Great Fancy Food: A Review of Chicago's Smith & Wollensky

Chicago's Smith & Wollensky restaurant is probably best known these days for its head Chef, Chef Hans. For those of you in the Chicago area who listen to the Steve Dahl radio show, you know that the chef often appears on the show for a segment called "Meat Talk." Dahl makes fun of chef's thick Swiss accent and the two of them talk about how to grill meats. Trust me, it's funnier and more-fun than it sounds.

Located at the base of those twin corncob-like buildings known as Marina Towers, the Smith & Wollensky restaurant is worth the visit for those of you who live in Chicago and want to find a fancy restaurant for your night at the theater of for those of you planning a visit to the Windy City. It sits right on the Chicago River, with a spectacular view of the city on all sides. The atmosphere is fantastic and you can either sit outside and enjoy the view, or sit inside in a brightly-lit and well-windowed restaurant. Even when you are inside, it's almost like you are sitting outside.

The restaurant is a fancy one. Make no mistake, this is a meal that will cost you a pretty penny. The thing with fancy restaurants is that you have to wonder if it is worth the cost. I am very proud to tell you that Smith & Wollensky is worth every single penny.

The waiters are dressed just the way you would imagine waiters at a fancy restaurant would dress. They all have the specials memorized. They have wine suggestions. They are willing to make adjustments to the meal for people like me who have allergies to certain foods. They even carry those cool metal crumb scrapers for after the meal.

Now, how about the food? Well, the restaurant is known as being one of the finest steakhouses in the city. My friend and I went there for a kind of Sunday brunch. He had a version of egg's benedict that replaced the Canadian bacon with filet mignon. He had absolutely no complaints.

As for me, I had the sushi-grade tuna steak. Let me tell you, this was one of the greatest culinary experiences I have had here in Chicago. I have recently become a fan of sushi and I LOVE the tuna. To my delight this tuna steak came cooked a bit on the top and bottom and raw in the middle. It was just fantastic.

I also had their freshly cut and cooked French fries. I don't know what potatoes the people at Smith & Wollensky use, but these were some of the best French fries I have had in ages. They came served in a paper cone which was then placed in a kind of metal stand. They were crispy and delicious and, well, worth the trip all by itself.

The restaurant has a huge win menu. They also offer cigars for gentlemen who enjoy those after a meal. They also had a great supply of champagne and offered mimosas for the Sunday brunch.

The restaurant bills itself as the quintessential New York steakhouse. I can tell you that the one in Chicago has enough of that Chicago attitude that I think it is the quintessential Chicago steakhouse. It is worth the trip, worth the money and worth your time.

The restaurant is located at 318 N. State Street. They are open 7 days a week from 11:30 in the morning until 11 at night.