$26 for three courses at one of the trendiest steakhouses in Chicago. Nope. I am not joking. RPM Steak's new Express Lunch is the best lunch special in Chicago. The portions are generous, and the food is seriously good. The menu is limited to a choice of three appetizers, three entrees, and two desserts, but the options are impressive.
RPM Steak's space is modern and formal, making it a perfect place for a business lunch.
While lots of the people around us were indulging and having a glass of wine with their lunch, we chose drinks from the No Proof Cocktail menu. I loved the Maraschino Cherry Lemonade which was loaded with cherry flavor, and not overly sweet or sour, but perfectly balanced.
I started with the Smoked Ora King Salmon on a crispy potato pancake with bacon and horseradish cream. The portion was larger than I expected, and I really liked the bacon in the potato pancake, it added an extra burst of flavor. I appreciated how mild the horseradish cream was, it didn't overwhelm the other ingredients, it merely complimented the salmon. The other appetizer options are a razor clam chowder with bacon and a hearts of romaine salad with creole dressing and green tomatoes.
Next I had the Short Rib Steak with truffle and garlic butter. The pool of truffle garlic butter was rich and the steak was hearty, and if I finished it I would have been too stuffed for dessert. It is definitely something I would order again, and I think the portion would be just right for a man. In case you are curious, the other Express Lunch entree choices are a grilled lamb burger with fries and grilled bass with octopus and black olives.
For dessert I had the Nutella Bread Pudding. It had a thick custard consistency and the banana flavor wasn't overpowering. It was served nice and hot with a scoop of ice cream.
We also tried two of RPM Steak's most famous desserts. They serve smaller portions of their desserts during lunch, including the 14K Chocolate Cake with both milk and dark chocolate. This is so rich that I can't even imagine trying to eat a larger serving. The cake was wonderfully moist with a creamy chocolate frosting, embellished with 14 carat gold.
And we had to try the Baked Alaska. They gave us the full portion that is on the dinner menu.
The table side presentation is quite the show. The fire was extinguished with warm chocolate sauce.
Here is the final result. Gorgeous, right? The inside was filled with salted caramel ice cream and vanilla cake. The normal lunch portion is a slice, but I am glad I got to see the full presentation.
Have I convinced you yet? Lunch at RPM Steak is an incredible deal, and it's easy to get weekday reservations.
RPM Steak's address is 66 West Kinzie, in Chicago's River North neighborhood.
Looking for a faster more low-key weekday lunch option? My other favorite lunch special is Ramen-san's $15 Express Lunch. Ramen-san has a much more casual atmosphere and it is a great place to meet friends for lunch.
