Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse

A friend who knows Chicago better than I do put Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse at the top of a list of three. He was right, as he often is.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: Rush Street power-lunch energy from open to close. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with a small dish of marinated white anchovies, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a glass of port to finish, and then another, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: chicago cut bone-in ribeye, the dish that puts Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse on every short list. The crust was the colour of dark mahogany, and the inside was a confident, even pink the whole way through. The signature touch — the Gibsons cut, eight inches tall — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for fried okra and a dab of remoulade and hash browns the size of a hubcap. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was panna cotta with stewed cherries, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

I will be back. With company, next time, and a longer reservation.