Ditka's steakhouse

I have been to a lot of the popular steakhouses around the city, i.e. Morton's, Capital Grille, Ruth Chris, Hyde Park and now Ditka's. My friend, Jill, once told me that the best steak that she has ever eaten was at Ditka's so I felt compelled to make my way there. First, I started with the soup; Tortilla Soup vs. Crab Bisque. Winner: Crab Bisque. Although there were a few shells in the soup, overall, it was very flavorful and warm and creamy. The tortilla soup was not thick and there was way too much corn that the corn over powered the flavors of the cheese and the chicken. When asked which soup was better, I indicated the Crab Bisque and the reasons why (too much corn and thin broth) and the waiter brought over a second complimentary cup of the Crab Bisque. Goes to show you, when asked how you like a meal, don't be too shy to state the truth; but in a nice tasteful way and you never know how you can be rewarded...in my case, it was an extra cup of yummy crab bisque.

Next, the main course. Now, all the steakhouses in the city are ala carte when it comes to side dishes. However, Morton's and Hyde Park have special dining promotions. These include side dishes and desserts for a special fixed price. Ditka's did not offer any special dining promotions. I got the filet Oscar, which indicates Filet Mignon topped with a Bearnaise sauce and lump Crab meat.

As for my side, I got the garlic green beans and grilled onions. The steak was very tender (mine was Medium Rare, as how a steak should be cooked) and flavorful, along with the crab; however, the Bearnaise sauce had a not so appetizing taste. A hollandaise sauce would have been a much better paring in my mind. What's the difference, well not much; a Bearnaise is more meaty and used for steaks. The ingredients are similar in both sauces: butter and emulsified egg yolks but with a hollandaise sauce there is lemon juice and the Bearnaise sauce uses herbs like tarragon instead of the lemon juice. I'm not a particular fan of tarragon, which has a licorice flavor so I will always choose Hollandaise over Bearnaise.

The garlic green beans were average, they were sort of soggy but there was good flavor. As for the grilled onions, it was one slice of onion and charred with a few grill marks. It was basically raw once you cut into it and it did not pair well with the steak. I would have loved to have had the caramelized onions from Anthony's Coal Fired paired with my steak!

Finally, the dessert. By this time, I am beyond full. But it is my duty as a food blogger to find the 'best of the burgh' so I pushed on and ordered the Creme Brulee. The custard was cooked too long, it was not as warm and creamy as I am used to; the flavoring was a little bland and definitely did not compare with the Creme Brulee from Morton's or Capital Grille, which is still too close to call as to which is the 'best.' Final Grade: Not worth the money and you can definitely get a better tasting steak dinner that is more satisfying and doesn't break the bank!!!