Custom House 

When you read about Custom House or see the menu, it reads like one of Tom Colicchio's mini-empire of Craft, Craftsteak, 'wichcraft.. The Craft family is one of my favorite spots in NYC & LV, so I looked forward to Shawn McClain's meat endeavor.

The fig tart was chewy & flavorful, but its accompanying salad with tart apples really made the dish. The terrine du jour was very hearty and not your typical terrine -- someone expecting a more traditional terrine would be disappointed, but it was well executed and the pickled onions super.

Whenever we see veal cheeks on the menu, we get them and while these were not ones to do battle over, they were excellent.

The sides were an embarassment of riches, so we chose to split just one entree, two of the aforementioned aps & three sides: the cauliflower gratin was outstanding -- nicely roasted cauliflower peppered with a delicious cheese. The potato gratin did not fare as well (and the waiter took it off our bill) as the potatoes were undercooked. The tortelli with proscuitto were addictive and worth the trip. Do over indulge in side dishes here!

Finally, we shared the goat cheese cheesecake with a beet? plum? semifreddo which was a nice end to the evening.

Overall a lovely meal. Did it live up to my super high expections? No, but that would not be easy.

Upon our arrival to Custom House, we were greeted by several friendly staff members, and subsequently ignored for about a minute and a half. Time was again on our side as were seated; we had several minutes to enjoy our water without the distraction of any menus or any pesky waitstaff trying to give us one.
Our waiter eventually appeared and hastily rushed over to greet us. This waiter in particular was very helpful and accommodating, although the pace of service throughout the night would prove relatively sluggish.
Hearts of palm salad was fresh and flavorful, and put lingering concerns over meager unsatisfying portions at ease. Shredded into fine strips resembling a sort of spaghetti salad and drenched in a spicy smoky vinigarette, it proved unique while somewhat overpowered by the flavor of the dressing. Beet salad was equally satisfying, drizzled in a pink mascarpone sauce Pacific hamachi was the same, nestled under a slice of grapefruit and a single leaf of arugula, it tasted just about like you'd expect.
Angus skirt steak was very nicely done and intensely flavorful, although I was aware of Custom House's propensity to slice steaks up and rearrange them stylishly (from other Reader reviews), other diners may find this disappointing.
Dessert was noteworthy and delicious; a chocolate tart stuffed with pine nuts and thinly sliced kalamata olives, topped with an olive oil-infused sorbet.
For whatever reason, our table was overlooked with respect to a simple thing like complimentary bread. While it's a petty concern and I probably wouldn't have even eaten much of it, we couldn't help but feel somewhat slighted, being that our party consisted of the youngest diners in the place. Given the expense associated with a visit to a restaurant of this caliber, I expect near perfection, and a number of service-related issues could really be improved upon. Equivalent or better fare can be had at half the cost and a fraction of the pretention at places like Lula Cafe. At the risk of stating the obvious, Custom House is well beyond the realm of casual dining; a setting to be reserved for occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, or the death of a wealthy relative.

The overall Custom House experience is polished and professional. The room has a warm and comfortable feel. The service is attentive without being overbearing. The cauliflower soup was just OK, but the bibb salad was fresh and flavorful. I love the fact that you order your sides separately. The potato gratin and mushroom risotto were both rich and delicious. Our entrees, the steelhead and skirt steak, were also both good. I am not a vegetarian, but it would seem like it would be difficult to find an appropriate entree if you were. The wines were wonderful, albeit pricey. Custom House is a good choice for a special occasion or a romantic night out.

Shawn McClain scores again. This was definitely one of the best meals I've had in Chicago. We started with sweetbreads, which were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, served with braised pork belly, shitake mushrooms, and the creamiest, richest polenta ever. (I thought this was more of a fall than a summer dish, but delicious nonetheless.) We also got roasted baby beets, which were paired with marscapone as opposed to the usual goat cheese. My dinner date thought this was an improvement, as the cheese didn't overpower the delicate beets.

Because this is Shawn McClain's take on a steakhouse, there aren't actually all that many steaks on the menu--there was a strip and a bone-in rib steak. Meats are divided by category of preparation, so there's seafood, braised, and roasted (the last is prepared in a wood-fired oven). I got one of the braised items, rabbit, and my date got the rib steak, which is definitely the premier dish and cost almost twice as much as anything else. The rabbit actually came in two forms, part of it in a summer stew with squash and tomatoes, and the loin seared with bacon. Both ways were incredibly flavorful and rich, but not heavy. The steak was, indeed, roasted in the wood-fired oven, which gave it a perfect crust. I don't think it was seasoned with much beyond salt, but it didn't need it--the flavor of the beef was enough. My date said it was one of the most flavorful he's had outside of Argentina. Because it's a steakhouse, sides are ala carte, so we ordered some braised greens. We were expecting spinach but of course that would be too easy; instead we got a mixture of beet and turnip tops and kale. (The entrees also come with a petite side; the steak was accompanied by the most adorable carmelized onion tart.)

The only disappointment was dessert, a tart cherry "fallen napoleon," which turned out to be tart cherry compote with puff pastry and some smears of cream--tasty, but a letdown after the innovation of the earlier courses. It did come with a scoop of delicious caramel-coriander ice cream, which was everything the dessert was supposed to be--surprising, but satisfying. I would recommend just getting a flight of ice creams. Or even one of the cheese plates.

I enjoyed Custom House quite a bit, and while it didn't live up to the hype, seriously, what could? I really like Spring and Green Zebra (even though I'm not so crazy about vegetables), and I love meat, so McClain's new restaurant seemed like a good bet, and I wasn't disappointed. My friend and I both had the foie gras appetizer, which is served seared in a creme brulee; while the idea of pairing sweets, generally fruit, with foie gras is a good deal older than all but the oldest hills, McClain has really revitalized it with this dish. The waiter brought out tiny little tastes of a Sauterne to go with the appetizer (we were drinking a Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone that did not go with the foie gras), which was a nice touch that a lot of restaurants wouldn't consider. (You get the feeling that they really want you to like them and their food, and I have to say, in my case it worked.) I cannot praise the bone-in ribeye with the onion tarte tatin too much; the flavor of the sauce delicately complemented the smoky tang of the meat, which was as tender as meat can be--the knife seemed a little superfluous--and the tart added just a little bit of extra flavor and provided a nice contrast in texture to the meat. No dessert for us; the appetizer and entree filled us right up (and, um, yeah, the wine).

Altogether, an excellent meal, and I'm looking forward to returning. Custom House is a bit pricey, but overall quite worth it.