Chicago q

Thank you, food gods, for Chicago q. I love, love, love this barbecue place, located at Dearborn and Division, just steps from another favorite haven of mine. (Cough, Butch McGuire's, cough...)

But seriously. I'll admit that I was skeptical of Chicago q when I first read about it. A barbecue place that was trying to take things upscale? Hmm. In a city that's seen hordes of new BBQ joints in the past year, I may or may not have rolled my eyes at one trying to differentiate itself by getting fancy. Who needs a white table cloth when you're drowning everything you're eating in different kinds of BBQ sauces?

I take back that eyeroll. Chicago q delivers some very delicious barbecue in an atmosphere that is at once stylish, inviting and comfortable. We ended up at Chicago q because it was one of a list of restaurants I suggested for dinner when my good friend, Colette, was in town from San Francisco -- and it was the one place that everyone picked. I am so glad they did.

The first thing I'd like to note is that Chicago q isn't over-the-top upscale, which is a good thing. It's nicer than most barbecue joints, but there are no hand-steamed white linen tablecloths. They do, however, set the tables with cloth napkins. And if you're wearing black, as I was and so often am, they provide you with a black napkin so it doesn't get those little white fuzzies all over your pants! I love this service - and it is just one of many ways that Chicago q seems to cater to their customers in a way that's above and beyond average.

For example, the meal begins with complimentary bowls of homemade pickles and delightfully smoky house-made chips, which we discovered (much to our delight) are endlessly refilled as the meal progresses. Another nice little unexpected extra that serves to make diners smile.

I had read great things about the Hominy Salad at Chicago q, so we ordered two for the group. (Hominy is dried white or yellow corn kernels, from which the hull and the germ have been removed. To provide further context, ground hominy is commonly used to make grits.) In the case of this salad, hominy in its unground form is mixed in with smoked corn, black beans and avocado, then dressed in a tangy and delicious sort of barbecue dressing. The salad was good, but I didn't love it. Realistically, I don't think it has that much to do with the salad itself, but more that I just don't love the texture of hominy that much.

The truly amazing part of the meal was yet to come: the barbecued meats. Most of the ladies at the table, including myself, chose the BBq Flight as their entree. Technically an appetizer, it's comprised of Chicago q's pulled pork, pulled chicken and... wait for it... KOBE BRISKET. That's right. Brisket made from Kobe beef.

Normally, nothing compares to my love of pulled pork. It is my BBQ go-to, but I can't tell you how glad I am that I made the choice to try these three. Prior to Chicago q, I'd just been lukewarm about brisket. It's fine, but not my favorite. That all changed when I tried brisket made from Kobe beef. I loved it. LOVED it.

But I was shocked to find that I loved something else even more: pulled chicken! So much can go wrong with pulled chicken and I've had plenty of super-dry, really bad attempts at this dish. But Chicago q shocked me again with its absolutely incredible pulled chicken. It's perfect. It's juicy and delicious and everything pulled chicken should be. The meat takes on the flavors of any of the three sauces you put on it in a way that few other meats can. (Or if you're like me, you can mix and match to find your favorite blend of sauces -- and it'll take that on, too.)

My least favorite of the three was the pulled pork. It was a little fatty for my taste and kind of a let-down after I was so excited about the two meats I'd originally considered the underdogs of the flight. In the case of my pulled pork, the extra fat wasn't extra flavor -- it was just extra work. As a result, Smoque still has my heart when it comes to my pulled pork obsession.

But the sides also took the meal to another level. The honey butter cornbread is nothing short of outstanding. The bruleed macaroni and cheese was completely amazing. The sides help to make Chicago q comfort food at its best -- they are the perfect complement to a meat-heavy meal.

The service was warm and polished. Throughout the meal, our servers were knowledgeable, attentive and friendly. The only way I could have had a better experience is if I'd had enough room to try one of their fabulous-looking desserts. Definitely recommend Chicago q for some great barbecue with a touch of Gold Coast style.

Mastro's Steakhouse

I feel like a traitor saying this, but I have a new favorite steakhouse in Chicago... And it's an import from L.A. It's also a chain. Ugh, that makes me want to throw up a little bit, but it's all true.

The second Ladies Who Love Steak dinner took place at Mastro's and every single thing was amazing. The meal was pricey, but these people take the very Chicago concept of going big or going home to a whole new level. For example, the ladies who love steak also love cocktails, so it made sense to begin our meal with a round. What we didn't realize is that we'd actually be starting the meal with two rounds -- because when our martinis came, they were served with the shaker. And ice aside, that shaker housed another entire martini. Yeah, I needed that extra Classic Mastro's Martini like a hole in the head. But it was delicious.

We decided that we needed some appetizers to soak up our double-sized drinks... STAT. So we ordered the shrimp cocktail and the lump jumbo crab stuffed mushrooms. The shrimp cocktail was served on an elaborate tiered structure, with lots of ice and lemons and random olives -- and something in it was making the top of the tower emit some sort of steam. It was very dramatic and even more delicious. The shrimp were enormous and fresh and perfect.

And then there were the crab-stuffed mushrooms. They were phenomenal. Perfectly cooked, not overly greasy and chocked-full of gigantic pieces of crab. I would eat them every day of my life if I could make them myself. Just awesome.

Moving right along, almost every single person ordered what our waiter cited as the Mastro's specialty: bone-in filet. Most ordered it medium, but Kim -- the mega badass that she is, went ahead and ordered it RARE. Awesome. I have never seen a woman order her steak rare and I am mentally tipping my hat to her as I write this.

However, what I love about Mastro's is that when you say how you'd like your steak done, they confirm that your expectations are in line with their definition of the terms. This is great, because I've definitely ordered my steak medium at places and had it be outright RED in the center or barely pink at others. AND they offer something called "medium-plus," which is slightly better done than medium but not quite medium-well. I mean, I'm a medium girl myself, but that's brilliant.

Multiple people at our table remarked that the steak we ate at Mastro's was the best steak they'd ever eaten. And I'd have to agree. The bone-in filet had more flavor than any filet I've had before -- and it was impeccably seasoned. Simple, flavorful, delicious. Perfectly cooked. I laughed when the waiter asked me if I wanted the 12-ounce or the 18-ounce version and ordered the 12-ounce... But I really honestly believe that this steak was so amazing, that I would have eaten every last bite of the 18-ounce version if I'd ordered it -- and I kind of wished I had. Completely outstanding.

As you can see in the photo above, we also tried a few of the side dishes at Mastro's. We ordered two of their special sides: black truffle macaroni and cheese (unbelievable), their lobster mashed potatoes (completely over-the-top, but awesome) and their classic creamed spinach (pure excellence). The two side specials were crazy rich and impeccably prepared. But the creamed spinach was actually my favorite -- I'm a total sucker for steak with a side of creamed spinach.

But little did we know... the best was yet to come. Dessert at Mastro's is completely unbelievable. We ordered a trio: the Mastro's Signature Warm Butter Cake, the Chocolate Sin Cake and the Crème Brulèe. And to add to the magnificence, the three desserts were served with a large bowl of phenomenal fresh whipped cream.

The crème brulèe was incredible. It was sweet and creamy, with a perfectly caramelized sugary layer on top. Above and beyond, all the way. It seems to be a theme at Mastro's. Predictably, I LOVE it.

The Chocolate Sin cake was rich and decadent, packed to the gills with robust chocolate flavor. It lived up to its name. Anything that tastes that fabulous has to be terrible for you. Who cares? I'd order it again in a heartbeat.

But I am not exaggerating when I say that the Warm Butter Cake is the best dessert I have ever had in my life. It is so wonderful and makes me so happy I hardly know what to do with myself. In fact, it makes me happy just thinking about it.

Mastro's Steakhouse, I'm a firm believer that Chicago has the best restaurant scene in the country. But I have to acknowledge that the presence of this L.A. import has made it infinitely better. I am obsessed. See for yourself at 520 N. Dearborn Street.