Benny's Chop House Review - Upscale Simplicity

We arrived at Benny’s Chop House just three days after the third-worst blizzard in a city with a vast history of snowstorms, and walked into a restaurant that was warm and inviting. In front, there is a spacious waiting area with a view of Michigan Avenue.


Inside, there is a large dining room, with wood walls that are decorated with pleasant abstract paintings in earth tones, and there are a number of cozy booths for larger parties. Large chandeliers, with rose-like patterns provide a soft light.


As we found, when we were served our meal, Benny’s also has a fine dining take on comfort food that is a perfect cure for the winter doldrums. The restaurant puts a personal stamp on classic dishes, with simple recipes that emphasize flavor, culinary craft and high-quality ingredients.  We were served the Specialty menu, a satisfying three-course lunch special that is served for the entire month of February with an optional wine/liquor pairing that enhanced the warmth of the experience.

Our server, Vladi, was cheerfully helpful, and service was generally attentive without being intrusive. 


This menu presents three prix fixe courses for $22, with wine/liquor pairings available for an additional $11, and provides an engaging variety at a very reasonable price, particularly when the pairings are added. The restaurant also features an impressive wine cellar with over 500 wines as well as a wide array of spirits and the staff can knowledgeably pair with meals. We felt they did a particularly good job in selecting the pairings.

While we waited for the first course, we nibbled on a variety of artisan breads served with butter medallions, including some flaky focaccia squares, buttermilk biscuits and wheat rounds, that set the tone for a savory luncheon.


The choices for each course highlight different flavor profiles, with a stellar third-course soufflé, optionally served with a dessert cocktail. The Specialty menu offered two appetizers, both were paired with Anchor Old Foghorn Barleywine, from the Anchor Steam Brewery in San Francisco, which had a honey sweetness and an apricot finish. Steve chose the Prime Beef & Barley soup, while Jackie chose the Spinach Salad with Poached Egg for an appetizer. The Barleywine was an excellent pairing for the soup, which had a rich texture like stew yet wasn’t overly thick, and had hints of sage and Worcestershire. 


The salad was served with smoked bacon, a poached egg and a Spanish sherry vinaigrette. The crunchiness of the bacon went well with the smoothness of the egg. Both servings had a wonderful contrast of smoky flavors with sweet, and emphasized those qualities in the barleywine.


For entrees, Steve ordered Braised Beef Short Ribs, and Jackie had the Wild Mushroom Ricotta Ravioli. An alternate entrée, Filet of Dover Sole, was also tempting, but we went with the choices that had the most intriguing preparation.  The Short Ribs, braised with the same sherry vinaigrette, had been slow-cooked for 30 hours and were so tender that the very large steak knife provided was completely unnecessary. When we were leaving, we were asked which dish we liked best, and we both agreed that this was our favorite. The presentation also included winter root vegetables on a polenta cake, with a light butter-seared crust.


The wine pairing was the 2009 Bodegas Tarima Monastrell, from Jumilla, Spain, a surprisingly balanced Tempranillo, with a medium acidity and hints of currant and plum. The wine brought out the plum elements of the sauce, and its peasant-stew simplicity highlighted the natural flavors of the meat.  The polenta was a light touch for luncheon, a substitute for the mashed potato bed that is served in the evening. This dish also offered a nice contrast—the polenta was light and subtly took on the flavor of the root vegetables, nicely complementing the stronger flavor of the ribs.


The ravioli was a similarly savory celebration of simplicity. Wild mushrooms provided an earthy shitake-like undertone to pasta in a brandy cream sauce created with brandy and 3 year-aged Parmigiano imported from Italy, a wheel of cheese of impressive size which Vladi happily displayed for us. 


The sauce had the exquisite salty-sweet balance that derives from proper aging.  The wine pairing, a 2009 Unoaked Sonoma Chardonnay from Healdsburg Ranches, had a creaminess itself that sweetened the meal, a nicely balanced wine with slight banana flavors and nectar bouquet.

A comforting touch before dessert were hot towels provided to us, a welcome luxury on a cold day. From a choice of Chocolate, Meyer Lemon and Grand Marnier souffles, Steve selected Chocolate and Jackie selected Meyer Lemon. The desserts capped our luncheon with panache, a pair of fluffy confections that again exhibited the personal care and craftsmanship of the restaurant.


The chocolate soufflé was topped with a 58% cocoa dark chocolate sauce made in-house and served with a raspberry cocktail. We highly recommend a bite of soufflé, then a sip of the cocktail; when eaten together, both flavors were enhanced.

The lemon soufflé had a consistency similar to a light bread pudding, and was served with crème anglaise and a lemon cocktail, which provided a brightness of flavor like lemon meringue.  Both cocktails were made with Passito, an aged Italian wine, and flavored with bitters.


The deserts, like the other courses, also offered a contrast in texture, with the slight chewiness of the outer part soufflé with the smoothness of the inner soufflé and the sauces.

This luncheon at Benny’s showcased savory texture and a flair for taking simplicity, and making it a signature, while retaining its elemental elegance. Benny’s would also be a wonderful place to stop in after an evening downtown, or to hold an event, as it also has a private room, and is well equipped to handle large parties. We look forward to returning for dinner.



Three Course Chef’s Tasting Menu offered 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily for the entire month of February.

Benny’s Chop House
444 N. Wabash
312.626.2444
www.bennyschophouse.com