One thing you need to know about dining at Adalina Prime, a striking looking new steakhouse in Chicago, is that at times there is a noise problem. No, I’m not talking about an issue with tables being too close or anyone speaking too loudly while dining; I’m referring to the fact that commuter trains rumble by only a hundred feet or so from the main entrance of the restaurant. When this happens – especially when a train whistle sounds – the effect can be jarring, as you probably won’t hear your dining companions speak, nor the waiter explain the menu. When I made a comment about this to a woman at a neighboring table, she called it “local ambience.”
But those trains travel by with less frequency after 7:00 PM, so it’s only a problem until then. The waitstaff has learned to work with it, and I’m sure most diners won’t be turned off by it, especially given the experience of an evening at Adalina Prime, a new dining room from the owners of Adalina, an upscale Italian restaurant located in Chicago’s Gold Coast.
Adalina Prime, situated in the wildly popular Fulton Street district in the city’s West Loop, is highly impressive steakhouse that includes numerous seafood options as well as a few vegetarian choices; there are two common themes regarding the food: excellent quality and creative presentation; combined, this adds a great deal of flair to one’s experience.
Consider the three amuse bouche that top the menu under the heading Amuse Yourself, which have been titled W.T.F. (Waygu, Truffle, Foie), L.O.L (Lobster, Onion, Lime) and O.M.G. (Olive Oil Pearls, Mushroom, Ginger); I love the imagination that went into this, and it’s a sign to me not only of originality, but also that the proprietors aren’t taking this concept too seriously; they want you to have fun!
There are three specialty breads offered; I selected the Tiger Bread, shaped somewhat like a muffin, and served with Calabrian Chile Butter on the side; this is airy light and very satisfying. For starters, the Waygu Corn Dog (how’s that for an ingenious name?) is a pleasant surprise, with four small bite-size “dogs” are meaty and very light at the same time.
For the entrées, there are the steaks, ranging from the seven-ounce City Filet ($59) to the 14-0unce New York Strip ($72) to the 22-ounce Bone-In Ribeye at $95. A thoughtful added touch on the menu is a list of the various sauces (seven including Bernaise, Chimichurri, Au Poivre, et al) and salts (ten in all, including Seaweed, Citrus, Vanilla, Smoked Bourbon) that can be served with these meats.
Arguably the highlight among the steaks is the Tomahawk, a 32-ounce Certified Black Angus Beef, from Omaha, Nebraska that was initially grass-fed, then finished on grains for 90 days. Seasoned with Adalina Prime’s house salt blend, cooked on a broiler at 800°F, and then brushed with beef tallow that were infused with gluten-free miso, yondu, vegan Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, shallots, and garlic, this may become the restaurant’s signature dish.
Seafood lovers have several options here including Diver Scallops and Chilean Sea Bass; I selected the Alsakan Halibut with Caviar Beurre Blanc and Melted Leeks, a dish as enjoyable to eat as it is to look at. The halibut is one of the lightest in texture I’ve ever enjoyed and while the sauce is a touch sweet, the coupling of the caviar with the halibut is a memorable one.
For vegetarians, there are the Carrots a la Orange. While this is meant as a side dish, this could be a main course, given the quantity of food, with four very large carrots; topped with several items such as miso caramel and quinoa, this is a unique dish for crunchy carrot lovers. Side dishes of Cauliflower Diane, Cacio e Pepe Spinach, Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower Diane are also available, as well as classics such as Prime Burger, Steak Frites and Roasted Chicken.
There are several ice creams offered, but my dining companion recommended the Strawberry Cake with balsamic macerated strawberries and buttercream – talk about a guilty pleasure! By the way, I’m not sure this photo does justice to how large this cake is; clearly this was meant for at least three or four people; if you’re only dining with one other person, plan on taking it home!
The wine list, as assembled by Colin Jones (who is very cordial), features the iconic red wines from France and California you would expect. I saw a bottle of Chateau Latour at one table, so you know that the owners are after a certain clientele (if you have to ask the price of the Latour, as the old saying goes, you can’t afford it); given how the restaurant had only been open for less than three weeks the evening I dined there, they have done a great job of marketing.
There are numerous examples of iconic red Bordeaux and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons on the last, almost all of them priced north of $200. For these types of wines, the pricing is fair and given the diners that Adalina Prime is attracting, they should not have a problem. I’d like to see more than a few wines priced at or around $100. They may not be the most celebrated wines out there, but many diners I know opt for red wines in this range; the great thing is that these wines are quite good and are ideal choices to pair with this menu. There are a few whites that are impressive values; I enjoyed the Planeta Etna Bianco Contrada Taccione 2021; made solely from Carricante grapes, this is an excellent example of how good the white wines from Etna are; priced at $84, this is a fine way to begin your wine evening at Adalina Prime.
The restaurant was beautifully designed, featuring a striking-looking bar and a glitzy main dining room that has the look of a private club. The furniture is very attractive and quite comfortable; overall the look of Adalina Prime is one of class and wealth. Given the atmosphere, the dazzling quality of the food and the conscientious service, this should be a very successful restaurant for a long time.
Now if they could somehow reroute those trains, everything would be awesome!
360 N. Green Street, Chicago
P.S. I asked Executive Chef Nemanja Milunović about the fact that given the fact that there are so many steakhouses in Chicago, why should diners come to Adalina Prime? “We wanted to do something different at Adalina Prime and make each visit not just exciting, but a little unexpected. You may come for the steak, which is of course is a huge part of our menu, but our seafood and our vegetables are equally as powerful when it comes to flavor inspired by global traditions.
“On the chef team, we like to mix the energy of street food with the precision of fine dining to create plates and dining enhancements that that are playful, interactive, and sophisticated, like our ‘salt library’ that takes every entree to the next level. Our goal is to give every guest a meal they’ll remember and a high-energy experience they’ll want to come back to.”