Chicago is a city with many steakhouses, and Del Frisco's is one of the most elegant. The large two level Gold Coast restaurant is decorated with large chandeliers and a three story wine tower is the centerpiece of the space. While you might think of steak when you hear "Del Frisco's", they also have incredible seafood. When I recently dined at Del Frisco's with some of my girl friends, we kicked off the evening with their massive Shellfish Plateau with Chilled Alaskan King Crab Legs, Jumbo Shrimp, and Crab Claws.
Next we moved on to the Tuna Tartare with wanton chips. The wanton chips were extra crispy and a wonderful compliment to the tuna and avocado.
My favorite appetizer was the Cheesesteak Eggrolls. It's all the goodness of a cheesesteak inside a crispy eggroll. It's a brilliant appetizer mash up that we couldn't get enough of. I was looking forward to these the entire day.
The Seared Tenderloin Tips Au Poivre with mashed potatoes , bourbon peppercorn sauce, and crispy tobacco onions were a delight. The steak was very tender and the bourbon peppercorn sauce, creamy potatoes, and crisp onions were a expertly crafted combination. While we had this as an appetizer, it is an entree at the bar menu - and I will definitely be dining at the bar so that I can have this again.
Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Crab Fried Rice and Black Bean Garlic Sauce was absolutely incredible. The flavorful rice was the perfect compliment to the seared sea bass, which had a nice crust on the top. I think that sea bass is my favorite seafood.
A highlight of the evening was an interactive wine blending demo with Nisha a member of Del Frisco's Chicago's all female team of Sommeliers. First we tasted Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc and then we got to blend them ourselves to create a glass of our own custom wine. I was very focused on the wine, and not on taking photos during this portion of the evening, but can you blame me?
We blended the wine so that we could have it with the main event: steak. We had the 16 ounce Prime Strip and it had a flavorful crust and was beautifully medium rare on the inside. Del Frisco's also provided a few sides to accompany the steak. The Lobster Macaroni and Cheese was super cheesy and had large chunks of lobster. It was rich and creamy, and it was so delicious that everyone went back for seconds.
The side of sautéed wild mushrooms and pearl onions was the perfect compliment to the beef. And I really liked the slight sweetness of the pearl onions.
And then for dessert, Del Frisco's spoiled us by bringing out a platter with 4 desserts. I loved the Butter Cake (on the lower left) which they very kindly made nut-free for us. The molten chocolate cake was a fantastic preparation of a classic dessert, and the lemon cake had a light and refreshing flavor.
Thank you to Del Frisco's for arranging such an incredible meal and experience for us.
Del Frisco's address is 58 East Oak Street, right in the heart of the Gold Coast neighborhood. They do accept reservations and they have lots of private party options!
