10/28/02

By John Mariani
Wine Spectator

Second City Helpings
Three new Chicago restaurants showcase the city’s talent for self-renewal

The new, reasonably priced Keefer's has been packing in a young crowd whose taste in steak houses runs somewhat above the clichés of the sit-'em-and-serve-'em Chicago genre. But instead of dashing the old routine, they have built on it in a big way. Owner Glenn Keefer, formerly a general manager for Ruth's Chris Steak House, his brother Richard and partner Jimmy de Castro bring old-school experience to their restaurant.

Even before it opened, Keefer's was being touted as chef John Hogan's take on the traditional steak house, and it's true that you'll find some of the best beef in Chi-town here (all of it USDA Prime). But in contrast to the usual feel at so many steak houses, set by bare wood floors and raffish, scuffed bars, Keefer's manages to be hip and homey. With 16-foot-high ceilings, a crescent-shaped, 50-foot-long granite and cherry bar, a stone fireplace and roomy leather booths with small table lamps, the decor has helped draw a lot more women here than are found at the hyper-masculine beef houses.

Hogan's cooking is based on forthright flavors that come from the ingredients, whether a very juicy, well-marbled rib eye, or a platter of terrific onion rings as crisp and golden as they come. The menu is a recap of American classics, some of which -- like steak Diane, a tenderloin in a reduction of shallots, red wine and Cognac -- haven't been seen in such illustrious company for a long while. Garlic soup with sweetbreads, morels and fava beans is not as delicate as it might be in a French bistro, but with flavors this hearty, who's complaining?

Good-old fried clams come off crisp and tender, as does fish and chips treated to a batter of Japanese breadcrumbs and Guinness Stout, served with fresh, crunchy cole slaw. A lid of flaky, buttery pastry serves as a perfect foil to a pot pie teeming with lobster, shrimp, fish and vegetables. Hogan even excels with sandwiches, and both his grilled chicken with shaved fennel and watercress and his soft-shell crab with tomato relish are paragons. Pasta, on the other hand, does not seem his strong suit: Gemelli with smoked chicken sausage, sun-dried tomatoes and cream was an ill-conceived mess.

Desserts toe the middle American line proudly. You will be reminded of home by a Creamsicle-style ice cream; 'mom's cheesecake'; a luscious, baked strawberry-rhubarb cobbler; the 'triple chocolate,' a flourless chocolate cake topped with honey-cocoa ice cream and chocolate sauce; and a chocolate pudding topped with fresh whipped cream.
Keefer's wine list, now more than 110 labels strong, keeps the steak house faith. The selection is mainly from California, including plenty of big reds, with a good complement from France, Italy and Spain, and 10 wines offered by the glass. More than two-thirds of the wines are priced at $50 or less, including Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve '98 at $36, Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc Sonoma County '00 at $31, Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay Sonoma County Russian River Ranches '00 at $32 and Hartford Court Zinfandel Russian River Valley Unfiltered '98 at $50.

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