[oh yeah ... I'm continuing my tradition of turning over at least one Saturday per month into a rave instead of a rant, in the spirit of balance and yin-yanging and all that ...]
... tonight is the night for my annual birthday tradition of STEAK DINNER at a Chicago steakhouse!
I'm pretty sure we didn't have this for my first bday in Chitown (that would have been back in 2002 when I turned 30) ... and it's a good thing I'm moving to Florida, since, as I age, I sometimes feel like I'm on borrowed time as it relates to my upcoming first (and hopefully not my last) heart attack -- which is all the long way to say that I'll probably have to convert this annual event into a FISH DINNER at a Southern Florida fishouse instead in the years to come.
Being a relatively simple person (ish), this night is the highlight of any year in which I'm blessed to celebrate a birthday. Over the last nearly dozen years, these meals have sometimes gotten postponed until way past Jan 7, which is my actual birthday (once all the way to the summer, I think!), especially since there is another January tradition of late where loved ones get hospitalized around that same time each year ... and the last few (including tonight's), have all been made better because Walter and Dolly L joined us.
For some reason, I didn't keep OCD-like track of them (which I've been known to do with other things) ... but I do have the ability to recall something special about each of them that I remember (in alphabetical order and not necessarily the complete list):
Carson's *with ribs!
Chicago Chop House *with erstwhile co-workers!
Gene and Georgetti's *in the upstairs!
Gibson's *one of the first ones (I think) ... too long ago to remember since I am getting older!
Morton's *favorite memory of the meat tray that the waitstaff brings around before one orders!
Myron and Phil's *friendliest staff, from the valet boy all the way to the owner!
Prime House *mistakenly ordered steak tartare after seeing the BodyWorks exhibit!
Ruth's Chris *actually was in South Bend IN (but that still counts ... it was during the great recession)!
Select Cut *most harried waiter, who literally didn't stop running around all night!
Smith and Wollensky *best view over the Chicago river!
"South Loop Steakhouse" *not the real name ... remember the meal and the booth but not the name!
Sullivan's *subsidized with monetary award I had won at work ... and where the above photo was taken!
Tonight ... in just a few hours ... the tradition continues (or is that the tradition ends!?) with a table at Wildfire. In the words of Chandler Bing, I couldn't BE more excited. Happy birthday to me indeed!
I'VE BEEN FASTING SINCE BRUNCH!:
http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/
WHY IT WAS BAD TO ORDER THE STEAK TARTARE APPETIZER AFTER:
http://www.bodyworlds.com/en/exhibitions/current_exhibitions.html
DIDN'T GET TO EVERY ONE ON THE LIST ...:
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/November-2008/Of-Prime-Interest/20-Best-Steak-Houses/
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