Lincoln Square Gets a Steakhouse All Its Own
Hot off the heels of another steakhouse opening, GT Prime, another new restaurant is beefing up the local dining scene on the northwest side of Chicago. A far cry from downtown, Knife brings the steakhouse experience to Lincoln Square, offering a more accessible and neighborhood-oriented approach. Here’s everything you need to know about Chicago’s newest steakhouse:
Knife is the handiwork of executive chef Timothy Cottini, who curates a menu filled with contemporary variations of classic steakhouse items. While the offerings might read traditional at first glance, each dish features a few surprises and novelties upon presentation. Using locally sourced, wholesome ingredients, Cottini cooks up items like foie gras terrine, lobster tail tempura and shrimp De Jonghe to start. Oxtail doughnut holes are another offbeat option, served with au poivre sauce. Oysters on the half shell, ahi tuna tartare and shrimp cocktail represent a few options from the “chilled plates” section, while salads and soups include an heirloom tomato and Burrata version and lobster bisque with tarragon and creme fraiche.
Moving on to the burlier fare, Knife’s entrees include non-steak dishes like pork chops with butter-bourbon gastrique, lamb chops with stuffed zucchini and hollandaise, braised chicken with macaroni gratin and wild salmon with caramelized cauliflower and bearnaise.
The stars of the show, steaks are all locally source and dry-aged in house. The five selections to choose from include a 10 oz. sirloin, 6 oz. beef tenderloin, trio of medallions with bleu cheese crust and the 12 oz. boneless rib-eye. Knife’s signature steak is the 28-day dry-aged rib-eye for two, a real beauty that gets carved table side and served with twice-baked potatoes, green beans and au poivre. Guests can customize their steaks with optional supplements like shrimp, foie gras, bleu cheese, bearnaise and smoked tomato butter. Plus, side dishes range from green beans with almond tuile to smoked frites with lemon aioli.
Try and save room for dessert as well, as Cottini’s brand of contemporary cookery certainly extends to sweets. Look for bruléed spumoni and a blossoming apple tart with Saigon cinnamon ice cream.
- Matt Kirouac