Restaurant for Two: a feature where I bring a friend to a restaurant and we write a review together. This time around, I joined a group of fellow writers for lunch at Knife. 

Knife, located in Lincoln Square, offers guests contemporary twists on traditional steakhouse offerings. “We want to take the essence of a classic dish and re-create it in a unique way,” said Executive Chef Timothy Cottini. Under Cottini’s purview, both Knife and its sister Lincoln Square restaurant, Fork, use ingredients that are quality, locally-sourced, and seasonal.

Below is a list of the dishes I tried at Knife. While it’s a small smattering of the many sophistically-prepared options on the menu, I highly recommend everything I ate. Since the dishes were also visually stunning, this review is more of a photo journal of the meal than I usual do. While more expensive than my usual fare, the quality is apparent and the taste is on-point.

Starters

Oxtail doughnut holes: savory bites filled with classically braised oxtail and served with an au poivre sauce ($10)

Ahi Tuna Tartare (flown in from Hawaii) with avocado, fresno chili, and served with endives ($14)

Parker House rolls served straight from the oven in a cast iron skillet with whipped butter and sea salt ($6)

Salads

Tableside caesar with white anchovies, focaccia croutons, parmesan & pecorino – prepared tableside for three or more persons ($19)

Grilled wedge salad with baby iceberg lettuce (hydroponically grown locally by Urban Till in Chicago specifically for Knife), green goddess dressing, lobster mitts/claws, bleu cheese, tomato, scallions, and bacon that’s dehydrated for twelve hours to make it extra crisp ($18)

Entrees (both of these were my personal favorites!)

Pork chops served with candied sweet potatoes seasoned seasoned with spicy cinnamon, then topped with homemade marshmallows and a butter-bourbon gastrique ($27) – this salty-sweet combo was to-die-for

Braised Green Circle Farm’s Chicken thigh served with macaroni gratin ($24)

Steaks

Locally-sourced, house dry-aged beef

From local farms in Illinois and Iowa that uphold humane standards and practices

All steaks served with house-made Journeyman steak sauce and a choice of onion strings or hand-cut fries

Five selections: sirloin (10 oz, $27), beef tenderloin (6 oz, $33), trio of medallions with bleu cheese crust (8 oz, $25), boneless ribeye (12 oz, $34). Knife’s signature steak is a 28-day dry-aged ribeye for two, carved tableside and served with twice baked potatoes, green beans, and au poivre ($89).

Sides

Twice baked potato wrapped in bacon and stuffed fontina cheese, scallions, and creme fraiche ($8)

Drinks

Having deemed himself a “spirit guide,” the resident bartender at Knife has crafted inventive, exotic, and downright delicious drinks. In the neighborhood and don’t want a steak? Come to Knife just for the drinks.

Knife

4343 N. Lincoln Ave.

Lincoln Square, Chicago