The Grill On The Alley. Chicago

909 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL. 60611

312-255-9009

Located centrally on the Magnificant Mile on the florr level of the Westin Hotel close to shopping and the McCormack Place convention center.

Hours of Operation: 6:30 am - 1:00am

Open 365 days a year and serving Brealfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Three private dining rooms, catering valet parking.

They also have restaurants in California, Florida and Texas.

Reservations a must.

THE ROOM:

The Grill On The Ally is an elegant, high end restaurant with polished hardwood floors, stunning wood wainscotting, a sprawling bar, white linen table clothes and fabulous pieces of framed art. It has a more masculine feel but it is warm and comfortable. On a warm, sunny summer day the place to be is on their patio, in the center of it all, watching the world go by as you dine on good old, well prepared American fare. This restaurant can get very busy with tourists and locals alike because it is so convenient to the places of Chicago business and the shops of the Magnificant Mile.

THE FOOD;

The Grill On The Alley specializes in fresh seafood and assorted steaks and chops. The beef is Mid Western graind fed and plentiful. The appetizer menu offers calamari, popcorn shrimp, oysters, steak tartar, shrimp cocktail, artichoke dip and several other standard items to tempt your palate including a lobster bisque. They offer starter salads like the classic iceberg wedge and main course salads like a shrimp and crab Louie. Potatoes prepared many different ways and sides like creamed spinach, sauteed mushrooms and grilled vegetables are available. The steaks served are skirt steak, rib eye, filet, prime rib and New York. A lamb chop, pork chop, braised short ribs and many different chicken dishes are prepared. Their seafood selection consists of Lake Superior whitefish, trout, salmon and crab cakes. They even serve cicken pot pie, reuben sandwiches and hamburgers for dinner. I started off with the endive and romaine salad with spicy pecans and gorgonzola cheese. It was a great combination of nuts and cheese with the sweet romaine and slightly bitter endive. The salad was cold and crisp and the lettuce fresh. I moved ahead to the Lake Superior Whitefish which I think is an absolute must when you are anywhere close to Lake Superior. It was broiled beatifully and the grilled vegetables were done a perfect al dente. I'm going back.

THE SERVICE:

Nothing here to complain about.Just what you would expect and deserve. Fast, friendly, efficent and courteous.

RATINGS:

Food: ***                              Cost:***