Made it to Chicago last night for a quick business trip and had the opportunity to dine at a steakhouse I had never been to before - Carmichael’s.
I was excited for Gibson’s but certainly not disappointed by my experience at Carmichael’s, although I admit that I was a little thrown off by the cheese-whiz-esque beer cheese spread that they had on the table for the bread. While tasty, I have never seen anything quite like that in a steakhouse before. When I asked the waiter what it was he told me, and then offered to replace it with butter or something else more to my liking – I declined, because the cheese spread was great, but I liked that he offered a solution right away in case I didn't like it. Even before the food came out Carmichael’s was making a great impression with the service.
I ordered the gentlemen’s cut of filet mignon, partially because I had a light appetite and knew it would be a safe (and delicious) bet. This 12oz cut was exactly as satisfying as you’d expect from a nice steakhouse, but did not go particularly well with the smashed sweet potato side that I ordered (my own fault – should have gone with the garlic mashed potatoes).
During the meal I decided to get a glass of red wine. After finding Alamos (a malbec that I particularly enjoy) I flagged the waiter down. He eyes immediately lit up and he made a passionate case for another malbec, Dona Paula (from the Mendoza region of Argentina). He called it his sexy wine because as soon as you pop the cork and let it start breathing it gets such a flavor that every sip you take feels sexy. Maybe it was his Spanish accent, but I immediately agreed to go with his recommendation and try this “sexy” wine. It was DELICIOUS, I plan to look for it immediately when I get home to Minneapolis (Surdyk’s is my favorite Minneapolis wine shop because of the HUGE selection, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they have it).
After dinner I grabbed my book of matches to keep as a souvenir (a new tradition of mine) and headed out. Overall it was a great experience and I’d certainly recommend it to anyone in the vicinity of W. Monroe Street in Chicago.
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