ucjames wrote:
Not sure if they have more than one server named Michael, but if not then this was my brother. Tip him well

Ha, does he have brown hair and a beard? Another thing I appreciated is that I never felt rushed, although (keeping the Bonsoirre thread in mind) I did try to clear out to turn the table for a second group in the lunch rush.

As for tipping, by percentage it was a very good tip (35%), but in actual amounts, I'm sure he did better with the other tables. But the issue of what to tip when you are dining solo, drinking only tea, and ordering the cheapest thing on the menu, is probably best left for another thread.

Cheers, Jen

Next time I hope to be able to run up the tab with a bunch of drinks, but this time I had some very warming black tea. The teapot was hilarious-- a nubbly cast-iron beast that was very heavy. I was chilled from a long walk and I wanted to cuddle it.

I love those cast-iron pots! The Gage generally has one of the nicer tea services around. If I'm not mistaken, both their tea and coffee are Julius Meinl, which is great to find downtown.

Following jesteinef's excellent advice, we opted to stop at the Gage for lunch before we hit the Art Institute (we've been waiting for an opportune free day to take Sparky, and it's free all of February)

For a starter, we had the "fondue." Since Sparky has never encountered fondue before, I had to ask the waiter if the quotation marks signified anything specific, and was assured that it was just to draw attention to the item. Interestingly, in this exchange I learned that it's named for the N-17 highway in Ireland - where I've actually been!

This stuff is teriffic, if you don't mind going on a crash diet immediately afterwards. One of the nice things about it is that you can really taste the brie, something that doesn't always happen to melted versions. There were nice chunky bits and the cross-sliced baguette was very good, if overly buttery.



I had the hangar steak salad, excellent - the steak was perfectly cooked, nice char on the outside and an almost livery flavor to the meat. The salad itself had nice little surprises - an occasional leaf of watercress, little pistachios, nice crumbles of cheese, a good viniagrette that covered every leaf but didn't pool anywhere.



"The Gage" burger, which they very kindly split for us to be shared by Sparky and his dad, wasn't as successful. Firstly, we're spoilt by really good french fries, while these were made in-house, they were just OK. The burger itself really needed salt, and the onion marmalade and camenbert topping really weren't that flavorful. The regular toppings were nice, very cute - we should have gone with the plain burger for $6 less.



Sparky especially enjoyed the big Daddy pickle and the little baby gherkins, the other accompaniments were a wedge of iceberg lettuce, a couple tomato slices, generous amounts of red onion, and seeded black olives.



With tip, a hot chocolate and a beer, this meal set us back $70 - but we left happy. After all, it is right in the middle of the most touristy area in Chicago, we were expecting high prices - but I think, generally, you get what you pay for.

Shoulda posted this awhile back. Always forget. I'm a big fan of the Gage and have been quite a few times. On Valentimes the Lady and I went earlier than expected because the line for ice skating was literally bigger than the rink itself. Woohoo. I get to eat earlier. The 2nd time we've been together and the 2nd time we've started with the fried zucchini. It's become some of our fav fried zucchini. Super crispy exterior and fresh tasting toothy squash inside. This is not in the starter's BTW, it is listed as a side but they do not mind if you start with it. Definitely worth a try. Also has some fried kalamata olives thrown in for good measure. The Lady got the Fish n Chips, which is rare cause she is not really a fish person and seems to love them there. They are also my fav in the city, the fish is always fresh and cripsy, the portion is huge.

The reason I'm posting is because I had an amazing sandwich. It's on the lunch menu, Peppered Pastrami sandwich. It was delicious. The pastrami is piled high, with melted smoked swiss, spicy slaw which was a very vinegary red cabbage, grain mustard on a rye role. A tangy type of house made thousand island came on the side. It was absolutely fantatstic. Tangy, salty, smokey from the cheese. A winner in my book. I'm one to usually eat everything on my plate like my mother and father taught me, but it was so big I had to take half home. Which was fine cause it was just as good later.

Service was top notch as always, knowledgeable, personable and friendly. The server actually gave me his card and told me to ask for him when we come. Which is a really nice touch. It was probably cause I was asking too many questions about the food and past dishes that I've had there. Like I said, I'm a big fan. Can't wait to go back.

thepld wrote: Service was top notch as always, knowledgeable, personable and friendly. The server actually gave me his card and told me to ask for him when we come.

The server had his own card? Love that! Have I somehow missed this trend or is it as unique as it sounds...?

I know. Have never seen that before. Strange but cool. It'd be cool to have "my own" server at any place.

I think it's the case at Graham Eliott too.

I've gotten one at Capital Grille.

The Gage,

I'll see your waitstaff card and raise you my Billy Lawless, Proprietor card.

Had the lamb vindaloo for lunch today, and it was very good. The "gravy" (if that's the word) had a respectable amount of heat to it. Not mouth-numbing, but more than I'd expect anywhere else within two miles in either direction on Michigan Avenue.

hoppy2468 wrote:The Gage,

I'll see your waitstaff card and raise you my Billy Lawless, Proprietor card.

if you had a Dirk Flanagan, studly Chef card we could talk...

Can't add much that hasn't been said, but happy to join the chorus.
Went for the first time on Wed., solo, (prior to Music of the Baroque at the Harris---splendid), and everything about it worked for me.
I'm slightly neurotic about where I feel happy dining alone---too busy and crowded makes me feel sad and lonely, too quiet and empty makes feel exposed and on display. Same with varying levels of service. The sweet spot (outside of Saturday breakfast at an old fashioned coffee shop) is pretty narrow. I'm just a mess.
It was 6:00 and the joint was not full, but jumping with a lively crowd milling about the host's stand. I was, nonetheless greeted quickly and warmly, and a small table was found immediately.
The service thereafter also hit a sort of Platonic ideal of formality and professionalism through which was evinced a genuine desire to give the diner just what he wanted as he wanted it.
Bread, water, menu appeared immediately. I was offered the chance to order something right away, but they were happy to give me some time to look at the list.
Loved the warm bread that came shortly after my beer. (One of the Spanish ones. Amber/lager. OK. Not special.) Hot and chewy inside, crisp, crusty and a touch salty outside. My ideal warm restaurant bread.
Ordered the fried zucchini side as a starter (as someone here or in another thread recommended). It was an amazingly large portion and perfectly done. Each large plank was well but not over-battered and the frying was within nano-seconds of too much, but shy of that, so the result was deep golden and deeply flavored. A little ramekin of light tomato sauce and wide curls grated grana softening on the zucchini created an aroma that immediately put me in Italy (though the dish is not named or described or romanced on the menu as particularly Italian). It was a very generous portion as well.
Busing was smooth and friendly throughout.
Fish and chips next. Here, after the perfection of the zucchini, the fish fell a tad short. These were golden, but a bit greasy as well, and, ultimately, they had almost no flavor of their own. I had to use a fair amount of the house tartar and/or malt vinegar to perk them up. The fries also promised more than they delivered. They looked golden and perfect, but didn't actually have any crunch on the outside, or particularly deep potato flavor inside. Nothing bad here, just not exceptional. Again, a very generous portion.

Sounds like just a hit and a miss. Under other circs. a C+ or a B. But, the service was so friendly and so attentive throughout, the atmosphere so busy, boisterous and gemutlich, and the price pretty reasonable (for the locale), that I can't wait to try some more.

The beer and wine lists were ample and almost everything on the menu looked worth sampling.

A visit to the Gage this week yielded the same vibe, service, and food as my first encounter shortly after they opened, and several since; this is a consistent place. The Scotch egg was flavorful but dry (as ever), the shishito peppers and olives were delectable, but a few bucks north of reasonable, the mixed drinks were potent and clever, if trending a bit sweet, the fish and chips was buttery and crisp, and served in actual newspaper, and the "regular" burger is still the best deal there, perfectly medium-rare, three choices of good cheese, and served with a large bowl of fries.

The only eyebrow-raiser was the venison burger, with fried jalapenos, pickled onions, and "woodland mushrooms," novel, but very lean and tame, and the cacophony of offsetting ingredients not really making up for that. Service was too-cool-for-the-room as usual, justifiably confident, and the Michigan Ave. patio is a really nice place to be on a balmy night. Inside can get very loud, so dining al fresco is still my preferred way to go at the Gage, which is continuing its very reliable standards.

I've been going to the Gage a few times a year since they opened, and have been consistently happy every time I've visited. The prices are a tad high, but considering the fact that it is located at the epicenter of the tourist strip their prices are actually very reasonable.

Our last trip there was a couple weeks ago and what impressed me most was the service. Due to various circumstances I was the biggest pain in the ass customer ever. I showed up at peak service hour with my wonderful 7 YO daughter in tow and asked for a table for 3, then switched it to 2, back to 3, and then back to 2 (all within 10 minutes). 20 minutes after being seated and ordering I asked if it was possible to switch it to a table for 3. Like I said - a serious pain in the ass (I don't normally do this). They rolled with all it like it was no big deal.

As always the food wasn't exceptionally adventurous, but was well thought out and very well prepared. They have a kids' menu (if you ask) and it's actually really good. I really liked the house made sausage platter, but my daughter preferred it to the chicken fingers she had ordered so I only got to taste a little of each of the sausages. On the plus side - the kid's chicken fingers were very good! The Bison Tartare was very good as well.

Anyways, I don't know why anyone would go anywhere else in this area of the city for a good sit down meal. This place continues to be a rock solid place that is well worth visiting.

This place is too noisy and tightly packed but I'm going back anyway. I was at a business dinner so I was too embarrassed to order two appetizers as my meal (and I really wanted the antelope tartare and escargot). I ordered the sable, which was so delicate it was pointless to chew; you could just let the stuff melt on your tongue. It had a blood orange sauce and another, mayo-y sauce that were both so delicious I wiped up every last bit with the crusty bread. I was so pleased with this dish I'd fight the crowds for those appetizers.

Stopped by The Gage this morning and was pleased to find that the Irish Breakfast is still on the brunch menu (probably weekends only?). What with ham, sausages, black pudding, broiled tomato, Scotch bread, 2 eggs, and baked beans it remains not only a pretty good value at $15, but it's still my favorite of the genre (this being said after recent samplings in both Dublin and Cork). Along with Heaven on 7 one of the more interesting (and better) weekend breakfast choices in the Loop?

I forget that The Gage exists, but I had a friend in town for work and staying nearby, so I met him and we walked over for a 6:45pm Monday night reservation. I was pleasantly surprised, and would return.

The noise level was high, but I asked for a quiet table and they took us to the back portion of the restaurant which was only half-full and at a lower and easy to handle decibel level. Next time I would put that in the Opentable notes.

My friend is not an adventurous eater, but he was very pleased with his meal, half a Caesar salad and the fish and chips. The portions were very large. I had half a salad, the sausage platter, and a side of chips. The side of chips could have fed three, the curry sauce was great, and the extra chips and sauce made for a very pleasant breakfast this morning. Both the venison and the pork sausage were flavorful, both had a very fine grind which I typically don't like but didn't mind in this preparation. The sauerkraut with a cheese topping was a pleasant surprise.

The only thing which struck us as off were the steak prices, which seemed insane compared to the rest of the menu. There were plenty of main courses in the $17-$22 range, and a few in the $30-$39 range, then the steaks were $65-$75.

Not to defend The Gage as I prefer it for a drink or two and nothing more after a few mediocre lunches....BUT....Prime steaks are amongst the highest input cost items for restaurants and that's why you rarely see large prime (or prime and dry aged) steaks under $50 these days.

Chico

misterchico wrote:Prime steaks are amongst the highest input cost items for restaurants and that's why you rarely see large prime (or prime and dry aged) steaks under $50 these days.

I ask this not to be argumentative but to gather information: Has the cost to restaurants of prime beef escalated exponentially over the last ten years despite inflation remaining low? It seems to me that until David Burke arrived on the scene, the best steak places in town were charging in the forties for a strip or ribeye. Then Burke proved people would pay in the seventies, and now every place in town is charging in the sixties and seventies. I have to wonder if the cost of raw meat is really what's driving this.

riddlemay wrote:

misterchico wrote:Prime steaks are amongst the highest input cost items for restaurants and that's why you rarely see large prime (or prime and dry aged) steaks under $50 these days.

I ask this not to be argumentative but to gather information: Has the cost to restaurants of prime beef escalated exponentially over the last ten years despite inflation remaining low? It seems to me that until David Burke arrived on the scene, the best steak places in town were charging in the forties for a strip or ribeye. Then Burke proved people would pay in the seventies, and now every place in town is charging in the sixties and seventies. I have to wonder if the cost of raw meat is really what's driving this.

There is a scarcity/supply issue with prime beef. And when you add in the loss factor from dry aging (upwards of 7% for 21 days), prices are going to be high and generally outpace general inflation.

=R=

I don't begrudge the price at all. Heck, I bought a 16 oz prime strip from Whole Foods and it cost me $22 raw, so i don't doubt that it would still cost a restaurant $17-$18 in food costs with accessories. Multiply that by 4, and you're at $68.

I just felt that the price was jarringly high compared to the rest of the menu.

A very interesting crowd at the Gage late yesterday afternoon - some people heading to the orchestra, others to the Bears game, and some just getting an early start on holiday shopping. In any event, a fairly packed house.

But most importantly, excellent fish and chips. A light, crisp crust, perfectly cooked fish (three pretty large pieces), served with malt vinegar, lemon & tartar sauce.






The scotch egg (sorry, no picture) was decent, with good flavor, but paled in comparison to the version at Pleasant House Pub where the egg is somewhat molten (firmly cooked at the Gage). The Gage's version is still decent, in no small part due to the two excellent mustards served with the egg.

Ms. R and I enjoyed a post-Giordano Dance Company light meal here on Saturday night. Seems like most of the traffic was post-cultural at that late hour. Originally we planned to go to Remington's but the kitchen had already closed. Doorman there told us "there's an Italian place a block further down," and that turned out to be The Gage.

We enjoyed the food - burger with blue cheese & fries, monumental bowl of lentil soup, ciabatta service, caramel "mocha-iato" cake - very much. Medium well burger patty successfully hit the mark between just non-pink but still juicy. The bread was excellent as well, perfect for dipping in the soup. And it's a very attractive setting for a late night - dark and glittery but not oppressive. If you go, even if you don't have to go, be sure to check out the basement rest room area with framed ads from the Gage Millinery Co and a cellar bar.

Now the curmudgeon comes out, plus a new wrinkle at the end: The staff, with the exception of the host, seemed severely unenthusiastic to see us or the other few couples who turned up. Sure, the after theater crowd tends to yield small checks and, considering that many will drive to their suburban homes, light drink orders. And we tend to be greyer. Few massive steaks or seafood towers will be consumed at that hour. When you're one of the few nice places serving food at that hour (Rosebud being the other one, with Shake Shack and Cane's not really being viable alternatives), that's the crowd you'll get.

Enthusiasm aside, our waiter did the annoying first person thing with every reference "we" or "us" as in "will we like drinks?" or "is everything good for us?" At one point I almost invited him to sit down and have a quarter of the burger and a few fries. Ms. R wondered how management had allowed this to go on, given that crabbiness aside the place seemed to run quite smoothly. I replied that unless they were leaning over his shoulder they wouldn't know except for possible feedback in a Google or Yelp review.

And that's the where the new wrinkle comes in: The Gage uses a pay-via-tablet system where after payment, tip, receipt, there's a Smile/Frown review page. I clicked Smile - the food and atmosphere truly are excellent - and the tablet proceeded to a followup question page. Our waiter quickly snatched the tablet and said "it goes on endlessly" opening the possibility for him to take the tablet back and click all 5 stars for service, maybe even adding "loved the service, waiter was so friendly and not even the slightest bit annoying" in a comments section. Conspiracy theory? Probably. But I would have welcomed a shot at giving real feedback.

Finally, some thoughts on tipping. Tips or percentage service charges, hours with light traffic and smaller checks will yield lower pay for servers while crowds of lavish spenders will always be welcomed with open arms. And that tends to be a positive feedback loop: Lower spenders get worse service and in turn tip less. If I have a low check and receive the service I'd get with a higher one, I'm willing to tip more generously. But that's fairly rare. And, honestly, on the rare occasions where I have a high check that requires no particular extra effort, ie. expensive wine or drinks, I'll tip a little lower percentage.

Higher prices, no tipping, and a fixed per hour wage would solve that, varied by level of service, skill and experience. At a macro level, it's just a matter of allocating the total amount that diners are willing to spend, tips or no, to labor, other costs, and profits.

I'm reporting in this thread for the moment since "[The] Dearborn" is a hard thing to find given current site search conditions, but the Block 37 outpost for the Lawless family seems to be cooking with the same class and gusto as my earliest experiences at the Gage. I'd characterize two recent visits as much better than it would be need to be for that address and potent libations, and also possessing a nice quieter vibe.

Highlights have included the burger and fries, a spicy mushroom and chicken soup that was actually spicy with a nice variety of funghi and cured pork accents, and the chicken curry which is an impressive tagine of Massaman-style curry with fresh herbs. The curry is served with piping sumac-brushed pita made to order, which also features in the very tasty mezze platter. It all reminds me more of modern Dublin than Block 37.

The Dearborn
145 N Dearborn

I’ve been to the Dearborn a few times. Everything is pretty good, but my wife and I’s favorite thing and was surprisingly good was their fried chicken. It’s like maple syrup and hot sauce - so good