Esquire Names Chicago Cut to Best New Restaurant List

Esquire magazine released its annual list of best new restaurants in America and Chicago Cut Steakhouse made the cut. Saying owners David Flom and Matthew Moore are "doing something new," the restaurant, which overlooks the Chicago River, stands out among other high-end steakhouse in the city, much in part to having chef Jackie Shen in the kitchen creating unique non-steak items.

Esquire restaurant features writer John Mariani applauds the decision to bring in USDA prime steaks, possess iPad wine lists, have an on-staff butcher and in-house dry-aging meat locker. He even thinks the food is enhanced by the surroundings, "especially when eaten while looking out on the riverfront through a twenty-two-foot glass wall as the El barrels over Wells Street and the riverboats ply their way past Chicago's architecture."

In the same issue, Tom Chiarella writes about his eye-opening experience at Grant Achatz's Next. Chiarella went in not a fan of Thai food, but made some discoveries throughout the multi-course meal, including that "beef cheeks provide solace," "curry need not overwhelm," and that he likes "the texture of noodles, except in desserts."

While Chicago Cut is the only local place to make the list, San Francisco's Michael Mina was named best new restaurant in America and five spots in New York were named as well. Eater National has the full rundown.
· Chicago Cut Steakhouse [Esquire]
· Esquire's 20 Best New Restaurants of 2011 [~E~]