Mastro's Steakhouse

We went to dinner for our wedding anniversary at Mastro's Steakhouse in Chicago.  We had heard about this restaurant from Check Please and we know someone who has eaten there. 

Lobster Bisque

Appetizers:

Lobster Bisque - it was warm and creamy (but not too creamy) a perfect way to start the meal.  Better lobster bisque than we have had in a while.

Tuna Tartare 

Ahi Tuna Tartare - with layers of avocado and wontons and alioli sauce - this general dish is becoming one of Natalie's favorites.  The wontons brought a nice crunchy texture to the dish as everything else is soft. The alioli gave the dish a bit of a kick without overpowering it.

Bone in Filet with gnocchi and sugar snap peas

Main course

Bone in Filet (12 oz) - this was one of the steaks the waiter recommended and it was worth it.  We were considering the Filet without the bone but the bone in Filet tasted really great. It was very tender and buttery. Another great steak to add to our list of favorites. The bone it filet also comes in a 18 oz size.

NY Strip with gnocchi and sugar snap peas

New York Strip (16 oz) - not quite as tender as the filet, but that is the difference in the cuts of meat.The tips were a little more done than we enjoy but the center was nice and tender (we ordered both steaks medium).

Butter Cake

The steaks and sides are all ordered a la carte (and you can order half sizes) so we ordered half sides of sugar snap peas and king crab truffle gnocchi which were more than enough for the two of us.  The gnocchi was truly amazing.  Obviously how can you go wrong with King Crab and truffles. The sauce was super creamy.  If you weren't into steaks, you really could just order this for your meal. For all the other food we ate a half size order was a good size for us. If we hadn't had appetizers maybe we would have gone with a full order.  We ordered the sugar snap peas as kind of the antithesis of the super rich gnocchi. Also pretending that we were eating healthy by having something green (although choosing to ignore the face that they were sauteed in a lot of butter).

For dessert we had of butter cake with whipped cream, which was comped for our anniversary.  We had heard that we definitely had to order this dessert here, so we couldn't leave without trying it.  Before eating it we could smell the wonderful aroma of the cake. They customized the plate for our anniversary dinner (not quite as personalized as last year at North Pond but a great touch). The cake was served with a heaping bowl of homemade whipped cream. It was so good we wanted to eat it all but since we had such a large meal it was very difficult. We thought it would be a slice of cake but it was served as an entire cake with hints of lemon.  Overall it was outstanding and we knew it might not keep well be as awesome cold the next day so we powered though and ate most of it.

Cross section of the butter cake

Final thoughts on Mastro's Steakhouse:
Food - expensive but awesome.  Something we didn't order but we saw at other tables was a seafood tower served over smoking dry ice.  It would have been way too much food for just the two of use but would be fun with a group of 4-6 people.  Also they offer sushi designed for Mastro's from the chefs at a restaurant called Nick-San; a restaurant in Cabo San Lucas that we remember walking by on our trip there a few years ago. Also even though it is a Steakhouse, they do also serve a lot of seafood options as entrees.
Service - impeccable. our main waiter took his time in explaining the menu to us.  When the steaks and sides came out, a team of waiters helped dish out the sides onto our steak plates.  The personalization of the dessert was a great touch.
Atmosphere - The interior is dark but it was fine for us"young lovers" celebrating an anniversary.  The whole space is huge.  We were seated in the dining area on the first floor.  There is also a large bar area on the first floor.  Then up the stairs are several smaller and larger dining spaces. It is quite luxurious looking inside.  As a side note we have seen the outside of the Mastro's Ocean Club in Las Vegas at the City Center complex.  It is extraordinary looking for the outside and maybe we will venture in sometime when we visit our relatives in Vegas.

Butter cake before digging in