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As a woman who used to manage Sweetwater, *the name, before it was Gibson's*, back in the mid 80's... and at that point, it was a "dees, dems and dos" kinda place. It helps if you put one finger on your nose and smash it to the side, and do the same to one ear and say it with a SUPER Chicago accent.
The things I saw, heard and the contacts/friendships I made, were invaluable. And times changed, the restaurant started to become more a lunch place for "dees, dems and dos" to meet and have their calls screened, than a restaurant of merit.
The food sucked, the atmosphere sucked, and the partners, *I love you, Doug and Steve*, were more interested in other ventures, and the place finally needed a shot in the ......
Welcome Gibson's. The Viagra Triangle stalwart. <------there's the "shot in the ..... "
If you're going there expecting to be treated well, you best have clout, money, be beautiful, on the arm of someone who is rich, or just looking for a sugar daddy/gold digger, you can take advantage of, or take your chances on food and service.
LOVE.
THIS.
PLACE.
Gibson's isn't the premier steakhouse in Chicago. They may have been, before the investors started to branch and focus was lost, but now it's seriously a martini laden, young women lookin' for rich old man laden, snotty servers waiting for their regular clientele to come through laden, LANDMARK.
If you can't see it and love it for what it is NOW, then you need to head to Morton's, The Chop House, *RIP Henry*, Gene and Georgetti's and BRING A GAWDAMN SWEATER/SPORTCOAT, or any NUMBER of other steakhouses in the city.
Gibson's has a purpose. Those who live here and have been around the block a few times, know this.
I'm sorry your experience was less than stellar. They don't care. Nice to read some in this thread do.
Please, check out other great steakhouses in the city. We have so many, you'd think the cows were living in the alleys.
Location: Schaumburg, please don't hate me for it.
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Nice post bullie, I think you can find much the same across the street at Tavern on Rush. The last time I was there we were seated near five very attractive young women who spent a lot of time with necks crained as they spyed for wealthy old bulls. It was quite a show, the kind of stuff reality TV is made up of.
As a woman who used to manage Sweetwater, *the name, before it was Gibson's*, back in the mid 80's... and at that point, it was a "dees, dems and dos" kinda place. It helps if you put one finger on your nose and smash it to the side, and do the same to one ear and say it with a SUPER Chicago accent.
The things I saw, heard and the contacts/friendships I made, were invaluable. And times changed, the restaurant started to become more a lunch place for "dees, dems and dos" to meet and have their calls screened, than a restaurant of merit.
The food sucked, the atmosphere sucked, and the partners, *I love you, Doug and Steve*, were more interested in other ventures, and the place finally needed a shot in the ......
Welcome Gibson's. The Viagra Triangle stalwart. <------there's the "shot in the ..... "
If you're going there expecting to be treated well, you best have clout, money, be beautiful, on the arm of someone who is rich, or just looking for a sugar daddy/gold digger, you can take advantage of, or take your chances on food and service.
LOVE.
THIS.
PLACE.
Gibson's isn't the premier steakhouse in Chicago. They may have been, before the investors started to branch and focus was lost, but now it's seriously a martini laden, young women lookin' for rich old man laden, snotty servers waiting for their regular clientele to come through laden, LANDMARK.
If you can't see it and love it for what it is NOW, then you need to head to Morton's, The Chop House, *RIP Henry*, Gene and Georgetti's and BRING A GAWDAMN SWEATER/SPORTCOAT, or any NUMBER of other steakhouses in the city.
Gibson's has a purpose. Those who live here and have been around the block a few times, know this.
I'm sorry your experience was less than stellar. They don't care. Nice to read some in this thread do.
Please, check out other great steakhouses in the city. We have so many, you'd think the cows were living in the alleys.
bullie~
I was actually less than impressed with Gene & Georgetti's too. Guess it sucks to not be super wealthy, connected, or a trophy wife at these places. Thank goodness there are endless alternatives for those of us who are not kowtowing to or parading our connections around so we can get a decent meal for $300.
Nice post bullie, I think you can find much the same across the street at Tavern on Rush. The last time I was there we were seated near five very attractive young women who spent a lot of time with necks crained as they spyed for wealthy old bulls. It was quite a show, the kind of stuff reality TV is made up of.
Yes, and both parties know what's going on, without the subject even being brought up. A business transaction, without any mention of the business....
On one of my Chicago visits, I decided to try Harry Carey's place ( on LaSalle, if memory serves). I was a little surprised to see an all-male wait staff, dressed in white coats, with ties. I thought it was 1945 all over again..
G&G's is another "old school" Landmark. Bring a sport coat and make sure your lady has a sweater. They keep that place so damn cold, 'cause once you get a Manhattan in you and start to eat, the body temp rises, and the stripping begins. lol .... And yes, you best have clout, know someone, be a regular, or willing to toss some Bennies around, to get stellar service.
Tavern on Rush is the same as Gibson's. Good call.... Sex in the City and the "Mr. Bigs" are all 20 years older than the gals, and yup yup... they ALL know what they're doing there.
Damnit I'm gonna age myself with this next sentence..... Back in the day, *ugh*, that whole triangle area was for a much younger crowd, a few Mafiosa, the women in their 30's were more sophisticated about why they were there, and no one stuck around anywhere long enough to allow a server to cop an attitude. Everyone was headed down the street, to Faces. Billy's would empty out, Jays would take the stragglers, and the rest of us were doing nefarious things either on the dance floor or bathroom at Faces. Or at Hangge Up... lol..... but that's another story for another thread. lol..... smh
If you can't see it and love it for what it is NOW, then you need to head to Morton's, The Chop House, *RIP Henry*, Gene and Georgetti's and BRING A GAWDAMN SWEATER/SPORTCOAT, or any NUMBER of other steakhouses in the city.
Gibson's has a purpose. Those who live here and have been around the block a few times, know this.
I don't love what it is now. To me, and many younger (****, I'm almost forty) people living in the city, we'd love nothing more than to do away with this Dinosaur and the corrupt, "old boys network", exclusionary ways of doing business that it represents. It's too bad that our most famous recent start-up, Groupon, just didn't have the juice to become a real powerhouse employer in the future, but the city is becoming filled with MODERN business people who fly at a totally different altitude than the old Chicago power brokers who can't adapt. International, tech-savvy, no-B.S., and creative. Heavily tied in to corporate networks in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and around the world.
Gibson's was smart to open up locations in Rosemont and Oak Brook, because it is about to be relegated to the trade show circuit and traveling salesmen. Even the oldest Chicago power brokers are moving on.
If you spent $300 per person for a meal at Gibson's or G&G they gave you a very different menu than I have ever seen... The tickets at Next at probably a "worse" deal if you are just going on the food value, but of course the whole reason Next is marketed with tickets is to emphasize the "experience" and make the dining itself substitute for the "and a show" part of a night out.
Really you have to more than just evaluate "the meat". (though I might argue that soaking a rib eye in anything indicates a certain 'unique' perspective...) Anybody that discounts the fact that sides & desserts at Gibsons are sized to share and so are the slabs of beef, is misunderstand a BIG part of the experience. Fortunately if you go there not knowing the drill you'd end up ordering enough food for a week but the wait staff that I have had never fail to emphasize how things work. There is an element of communality that a table of friends / business associated have to negotiate when making choices at Gibsons and if you missed that key element maybe you should eat in the dining room of a hotel in Rosemont or Schaumburg...
The fact is places like Gibson's or G&G (or even Wildfire ...) are successful and if you think they only take money from people that were born before the Congress Expressway was paved you obviously don't know much about their clientele. There are plenty of people that are way closer in age to the Sox' pitching staff eating at these places...
Places in Bucktown are almost certainly a better value and often more interesting but business people with guests staying at hotels around North Michigan Ave are far more likely to make an easy choice of staying within a few blocks of those accomodations and the percentage of parties like that at Chicago steakhouses is generally high. No different than going to similar places in Dallas, New York or other "business driven" markets. That said the Chicago places DO A BETTER JOB than places in other cities because the local competition here is so high -- if the wait staff were all getting stiffed you can bet they'd leave. There are a sizeable number of tableside professionals in Chicago that bring home six figures from tips. It is not just steak houses that afford tableside staff this kind of income in Chicago but also the lovely French focused resturants near the Loop like Everest and Les Nomades as well the more avant garde spots too. The clientele of Everest or Alinea or G&G often has a wide overlap but just as the people banging on the glass in their front row seats at Hawks games can politely clap when watching a putt at Conway Farms for the Western Open in Lake Forest so to will the decorum be dictated by the venue...
Last edited by chet everett; 07-11-2013 at 10:30 AM..
I was actually less than impressed with Gene & Georgetti's too. Guess it sucks to not be super wealthy, connected, or a trophy wife at these places. Thank goodness there are endless alternatives for those of us who are not kowtowing to or parading our connections around so we can get a decent meal for $300.
My SO used to work at the Merchandise Mart (years ago). The first time walked in to Gene & Georgetti's
the negative welcome we received we turned around and left. A couple of years later, we thought let's
give it another try. Same nasty attitude.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bullie62
G&G's is another "old school" Landmark. Bring a sport coat and make sure your lady has a sweater. They keep that place so damn cold, 'cause once you get a Manhattan in you and start to eat, the body temp rises, and the stripping begins. lol .... And yes, you best have clout, know someone, be a regular, or willing to toss some Bennies around, to get stellar service.
Damnit I'm gonna age myself with this next sentence..... Back in the day, *ugh*, that whole triangle area was for a much younger crowd, a few Mafiosa, the women in their 30's were more sophisticated about why they were there, and no one stuck around anywhere long enough to allow a server to cop an attitude. Everyone was headed down the street, to Faces. Billy's would empty out, Jays would take the stragglers, and the rest of us were doing nefarious things either on the dance floor or bathroom at Faces. Or at Hangge Up... lol..... but that's another story for another thread. lol..... smh
bullie~
Enjoyed your story^^^^Never had the chance to go to Faces but your description brings back
some good memories of the area.
My SO used to work at the Merchandise Mart (years ago). The first time walked in to Gene & Georgetti's
the negative welcome we received we turned around and left. ...
Curious, what was your alternative plan? The concept behind Maggiano"s or India House is quite different than G&G...
The wait staff / maitre d at G&G has also struck me as kindly , patient and yes, a little bored, but never "negative". They do have an actual "dress code" that will elict "frowns" when violated, but I have never seen anyone actually escorted out -- if you look like you are meeting an attorney and not doing garden work you'll be smiled at...
If you spent $300 per person for a meal at Gibson's or G&G they gave you a very different menu than I have ever seen...
I didn't say $300 per person. I meant for the two of us. Split an app and/or a salad. Entrees for each, and a bottle of wine (or two) and one or two sides (we don't always want the same thing as a side and my wife likes to take the leftover potatoes or whatever home to munch on later) seriously, you're easily into $300+ territory there, unless you are consciously ordering the least expensive items on their menu.
Gibson's lobster tail is $84 right now, which is a little too pricey for me, but when I go out to a super nice dinner, surf and turf is one of my favorite things to get and that can add up fast.
In the case of G&G, I don't recall how much the check was, but I do recall being underwhelmed with the food and the service, especially after hearing the raves about it for so long.
The one thing we can take away from this discussion is that no place can be all things to all people, so I guess it's just a matter of knowing what you like and where you can get it. Heck, despite it being a tourist trap, I like Ditka's quite a bit, and it costs me probably half as much as a place like Gibson's does and the food and service are superior, IMO.
There's a long list of steak/chop houses that I would love to try someday, but my cardiologist and my budget conspire against me!
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smh
Where'd you go instead??
