So here is my night at NEXT Chicago Steak and I don't to need to listen to Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin for a long time.

Here’s the  thing: a great  Steakhouse is not  about  the  steak.

 The steak is a given… it  must  be great. Ours  is a minimum 30-day dry-aged  Prime Ribeye  that  we’ve  sourced from  a rancher in California after tasting over  25 producers.  The  right  balance of  meaty  & nutty, with  a slight  cheese  finish is what  we’ve  found to  be our  ideal.

“The USDA grade shields are highly regarded as symbols of safe, high-quality American beef.  Quality grades are widely used as a “language” within the beef industry, making business transactions easier and providing a vital link to support rural America. Consumers, as well as those involved in the marketing of agricultural products, benefit from the greater efficiency permitted by the availability and application of grade standards.

Beef is evaluated by highly-skilled USDA meat graders using a subjective characteristic assessment process and electronic instruments to measure meat characteristics. These characteristics follow the official grade standards developed, maintained and interpreted by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

Beef is graded in two ways: quality grades for tenderness, juiciness and flavor; and yield grades for the amount of usable lean meat on the carcass. From a consumer standpoint, what do these quality beef grades mean?

Prime beef is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling (the amount of fat interspersed with lean meat), and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking such as broiling, roasting or grilling.” USDA

But  beyond  the  steak we’ve  sought  to  update and  concentrate  on some  classics from  the  mid-20th century:

Lobster Thermidor, Shrimp Cocktail, and  glorious sides  and  sauces to  compliment the  meat.

…And  a vibe.    Elegantly casual.     Festive.     Big cocktails, big wines, and  the  sense that it’s  OK to  loosen  your  tie halfway through the  meal.

 Chicago  was once  the  ‘meat packer to  the  world.’     We’ve  tried to bring  back  and  elevate a bit  of that time  here  tonight.

 Enjoy

Crudite

Kale, Dill Pollen,  Baby Fennel

Martini

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Shrimp  Cocktail

Fermented Tomato,  Horseradish, Yellow Celery

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LeVasseur Salad

Frog’s  Legs, Watercress,  Pine  Nuts

Schloss Schonborn Estate Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau 2006

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Salmon Coulibiac

Duxelle, Fines  Herbs, Brown Butter

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Lobster  Thermidor

Apple,  Charred Lemon,  Sherry

Pipeworks Brewing Co. “The One Horned Wonder and His Fanciful Flying Fresno”

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30 Day Dry-Aged

Sauces:

Capucine,  NEXT Steak  Sauce, Sauce Kokonas

Sides:

Onion Paysan,  Brussels Sprouts,  Two-Jacket Potatoes

Dettori “Tenores” Romagnia Rosso, Sardegna 2009

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Champagne Float

Bossard-Thuaud “Vin Mousseaux de Qualite Loire NV

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Norwegian Omelette

Hazelnut,  Cigar, Malt

Sasparilla, Cinnamon, Cassia

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Chocolate Mint