks game, and then had an outstanding late lunch at Paramount. Hadn't been in awhile, but my mussels/frites and Jonathan's Kobe Burger/Tempura Green Beans were as good as we remembered. Laid-back vibe, friendly service, good beer on tap, all served as a reminder to get here more often.
P.S. - Ran into GWiv at the bar who seemed to be having a pretty good time too. Definitely a GNR! -Lynn

The two of you were here on the 10th?
Now I wonder where you sat. In the mid-afternoon on the 10th, I opted to go on a pub crawl. As mentioned in this forum post, my intended first stop was going to be Richard's Bar. Until I learned that its food service consisted of a hard-boiled egg, and potato chips.
So I tacked on a pre-crawl meal at the Paramount Room. I ordered the kobe burger. I asked for it 'medium', but I did not elaborate. I did opt for the egg.
The burger was quite tasty. I must be a little better at eating these, because my burger did not get messy.
The beers at the Paramount Room are solid. Its range of beers on tap is more vast than other bars, gastropubs, or brewpubs. (Pete Crowley has yet to brew a malt-accented beer at Haymarket. It's hops, hops, and more hops. )
And since somebody started a subject about this; the Paramount Room has wi-fi. Ask for the password. It's a telephone number, but not the one which you might guess.

turkob wrote:I've read about the inconsistency and I can't say I've shared that experience. I've only been 4-5 times, but each time the food is great and the beer list interesting.

Scratch that. Had a terrible lunch at Paramount Room today. The burger was an overcooked hockey puck, the cuban sandwich was completely underseasoned, and the green beans were soggy and dripping with grease. This was so much worse than every other experience I've had there I have to think it was the work of an apathetic chef. Still, this was bad enough to make me hesitate before making another trip.

turkob wrote:

turkob wrote:I've read about the inconsistency and I can't say I've shared that experience. I've only been 4-5 times, but each time the food is great and the beer list interesting.

Scratch that. Had a terrible lunch at Paramount Room today. The burger was an overcooked hockey puck, the cuban sandwich was completely underseasoned, and the green beans were soggy and dripping with grease. This was so much worse than every other experience I've had there I have to think it was the work of an apathetic chef. Still, this was bad enough to make me hesitate before making another trip.

Darn it!

Was thinking of going over there now, but need to wait.

Man you are killing me, although I appreciate the heads up, 1st S & S now this! I'm stuck with Groupons of formerly good places that are now, not so much <sigh>.

Use your Groupon for brunch. They have a really good brunch menu, and I've never had a bad experience. Last time I think I had something with a poached egg, black beans and polenta maybe..it was vegeterian from what I remember. I can't remember if you eat eggs or not. I go there quite frequently, and I thought it improved. Luck of the draw I guess.