Pierce Baron "Mr. Hospitality"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Hidden Gem of a Steakhouse in the Gold Coast! Another Steakhouse in the books, as the group has made its rounds now into the Gold Coast (Luxury Retail & Restaurants) region of the Chicagoland area. This was a unique experience as we were fortunate enough to have some extras added to our dinner that made our evening far from the norm, and will be mentioned in my review. With two guests joining us it allowed us to show them the meaning of our group, and hopefully was a great night for all.

 

Food:  5/5

• The food at Del Frisco’s was absolutely amazing! From start to finish each portion of the meal had an outstanding dish that I would say would be top 2 in terms of other restaurants we have attended as a group. For the starters it was the bacon that always holds a spot near and dear to my heart. The thick cut fatty texture- maple glaze taste and melt in your mouth feel all make this an absolute must. For my main entrée I ordered the 12 oz. Filet Mignon that was very reasonably priced at $49.00. I did add a topping of a simple seasoning and crab that did enhance the steak but definitely did not alter the taste of the meat. The filet was extremely well cooked my “medium” liking and contained that barky char that I really have learned to love about my steaks. The taste and texture of a steak make all the difference and Del Frico’s really helped capture this. The sides were all exceptional although I did not try too much due to the amount of meat, appetizers and alcohol consumed.

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Bar:  4/5

• The Bar was unlike any other upon arrival to the restaurant. It was a hollow square in between the host stand and the main dining room. The only concern I actually had with the bar was the spot in which the Masters were located was constantly interfered with other diners and employees passing behind us. It could have just been me, but it seemed to be a common trend of the group to be moving around mid-conversation. I was a victim to the Manhattan made with my personal favorite of Maker’s Mark. The bartenders name, which slipped my memory, was very consistent in her making of the cocktails and caused for me to possibly have one too many for my liking on the evening, but boy oh boy were they yummy!

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Service:  5/5

• The service for the evening was unlike what we have seen in our quest so far. We were lucky enough, thanks to Price Charming, to sit in a private room. We were assigned two servers (Joe & another who’s name slipped my memory), as well as, a very nice drop in from the GM of the restaurant, John. Little things like that go a long way for our group as being in the hospitality industry, the service of the staff is key to the success of the satisfaction of the group. They, along with the Sommelier went above and beyond and even took us on a tour of their Wine Room! Excellent work staff in putting up with us!

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• When looking into places to choose for our ventures, I really think that the overall feel/look/vibe are almost as important as the steaks themselves. Del Frisco’s was certainly not lacking in any of these areas as it held a solid place in the upper echelon of Chicago Steakhouses. From the wine room that led all the way to the upper bar, the consistent them of the private room with floor-to-ceiling glass to allow us to not feel trapped, it allowed for an amazing experience. One critique I do have here is the entrance where it does not exactly feel like you are entering a steakhouse. The entrance is on street level and you take escalators or elevator up to the restaurant, and while this is not bad by any sense of the mean, it does provide some uncertainty on where it not the easiest location to access while being on a side street.

 

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Kurt Akers "The CEO"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• An all around high class experience with showcase elements. Wow, I am quite impressed with Del Frisco’s. They bring a total package of elegance, uniqueness and high class. I loved seeing so many showcase pieces throughout the restaurant such as the enormous wine cellar, war horse painting, champagne lounge and wine wall. My steak was a tasty steak which I enjoyed, but what did it for me was the total experience that you get from Del Friscos’ and the sense of high class comfort.

 

Food:  4/5

• Starting the night off right we dove right into a handful of appetizers. Per usually Dotson scarfed them all down. My favorite was the thick cut bacon that had a good kick in spice to it. Preferably I like more of a maple glazed, but the dry rub spice paired well in my mind. For dinner I went with 16oz Prime Strip with a medium temperature and a truffle butter topper. My steak was cooked to perfection and what I liked the most about it was the amount of seasoning it had. The combinations of salts and seasoning is heavier at Del Frisco’s, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a big sauce type guy so the chef was able to mix up a signature steak sauce for me that had a blend of sweetness and tart to it. It was incredible and absolutely recommend adding it the menu. As for our sides my two favorites of the night were the mushrooms and onions which were great additions to my steak and the uptown del potatoes (a must have at your table).

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Bar:  4/5

• The cocktail hour was a bit shorter than usual, but still a grand time. Per usual I had my ginger ale as my drink of choice, but was a standard ginger ale and not house made. Unfortunately it was a bit flat as well. The bar area presentation was very upscale, elegant and spacious which I thoroughly enjoyed and felt really comfortable.

 

Service:  4/5

• Del Frisco’s is on their game when it comes to service, they treat you very well and are quite detailed in explaining the options as well as any of the off menu options they have for the day. Our main server was Joe, and he was the man. He was thoughtful, charismatic and was incredibly hospitable for our group of 9 rowdy young men. We were fortunate to meet a few other incredible people throughout the night like the house sommelier and Don the GM. In addition, we got an awesome tour of their incredible spiral cased wine cellar and got to see some behind the scene actions of the kitchen, chefs and how the steaks are prepared.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• Such an incredible choice of decor, mix of glass and showcase pieces throughout the restaurant really separates themselves from others in Chicago and is done at a very high class level. We were also able to enjoy the side glass room which has a beautiful round table with a mirrored tv in the wall. I loved having our own space were the masters could enjoy and be able to converse privately. I really enjoyed the choice of lighting throughout the restaurant, which highlighted the main points of attraction such as the 3 story spiral wine cellar in the middle of the restaurant. The upscale champagne room and the war horse painting showing its respect to the longtime steaks houses of Chicago. Del Frisco’s has mad respect and are super classy!

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Vince Volpe "Cousin Vinny"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• This was my favorite all around experience of any Steak Masters dinner we have had thus far.  Food, service, ambiance and drinks all went above and beyond my expectations for Del Frisco’s. 

 

Food:  4/5

• The food throughout the entire dinner was exceptional.  We started out with Tuna Tartare, Thick Cut Bacon and Crab Cakes. For my entrée, I ordered the 16 Oz Wet-Aged Ribeye topped with Truffle lumps of Crab. It was cooked perfectly to medium rare.  Me and Dotty did a little bit of sharing as well so I had the chance to taste a couple bites of his 18 oz Dry Aged Bone-in Ribeye, which I thoroughly enjoyed. On the side, our table picked on Brussel Sprouts and Lobster Mac & Cheese.

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Bar:  4/5

• The bar was pretty empty when we got there at 6pm which is kind of expected for that time on a Saturday night. The bar itself was laid out nicely in a square configuration with TV’s surrounding it.  During dinner, we were served with cocktails at lightning speeds. We were also graced with a generous gift of exceptional red wine from the Chairman himself, Mr. Baron.

 

Service:  5/5

• Service was exceptional through and through. Every staff member we met was super professional and was ready to accommodate the entire group with anything we needed. It was super cool that the staff gave us tours of the wine cellar as well as the front line of the kitchen.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• We were seated in a private glass room with a large round table that fit our entire group. Our group can be very loud at certain times, so this did give us a little extra leeway to yell and argue with one another. This room also had a large tv on the wall which was great for watching the Patriots win by more than 7.5 points.  At the end of the night we were given a tour of the wine cellar and the champagne room on the top floor of the building.  We capped off the night with a real “bang”.

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Mario Carbonaro "Michigan Man"

 

Overall Experience:  5/5​​

 

Food:  4/5

• The food was plentiful and delicious as we ordered several starters to begin with, my favorite of which was the bacon – along with the lobster mac, I feel like we were coursed out well and led well into our entrees. I was guided well by our server to go with the Bone in ribeye with the marrow butter, prepared medium rare plus and it was phenomenal. Definitely in contention for one of the best pure steaks I have had in our brief history. I will 100% be coming back to this establishment very soon.

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Bar:  4/5

• The bar was relatively well, but nothing extraordinary. The bartender was more than helpful going to get a bottle of Michter’s Rye for me given that they were empty behind the bar and I know the other Master’s were enjoyed their cocktails as well.

 

Service:  5/5

• As is the case with most of the establishments we visit the staff was more than accommodating once they knew they were dealing with the most refined steak house guests in the city. Joe, I believe was our servers name and he was well versed in the steak selections as well as all of the sides and appetizers. Our sommelier was a terrific referee on our wine debates and although we went with Pierce’s choice, she agreed that my pick was better. We were visited by what seemed like a dozen members or the management and wait staff and each of them were courteous and inviting providing for a pleasurable dining experience.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• Del Frisco’s may be the best decorated steak house the Master’s have visited thus far. They have beautifully balanced the nuances of the classic steak house with the modern fixtures one would expect to find in the Gold Coast. We were fortunate enough to secure a private dining room which was intimate and welcoming. The mirror even happened to double as a TV so those of us with a vested interest in the NFL Playoffs were able to watch the game during our meal. The bar was a classic set up and allowed us to freely converse amongst one another during the cocktail hour.  The wine cellar is free standing in the middle of the dining area and was just as interesting inside as it was visually from the exterior as we were able to get a tour of the entire cellar. 

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