David Burke's Primehouse

616 N. Rush St.
312-660-6000

Primehouse has been a Nat and Adam favorite since it opened about a year ago. It's a kinda-fancy steakhouse that provides pretty good food (including dry-aged steaks that are absolutely beyond reproach) with a pleasantly warm and inviting manner. The waitstaff is friendly, competent, and unpretentious---they're like an upscale version of a small-town diner. The menu doesn't shy away from playing things up for theatrics (there's an $80 appetizer called "Seafood Castle," the Caesar salad is prepared tableside), and it's really just fun, in an adult kind of way. Service isn't flawless, but our experience has been that they're willing to fix whatever (minor) problems arise. A very reliable restaurant.

Adam wondered whether it'd be at all possible that we'd get out of there without spending serious amounts of cash, and the answer turned out to be "no." There's just too much to try. In the interest of economy we split the Caesar, an excellent example of the genre. The chives on top are a nice touch.

The first time Adam and I ever went to Primehouse, we were accidentally served (with great fanfare) an unordered bowl of really nice-looking gazpacho with a pile of lump crab meat in the middle. The waiter then took it away, but would later return with a fresh bowl to compensate for teasing us. Anyway, we couldn't take the risk of that not happening again, so we played it straight and ordered a couple of bowls. Excellent. The green stuff floating on top is basil oil.

And now, the main event. The burger in question isn't even on the regular dinner menu, but they were happy to provide it.

Brought to you by Crooks n' Castles

Half-poundish patty, nicely seasoned, kinda peppery. The meat is good, but you wouldn't mistake it for a ground-up version of their sirloin or anything. The bun is pretty standard, soft and kaiser-like, but toasted (nicely toasted). I got my usual bleu cheese on top, and they provided something very nice with a lot of flavor. (Maytag, maybe?) Nothing at all transcendent about this sandwich, but certainly respectable. (This was TOC's second-place steakhouse burger, after all.)

The fries, on the other hand, really suck...very cafeteria-variety. Disappointing. I really think they'd be better off getting rid of the fries altogether and offering one of the several excellent side dishes off of the regular menu. If that bumps up the price (currently $12), so be it (it's official, no one can get out of Primehouse for less than $40 anyway). These fries are doing nobody any favors.

Dessert? Why not? A lemon pound cake with basil ice cream and pears. Nice.

So, what've we got: a decent burger at a restaurant where you'd probably never go to get a burger (just to reiterate, the Rosebud's burger is the steakhouse burger to seek out). A solid effort from a solid restaurant.