The Chop House

The Restaurant: The Chop House

The Genre: Steak and other American fare

Where to Find It: 322 South Main Street; Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Reservations helpful

What We Spent: $142.14 (including their fantastic birthday special)

What We Ate: A house salad and a caesar salad, Kobe Steak, Cowboy Steak, seasonal root vegetables, bananas foster bread pudding, carmel chocolate tart.

What We Drank: A bottle of Cabernet Franc (we can't remember the name! terrible.)

Matt's review: The Chop House is one of those places that I have a hard time finding too much fault with. The food, service, wine list and atmosphere are consistently excellent and if you can get past the cost, it remains one of my favorite special occasion destinations. There are a few soft spots on the menu but they are outweighed by the generally excellent steaks (if you go, go for steaks). Last night, we both started with salads, which were fresh and crisp but nothing particularly stunning. Your best bet for a started is probably the lobster bisque, which is fantastic. For dinner, we had the Kobe and the Cowboy Steak (ribeye), both of which were sizeable and perfectly cooked, though I would note that you should probably order your steaks cooked one step above what you would normally order. Any steak that you get at the Chop House will be top of the line, so go for your preferred cut. For my money, the bone-in Cowboy Steak is the most flavorful, with lots of marbling, though you will have to navigate through some scattered pockets of fat. We had roasted seasonal root vegetables on the side, as suggested by our server, which were delicious, though not usually on the menu. The servers are a great resource, so use them. They'll let you know what shouldn't be missed and what might better be avoided. The wine list is deep and varied; you shouldn't have any trouble finding something to fit your tastes and budget and there is usually a sommelier on hand to guide you.

The Chop House gives you the option of having dessert at your table or going downstairs to the associated La Dolce Vita, which serves desserts, coffee, cocktails and a selection of fine cigars. If you plan on lingering for a while, La Dolce Vita offers comfy couches and a more relaxed atmosphere. Desserts can be hit or miss here. The bananas foster bread pudding was a definite hit; the chocolate caramel tart was not. Again, listen to the servers. They haven't steered us wrong yet.

A-