dollardnsense

In Chicago, discovering reasonably priced steakhouses that have substantial upside is a real trick.  For the most part, the well-known places (Morton’s, Ruth Chris, Primehouse, Tavern on Rush, etc.) tend to do an ok steak, but with some variability in quality.  The price doesn’t vary much, though.  All of these places will hit your wallet fairly hard and, for the most part, offer pretty similar items across the menus.

Taking all the previous paragraph into account, it becomes necessary to look outside the “traditional” steakhouses to find that gem that fits into most people’s budgets.  Folklore is pretty close to being that gem.  Last Friday, we were able to get in for an early dinner with no problem (this was actually DNS’s third visit).  The experience was pretty similar to previous visits.

Folklore definitely lives up to its value proposition.  This is the strongest aspect of this restaurant.  Two filets with a salad and side dish for $25.  That’s a steal, and the spinach mashed potatoes might be the best steakhouse side I’ve ever had.  The parillada (mixed grill) has a nice combination of rib meat, filet, sausage, blood sausage and sweet breads.

The menu mostly has red meat, but there are some alternatives for the more health conscious.  For Man v. Food enthusiasts, there is a breaded steak with fried eggs on it that got rave reviews from a member of our party.

However, just like other steakhouses, the steak quality can be a bit variable.  This last visit, in particular, produced filets that needed to be on higher heat for less time.  The outside of the steak was underdone and the middle was overdone.  However, this was not the case in previous visits.  Also, the chimichurri (olive-oil and herb sauce) is pretty good, but not great.  An Argentinian steakhouse probably should spend a lot of time making sure their chimichurri is excellent.

Overall, if you get a meat craving and want a hip, high-end feeling place that won’t cost $100/person, this may be your best bet in the city.  Like most places, it gets pretty packed on weekend evenings, so be sure to get reservations.

Pseudo-western, pseudo-gastro pub is not the most common descriptor for a bar and grill, but it’s probably the most accurate way to describe Frontier.  It’s a relatively new place that is trying to leverage its proximity to a pretty good butcher on Milwaukee to claim a more gastropub-like experience.

The concept has some potential and the bar seems to have gotten to the level of competent service after some fits and starts when it first opened.  However, the food isn’t really THAT different from other places in the neighborhood (though, they do have game in the menu).  It seems a little more creativity could get the menu to be really over the top.

Tap selection at Frontier has followed a similar steady upward trajectory as they have some very appropriate seasonal selections with a good range of styles, and the outdoor seating area is pretty nice compared to most of the Wicker Park/Noble Square spots.

Perhaps the biggest improvement is that all the items ordered arrived at the table.  This has not always been the case at Frontier.   I’ve been in groups that had dozens of oysters not make it to the table.

Overall, we have a bar that has graduated from “I’m not sure what they’re doing” to “It’s a solid place that’s worth a stroll down the street.”  Congrats, Frontier: I can now be bothered to walk down the block and have an oyster.  The growing pains were not in vain.

Anyone that watches the eating channels has probably seen Vito and Nick’s being pimped by Guy Fieri or whoever.  It is one of the few places that deserves TV time.  Here are a few reasons why:

1. My first visit with the DollardNSense Lady resulted in us crushing an entire large in less than 10 minutes, so it must have been pretty good.  We took her whole family back and it confirmed that, yes, this is really good pizza and causes instant cravings.

2. It’s what real old-school locals think of when they think “Chicago” pizza.  Thin crust.  Don’t let any national talking head tell you anything different.  Plus, the prices are good and they have ground beef and giardinera as toppings.

3. Old Style drafts are $1.50 and very fresh.  I actually have an “Old Style Quantity Poured” theory.  Basically, if you go to a place where a bunch of townies drink a lot of Old Style, it’s going to taste pretty good (see Wrigley Field or Esquire Lounge in Champaign, IL).  Otherwise, not so much.

4. Then there’s this:.  Yes, all you can eat Smelts on Fridays.

All in all, it’s worth a drive down to 84th street.  The service is a little slow and, for some reason, the bartender wasn’t able to serve a diet coke even though the server could, but it’s the best thin crust I’ve had so far in the city.