Lou Stejskal

GT Prime is elegant and beautifully designed. It’s modern and glamorous but doesn’t feel intimidating. The seating is comfortable but upright enough that you want to sit up straight and look your best. The lighting is beautiful and I could see all my food. I left my camera battery in the charger at the hotel room but as you can see, all the photos taken with my iPhone look great and don’t look like yellow-brown muck. The music is hip and the acoustics are perfect. It was great to be able to hear the music while being able to carry on a conversation.

GT Prime is classified as a steakhouse but there are enough dishes that one could dine there repeatedly and never order steak. In my own mind, I will think of GT Prime as a contemporary American restaurant where I can go without having to order steak because mentally I still feel steak warrants a special occasion or when you want meat and potatoes. But you won’t find a potato anywhere on the GT Prime menu unless you order the burger which comes with fries. There are so many dining variants that I had a hard time deciding if GT Prime would be best for a romantic dinner, for family, for business or celebrating with friends. It really fits the bill for all reasons to dine out and yet each way would still feel special. I would even feel comfortable going there alone to grab a weeknight bite or have something to snack on at the bar.

The menu is easy to navigate. The Cold section has salad and seafood. The Vegetables section has four creative choices. The Hot section has pastas, some seafood and meat and even foie gras and bone marrow. The middle of the menu lists Seafood and Meats. You can order one 4 oz portion or 8 oz of the same cut, or try a few 4 oz portions or get the entire array of cuts for the table which is a great option if you have ever wondered what all the different cuts taste like side by side. The desserts are worth saving room for and we tried three out of the five offered.

The plates are sized to share or you can have them brought out as courses for yourself. There are dishes for those looking for exciting twists as well as mac and cheese and burgers. And yes, there is steak.

GT Prime isn’t a traditional or even a modern steakhouse by pure definition, but it is definitely the best non-steakhouse steakhouse there is.

CHEF: Giuseppe Tentori
BLOG: https://loustejskal.com/2016/12/26/gt-prime/ Less

3 Greens Market is several of the Hogsalt Hospitality restaurants rolled into one. Besides the Small Cheval burger and Chilaquiles (weekends only) from Au Cheval, there are Doughnut Vault donuts, and brisket and pulled pork from 3 Green Street Smoked Meats. Some of the side dishes are reminiscent of those served at Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf and Maude’s Liquor Bar, and you can even order a pastrami sandwich from former Dillman’s Delicatessen. The hot and cold salad bar trays are partially filled ensuring the food is always fresh. There is a Grab and Go section and a separate espresso bar serving pastries, coffee, and tea.

This inviting space has comfortable nooks and couches to read or chat, big communal tables for working or/and eating and a mini golf putting area. If you want to avoid the lines at Au Cheval, the Small Cheval burger at 3 Greens Market is here for you. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. (No dinner on the weekends). Less

Hanbun is a Korean restaurant run by Dave Park and Jennifer Tran. They will temporarily close on February 2, 2018 as they search for, and relocate to a larger space.

While I enjoyed the lunch visits, especially because they made my favorite version of beef bolgogi, Park's best talented were showcased at their Junhyuk dinners which can be viewed here. https://loustejskal.com/2016/09/14/junhyuk-at-hanbun-dinner-at-hanbun/

We look forward to their new space. Stay tuned! Less

The first time I went to Le Colonial was just before the turn of the 20th century at a friend’s master’s degree graduation party, held upstairs. The white tablecloths signaled it might be a more formal affair than expected, so I was relieved when directed upstairs where I was immediately transported to 1920s Saigon. The tables were shadowed by large palm tree fronds as I made my way to the back, where my friend and her family were gathered on rattan couches. We sipped cocktails and nibbled on appetizers and I returned several times over the years for various parties, events, lunches and dinners. I have always liked their take on French-Vietnamese food and also the seductive dining room and classic service that came with it.

During my most recent visit, Le Colonial was as charming as ever. We were so engrossed in conversation not realizing 4 1/2 hours had passed, until I glanced up to see we were the last ones left in the dining room. The valet parking attendant had even gone home (with my keys) so we had to wait for him to bring them back.

The next day, when I was looking online for old photos of Le Colonial, I stumbled upon the news that they will be relocating to a new building in 2019. While a fresh feel is always welcome, I’m a little sad that all those memories can’t be relocated to a new space.

BLOG: https://loustejskal.com/2018/03/07/le-colonial/ Less

Birriera Zagaroza serves one item, birria tatemada, which is oven-roasted goat.

It's a family-run restaurant, opened by Juan Zaragoza in 2007. Before he opened, he was hosting barbecues in his backyard until he perfected his recipe over the course of a few years. Juan and Norma's son, Jonathan, is the weekday chef. They are open seven days a week, for lunch and dinner.

They claim their birria (goat) isn’t gamey or tough because they are about five months old, sourced from a farm in Woodstock, IL. Also, the meat is steamed for about six hours, marinated in a red mole and then roasted. First, you select small or large, then bone-in or boneless. Finally, you choose to have it as a stew or plated with tomato consommé and their tortillas.

Later, Norma showed me how they make their tortillas in-house every day. If you make it to the end of my video, you’ll see a special treat Mexican grandmothers might give to antsy children while cooking.

Who can resist this place?

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9UwqlTwzMg
Blog: https://loustejskal.com/2018/03/05/birrieria-zaragoza/ Less