This installment of Savor involves three establishments that underscore the diversity of restaurants in Chicago: LUXBAR, Quay Restaurant & Bar and Cape Cod at the Drake.
LUXBAR, 18 E. Bellevue Pl., is the most casual of these three, but that certainly does not mean a decrease in quality (at least in this case). This six-year-old restaurant—which is under the same management that runs Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, Quartino's, RL and Hugo's Frog Bar—features small plates as well as entrees that are very filling, to say the least. The decor is sleek, filled with leather, and makes for a very retro feel.
General Manager Tod Barber told me that the biggest change he's seen over the years is that it's become much more than a lunch-and-dinner place. "We have private parties on the second floor," he said. "For example, [we'll] have a wedding party and then we can put down a floor for a dance party."
"We also do a lot of outside/alfresco dining. Now on the weekends we open on Saturdays and Sundays, which is probably our busiest period."
There is also a Lux Lounge, which can vary in location within the building, depending on what else is happening.
As for the food, the menu is constantly changing LUXBAR has added five new burgers; now the place has veggie, bratwurst and tilapia sliders, among other sandwiches. Barber said that the restaurant actually cures its bacon in-house, marinating it in bourbon.
I can personally attest to how good the revered buttermilk fried chicken. As for dessert, the Snickers pie could die trying to eat the entire thing—but it would be a delicious way to go. See www.luxbar.com .
Quay Restaurant & Bar, 465 E. Illinois St., is in what seems to be a prime location: the River East area adjacent to Navy Pier and Streeterville. However, the night I attended with a guest, the elegant restaurant was hardly bustling (although it does mean that one has no trouble holding a conversation). This is a shame, as Quay serves some great food.
We started off with the surf & turf sliders trio (Wisconsin cheddar burger, braised short rib and lobster salad); I thought they all worked quite well. The pan-roasted Amish chicken is a staple in many eateries—but this one tasted better than most I've tried. In addition, the dessert (a unique take on the key-lime pie with custard, oatmeal streusel, pistachio macaroons and a white chocolate cremeux) was out-and-out delicious.
Something that might be working against Quay is the fact that it tries to be everything to everybody. There's the aforementioned restaurant—but there's also a sports bar in front and a very South Beach lounge in the rear. Chicago is a melting pot—but sometimes it hurts a business if it tries to be. Since it's only a few months old, it still has time to find its identity. See www.quaychicago.com .
The last of the three is Cape Cod, one of five restaurants at the stately Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton Pl. Looking at its exterior (lighthouse, etc.), there's no mistaking what type of food is served here. Walking inside the restaurant, which has been around since 1933, the deep woods and various details provide a sense of history, unquestionably elevating Cape Cod above what almost any other seafood restaurant.
I asked Chef Joseph Marchionna (who was a demi chef de partie at Tru) how he brings a modern twist into a place so steeped in tradition. He said, "It's a very difficult thing to do. We can't be completely avant-garde and reinvent the restaurant every two months. We have to be somewhat conservative but, at the same time, push the limits. ... We try to keep it classic, simple and well-executed."
Marchionna also commented on the restaurant's partnership with the Shedd Aquarium to support sustainable seafood, which as resulted in Cape Cod offering dishes such as Idaho river trout and soft-shell crabs. "We want to promote sustainability because I think it's important," he said. "Our resources are being depleted, but a lot of people are not aware of that."
As for the food—well, it's worth every dime one might spend. The clams casino (clams with compound butter and crispy bacon) was sublime, as was the Dover sole Meuniere, which I had never sampled. Coming from the East Coast, I'm pretty much a crab-cake snob, but I was pretty much sold on the Drake crab cakes, which were soft and flavorful.
Lastly, there was the Land and Water (a take on the surf and turf), which features a six-ounce filet mignon, lobster tail and lobster mashed potatoes. Although the lobster and filet were cooked very well, I could have personally eaten the potatoes by themselves as the entire meal.
To heighten the experience even more, be sure to walk throughout the restaurant to take in the atmosphere. Also, be sure to check out the main bar, which is adorned with thousands of initials—including those of Marilyn Monroe and onetime husband Joe DiMaggio. See www.thedrakehotel.com/dine/cape-cod/ .
