I'm two weeks behind on this, but with my schedule shooting up like a bottle rocket, some things just slip. First of all, the Saturday run from two weeks ago was excellent. I finally got to try Garrett's popcorn. That cashew caramel corn is something else. Jersey Boys was an amazing show. I like old music a lot, but rarely listen to the Four Seasons. The Bee Gees give me enough falsetto already for my Ipod. But I must admit some of those Frankie Valli songs are pretty cool. "My Eyes Adored You," "Oh, What a Night," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" do make me snap my fingers. Excellent music, great storytelling, and a funny compelling script. I still love the joke about the letter "Y".
So then it was dinner at Keefer's, a steakhouse in the River North section, with a french cuisine twist. First of all, the atmosphere is a little unusual. And the whole restaurant seems to be one big circle, I don't remember walking in a straight line the whole time I was there. But hanging on the wall in our dining room was a fireplace and a lot of 1920's radios. I have no idea what the purpose of the radios was.
Onto the food. I love any restaurant with a bread basket that includes pretzel bread. Amazingly, Dad had never heard of it before. Let's just say he won't be forgetting it anytime soon. I went with an Amstel Light to drink and was happy it came in a frosted glass that the waiter poured for me. We skipped the appetizers and went straight to salad. I got a house, which various greens and a few cherry tomatoes with mustard vinaigrette. I was very impressed with the substantial portion. This wasn't like some places which give you a small cereal bowl. This was filling. And I don't care for cherry tomatoes, especially when you take a bite and the juice explodes all of your shirt. But these were a little more meaty and they suited me fine.
Then the main event. For the sides, we got a combo of onion rings and pommes frites (french fries). We got so many of them they lasted two more dinners later that week. And I don't know how they fry them, but there is a certain lightness to them. They were crispy, flavorful, and I didn't feel heavy after eating them. We're big fans of spinach, so we got some sauteed spinach in olive oil and garlic. It was fair enough. Mom and I split an order of au gratin potatoes with Gruyere cheese. These were diced potatoes, smothered in cheese and cream and then broiled for a few minutes to get the top crispy. I usually prefer a good baked potato or Lyonnaise, but considering the French backgrounds of the chefs, this was a nice change.
OK, onto the meat! Mom and I ordered bone-in Kansas City strips and Dad ordered a Delmonico ribeye (sans the maitre'd butter of course). I really thought about ordering a steak with an au poivre sauce or Diane style, but in the end, I just wanted to savor the meat. And oh, did I! My strip was served on a hot plate, with plenty of sea salt and pepper and on top, a little pad of flavored butter melted into the meat. The steak was broiled perfectly; it had that combo of a little crispiness on the outside and plenty of juice on the inside. I didn't even need to add any seasoning. I had no problem finishing it.
For dessert, Dad ordered a lemon parfait with berries and orange shortbread cookies. I got three different scoops of gelato: chocolate (which I gave to Mom), Tahitian vanilla (Very rich and incredibly good), and green tea. The green tea was something I was glad to try once, but didn't enjoy it enough to where I would order it again. The meal was excellent and the French accents of the menu make Keefer's a nice departure from a Morton's or a Gibson's or a Chicago Chop House.
I'm glad Dad took the bill...
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