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1/11/2002
BY JAMES WARD
ABC 7
(Originally Broadcast on ABC 7 10pm Nightly News on
1/11/02)
Once upon a time Chicago was known as a meat & potatoes
kind of town - and despite changing tastes & trends - it still is.
But to be successful today, a steakhouse has to offer a lot more
than prime beef. And - with all its stylish Bread & Circuses - the
brand new Keefer's more than fills the bill!
Keefer's on Kinzie - a bright, new sight in the city
- just across from Holy Cow! And it's an urban panorama inside-looking-out
- reflecting the professionalism of host & proprietor Glenn Keefer
- a steak house veteran.
But this steak house is different - not quite quiet
- except in the Fireplace Room - it's bustling but not boisterous.
Sure, there are nifty niceties - plenty of space for privacy ...
tablecloths without butcher paper ... comp triple-filtered water
in handmade glasses ... a handsome bar with a generous pour ...
and of course, smooth, savvy service.
But what makes Keefer's really special is the chef
- Chicago's own John Hogan - formerly of Kiki's Bistro and Savarin.
Now there are lots of USDA prime-aged steaks on the menu but the
steak to have is the tangy, tactile, richly-flavored Delmonico -
and this is the way to have it ... "I recommend it with medium marbling
and cooked medium-rare."
Well beyond the steaks & chops and a terrific rack
of lamb - there's much more! As Chef Hogan says... "Keefer's is
a new millennium American restaurant ... offering a lot of the old
American traditional foods with a little bit of a new twist to it
..."
It's tradition with a new twist, thanks to Hogan's
creative cookery. Consider these lively appetizers - steak Diane
as a starter ... and beautiful asparagus with prosciutto ... as
well as the peasant pleasures of country pates or urbane foie gras
with brioche & sauterne! Also this is a great place for sparkling
fresh seafood - this is Hogan's magical black Florida grouper, topped
with peakytoe crabmeat, leeks & lobster sauce.
And there's a sensational grilled tuna steak with
Asian barbeque sauce and daikon radish ... a braised red snapper
with artichokes & olives ... as well as boned-at-table Dover Sole
... and don't miss the seafood pot pie on the bistro menu.
More Hoganiana -- a huge round-up of imaginative veggies
and sides ... And there are seven potato preparations - where do
you get croquettes anymore? And I'm crazy about the pomme frites.
Now, room for dessert? If you must - the Triple Chocolate
is a dangerously rich indulgence! Keefer's is at 20 W. Kinzie. Call
312-467-9525.
Lunch, about 20 dollars; average dinner tab, $38 bucks.
And, Keefer's gets a Bread rating of 9 for food; and
an 8 for Circuses. And believe it or not, those prices are very
reasonable for a first-class, professionally run restaurant that's
a steakhouse and much more!
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