Author Archives: steve

Pete Miller’s Seafood & Prime Steak

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**** (4 stars)

Pete Millers has that clubby feel I like in a steakhouse. The steaks aren’t particularly life-changing, but the ambiance is great, and there’s live entertainment that is pleasant without making conversation impossible. A good place for a business dinner.

Pete Miller’s Seafood & Prime Steak
1557 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-0399
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pete-millers-seafood-and-prime-steak-evanston

Picasso

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***** (5 stars)

I’d been to this restaurant before and wasn’t that impressed with the food, but this time it was a home run. Two of us had the Menu Degustation, while one had the Prix Fixe. That was problably the best best, as the snapper, in particular, was deliciously seasoned and perfectly cooked. The highlight of the five-course degustation was probably the foie gras, although it was all excellent.

Picasso
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 693-8105
http://www.yelp.com/biz/picasso-las-vegas

Yellowtail

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**** (4 stars)

It’s trendy and a bit louder than I’d have liked, but conversation was possible. We had the seven-course Omakase, where you put yourself in the chef’s hands, and he didn’t fail us. Standouts were the tuna pizza with truffle oil and the teriyaki kobe beef shortribs, which were really tasty without being too rich.

Yellowtail
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 730-3900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yellowtail-las-vegas-2

Charlie Palmer Steak

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**** (4 stars)

This is just another in the endless stream of high end steakhouses pioneered by Morton, the Palm and so on. But the bar at the front of this place is another story. It’s a small space that serves small plates, offers the complete winelist, and is a really cozy place for a light meal at bargain prices. We liked it the first time we visited so much we went back the next night for dinner. Their small plates are a steal for Vegas. For example the four cheese plate with accompaniments was $8, and two Kobe sliders were $10. Compare that to $17 for a Caesar side salad in the restaurant. The ambiance is great, and we had the place almost to ourselves, even though the restaurant was packed.

Charlie Palmer Steak
3960 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 632-5120
http://www.yelp.com/biz/charlie-palmer-steak-las-vegas-3

Michael

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***** (5 stars)

A really top-notch French restaurant with extremely reasonable prices for what you get. The wine pairings, in particular, are extremely attractive.

The restaurant is the latest project of award-winning chef Michael Lachowicz. During our Thursday night visit the place was almost full. What we received was a delicious five-course French meal for two people with matching wine pairings. Each course was super, and the matching wines paired perfectly with the food. We had:

   goat cheese puff amuse bouche (we were actually served this twice, which was great!)
   corn soup (paired with an Italian white)
   zucchini with goat cheese in pastry
   seared salmon (paired with a white Burgundy)
   roast pork in pastry (paired with an Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon)
   chocolate souffle with chocolate sauce and strawberries
   chocolate truffles

Service seemed well-intentioned, but not really at the caliber of the food. This was one of the dressier restaurants I’ve been to around Evanston, with many of the men in coats and ties. That was ironic, because the owner is extremely friendly and casual, working the front desk in jeans and a short sleeve shirt!

This place has definitely made it onto our regular dining list.

Michael
64 Green Bay Rd
Winnetka, IL 60093
(847) 441-3100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/michael-winnetka