Darren72 wrote:Searing does not seal in juices.

I think you're wrong - just watch the Food Network and they'll tell ya . . . repeatedly!

I too, was pleasantly surprised with the prime rib at Wildfire (Chicago location.) I'm definitely interested in trying Flemings if I can figure out a free sunday!

stevez wrote:

pacent wrote:It is not bone-in, but rather that they sear each side of the prime rib to lock in the juices and create a light crust on the outside.

Not that I have any desire to visit an Outback Steakhouse, but how is this different than a rib eye steak?

I think they take a piece of cooked prime rib (not a raw ribeye steak) and sear it. So it is slow-cooked prime rib with a sear.

Incidentally, I waited tables at an Outback Steakhouse in college (actually, two -- one in the suburbs and one in Atlanta). If a customer sent back a piece of prime rib for being too rare, the SOP was to douse it in au jus on a separate plate and, depending on how much the doneness was off vis-a-vis the customer's preferences, run it through the microwave.

Matt wrote:Incidentally, I waited tables at an Outback Steakhouse in college (actually, two -- one in the suburbs and one in Atlanta). If a customer sent back a piece of prime rib for being too rare, the SOP was to douse it in au jus on a separate plate and, depending on how much the doneness was off vis-a-vis the customer's preferences, run it through the microwave.

And one wonders why line cooks aren't paid more! (Kidding!)

Sundays.... Mrs Jazzman and I occasionally visit the Big Top Restaurant located at Nagle and Higgins. They always have several Sunday specials.... one of which is ... Hot Prime Rib.

Thats correct,,, and served like any other Hot Beef or Pork or HOT Ham sandwich,,, on Bread with choice of potato - Veg, dinner rolls and... soup or salad. Price about 11 plus beverage. (note: price is as of this posting)

It's not Lawry's or " bone in " and definately NOT thin slices of cheap Roast Beef renamed Prime Rib like we found at certain other area restaurants,.

It's a good reasonable THICK slice and very good. On many occasions there has been enough to take home for a midnite snack or lunch the next day.

Hop in the car,gas up and have the prime rib at Skip's in New Buffalo/Union Pier.This time of year the area is essentially a Chicago suburb anyway.

trudie wrote:Hop in the car,gas up and have the prime rib at Skip's in New Buffalo/Union Pier.This time of year the area is essentially a Chicago suburb anyway.

I recommend Skips too.

The Golden Steer in Forest Park does a nice rendition (Fri and Sat only)

7635 Roosevelt Rd
Forest Park, IL 60130
(708) 771-7798

trudie wrote:Hop in the car,gas up and have the prime rib at Skip's in New Buffalo/Union Pier.This time of year the area is essentially a Chicago suburb anyway.

has anyone done Skip's Prime RIB AND SEAFOOD Buffet on Friday and Sat? I've never been to Skip's.

We did the Fleming's Sunday night deal (3 courses for $30) the other night. While the prime rib isn't bone in, it was very good. The meal comes with a starter, HUGE side, and a dessert. It's a great deal for $30. The Sunday deal goes through August.

OK, I admit it- It's my wife's birthday and I promised to take her for Prime Rib- ambience and price are always important but it's the food we crave- any collective thoughts?

You can't go wrong with Rosewood (in Rosemont ) or any of the Wildfire locations.

A quick search and ye shall find - viewtopic.php?f=14&t=32260&hilit=prime+rib

Lawry's The Prime Rib has lovely prime rib in a really beautiful setting. If ambiance counts at all, this would be a good choice. Set inside the glorious McCormick mansion, gracious touches, from sweeping staircases to massive chandeliers, still grace the rooms. And the prime rib is mighty good -- sliced to order, from trolleys rolled to your tableside, so you can go thin, thick, or somewhere in between.

The meat is great, but there is something really special about enjoying it in such lovely surroundings.

I second the Lawry's recommendation. You can't go wrong with the old school atmosphere and carved to order beef...and don't forget the spinning salad.

stevez wrote:...and don't forget the spinning salad.

!!!!

http://www.diningchicago.com/blog/2009/12/09/eat-this-don-roths-blackhawk-salad-dressing-to-go-on-spinning/

From Kenji's link:

Out in California, a Beverly Hills restaurant, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, prepared salads tableside spinning the bowl on a bed of ice, a theatrical start to the meal dreamed up by founders Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp in 1938. Roth liked both ideas and brought them home to Chicago, declaring “the food is the show.” By the time Lawry’s came to Chicago to open its second location in River North more than 20 years later, Don Roth’s spinning salad was more famous than theirs.

May I suggest a drive out into the country to Sorrento's in Sycamore?

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=23332&start=0

Carson's in Deerfield does an excellent prime rib. (I assume the one in River North is the same.) I think it's better than at Wildfire or at Lawry's, although Lawry's is so iconic for that dish, so there's that.

We've also made wonderful prime rib at home, using aged prime grade rib roast from Zier's.

Did you know that food markets and restaurants can call a roast "prime rib" even when the cut of meat used isn't prime grade?

stevez wrote:From Kenji's link:

Out in California, a Beverly Hills restaurant, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, prepared salads tableside spinning the bowl on a bed of ice, a theatrical start to the meal dreamed up by founders Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp in 1938. Roth liked both ideas and brought them home to Chicago, declaring “the food is the show.” By the time Lawry’s came to Chicago to open its second location in River North more than 20 years later, Don Roth’s spinning salad was more famous than theirs.

Cool. Thanks for that bit of history, stevez. I grew up with the Don Roth's spinning salad and never knew it was derivative. I also used Lawry's salt for my entire childhood without knowing it came from a restaurant. Funny how one place can have such influence.

stevez wrote:From Kenji's link:

Out in California, a Beverly Hills restaurant, Lawry’s The Prime Rib, prepared salads tableside spinning the bowl on a bed of ice, a theatrical start to the meal dreamed up by founders Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp in 1938. Roth liked both ideas and brought them home to Chicago, declaring “the food is the show.” By the time Lawry’s came to Chicago to open its second location in River North more than 20 years later, Don Roth’s spinning salad was more famous than theirs.

Blackhawk, 1953

Earlier in the same article quoted above, Leah A Zeldes wrote:The spinning-bowl salad is a signature of Don Roth's Blackhawk in Wheeling, which is slated to close Dec. 31, ending a line of restaurants launched in 1938.

Otto Roth, Don Roth's father, opened the original Blackhawk on Wabash near Randolph in 1920.

Somewhere, sometime, I remember reading about Lawry's having a lunch time prime rib sandwich? or smaller portion? Anybody know if they still do that? I'm not a big prime rib fan but my husband would love it if I took him down there for this.

Jean Blanchard wrote:Somewhere, sometime, I remember reading about Lawry's having a lunch time prime rib sandwich? or smaller portion? Anybody know if they still do that? I'm not a big prime rib fan but my husband would love it if I took him down there for this.

Yes, they do that in their Sandwich Bar. The lunch sandwich is about $15-17 IIRC - I'm not fond of prime rib either, but my boss loves it, & there are enough other options for me that I'll deal with eating there. They have a small platter available as well, with a couple of sides. The Sandwich Bar service is available at dinner too.

http://www.lawrysonline.com/lawrys-prim ... andwichBar

nsxtasy wrote:Did you know that food markets and restaurants can call a roast "prime rib" even when the cut of meat used isn't prime grade?

I had heard that it is called a prime rib because it is cut starting from the first rib in the rib section or "prime" rib. I agree that it is often and understandably misunderstood as always being a prime grade of beef.

The Erie Cafe almost always has an off-menu prime rib special during dinner service. The serving is large and tasty, and can be seared if that's the way you roll. Where I can get it, I prefer that to a rib-eye steak because the slow cooking brings the roast up to temp offering a more consistant pinkness throughout, rather than that band of grey you sometimes see near the surface of a steak cooked more quickly. Also, according to Cooks Illustrated, there is an enzymatic reaction which tenderizes meat that accelerates in a slow cooking atomosphere. Then the searing adds the tasty outside I love in a steak.

Call ahead to double check the prime rib special is in the house.

Erie Cafe
536 W. Erie Street
Chicago, Illinois
312-266-2300

I will third or fourth Fleming's. I didn't have it on a Sunday so I didn't get the deal, but I do remember thinking that whatever the price was, it was well worth it. The best prime rib I've had in many years. I kind of wish I could say that the best prime rib didn't come from a chain "Chicago interloper," but it is what it is. I need to get back there.

The prime rib I had at Lawry's here a few years ago, and at the Beverly Hills location earlier this year, was fine, but not a match for Fleming's.

"Hop in the car,gas up and have the prime rib at Skip's in New Buffalo/Union Pier.This time of year the area is essentially a Chicago suburb anyway."

I'll say... you can tell because no one knows how to drive!!

I don't like steakhouses, but my wife loves prime rib so we've been to a bunch of steakhouses in the last year. Recently we made our first visit to Lawrys and really enjoyed it. She felt the prime rib was better than what she had at any of the other places we've been to in the last year which include:

Backyard Steak Pit (Gurnee)
Chicago Cut
Stoney River
Maestros
Beelows (Lake Zurich)
Flemings
Carsons (carry out)
Colony House (Trevor WI)
Pavillion (family engagement)

Her second favorite was Carson's. Flemings has received some praise in this thread, but she thought the meat had too much sage seasoning and thus was not traditional enough for her liking.

Frankly, I went to Lawrys with low expectations, but I actually enjoyed it. The menu is very limited, so be prepared to order prime rib. I liked the meat and mashed potato. The Yorkshire Pudding wasn't worth the calories IMHO (funny, the last time I had Yorkshire Pudding was at Black Sheep and it was awesome - these two restaurants couldn't be more different). Being such an old restaurant, I expected the place to be dated, but the room was very elegant and clean (chandeliers and mirrored walls were spotless). If you are looking for a prime rib dinner, don't mess with the newer restaurants -I'd recommend .

-Matt

My wife and I truly enjoyed the prime rib at J. Alexanders on Clybourn: Nice salty crust, meat brimming with juice and very tasty au jus on the side. Unlike many prime ribs that I have ordered in Chicagoland and elsewhere, the meat was evenly cooked with no overdone, livery ring next to the crust. We've been to Lawry's several times, and this prime rib was better than what I was served there. Given that this is part of a chain and we were eating rather late (10:00 p.m.), I went in with very low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised. We'll be back for more prime rib, to be sure.

J. Alexanders
1832 North Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 435-1018

I've enjoyed the prime rib at Miller's Pub. They have an open face prime rib sandwich which is a very good value and is all I need anyway. Obviously, plenty of old school atmosphere in a great location as well.

Lawry’s the Prime Rib’s final days: Take-home, tours, tchotchkes on sale

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/c ... story.html