Chicago Chop House

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Chicago Chop House Chef, Bill Farrahi reminisces: 'One day Henry calls me up and says, 'I want to open a steak house and I won't do it without you.' I tell him, 'Henry, I've got a good job. I own one-third of Shuckers and I'm happy. Henry says, 'You need a challenge, your job is too easy.' Bill's first challenge was to come up with a menu for the fledgling enterprise. A former chef at Cafe Bohemia, he was adept at preparing a wide variety of meat and game including: moose, bear, buffalo, elk, even jaguar and lion. Bill recalls that he and Henry got the idea for our 64- and 48-ounce Porterhouse from Cafe Bohemia's menu. According to Bill, all steakhouse menus are basically the same. 'There are only a handful of steaks you can put on a steakhouse menu.' The only variables are the portions and the way you present them. Basically, our menu hasn't changed since we opened. We have approximately 11 steaks and 8 seafood items.' With the menu set, the bills being paid, and the management and staff working together, all the ingredients for success were in place. It was now a matter of throwing out a net and reeling in the customers. Our success, when it arrived, was attributed to Henry's decision to use his advertising dollars to target business travelers and visitors to Chicago. Though Chicago was an excellent market from which to draw diners, Henry knew that many Chicagoans liked to try new restaurants and spent many of their dining dollars at the newest 'in' spot...

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