Disclosure: I was compensated for this post in the form of a complementary meal. All opinions are all my own.
Chicago offers plenty of amazing gourmet cuisine, nightlife and shopping. The
Berghoff is a piece of History nestled downtown. In the middle of a modern age, it has withstood the test of time and is still open since 1898. Why has it lasted all these years? In my opinion- because the atmosphere, décor and staff are phenomenal.
Shelley of
Still Blonde After All These Years suggested and organized our lovely dinner and even invited my husband to the Berghoff. We were in town for the Verizon Voices Style Program and wanted to meet up with another fellow blogger Rachel of
Suburban Style Challenge.
This was my second time ever eating at a German Style Restaurant and it was amazingly delicious. The Berghoff is a classic and they offer plenty of Old World Style German courses as well as New World.
Our next course was such a fantastic course! My husband ordered the special for the night: Peppercorn Ribeye Steak and I ordered the Stuffed Sole both from the New World.
The Food
Appetizers
We sampled a mixture of the two around the table. To start, we had the stuffed mushrooms and potato pierogies. Though I've had both before, I've never had either this way. The mushrooms were stuffed with a mixture of spinach, cheese, and onion and were absolutely mouth watering. The pierogie was stuffed with a traditional mashed potato and then topped with sour cream and morsels of tomato and carrot.
Entrees
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My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of fella'! He was so happy with his huge hunk of meat, cooked to absolute perfection. The marbling of the meat was beautiful. His entrée was topped with asparagus and onion straws.
Dungeness crab, rock shrimp and spinach over a green pea risotto. I'm so glad I ordered this dish. It was such a rich plate with all elements in perfect melody on the plate. The portion size was perfect, I think I ate every last bite. If you live in Chicago or are just going to visit- this is a great meal and it's also a great price! It is featured on the daily menu for just $16.50.
Just look at that beautiful coloring on the Sole and the lovely thick Asparagus stalks! It's making my mouth water just thinking about it.
Dessert
I took the liberty of ordering dessert for my husband, he had the Turtle style cheesecake w/ nuts. It was drizzled with a creamy caramel sauce and it was delectable!
The ultimate highlight of the meal was the Pineapple Crème Brulee for me! Woah!! It was a large portion and I almost finished it all! I've had many Crème Brulee's but nothing like this. Our server Linda suggested it and even compared it to my favorite Greek Yogurt with Pineapple's on the bottom. She was right, they were similar but this dish far surpasses my everyday yogurt!
The Décor
The History
Unbeknownst to me, the Berghoff has quite the long chain of historical signifigance. It's quite fascinating actually! We had the pleasure of a private tour and "show and tell" so to speak from the spirited Maitre d' Keith. Keith is one of those people that you want to know. His smile just lights up the room! He told us all sorts of stories about the Berghoff and their lineage.
One little tidbit you may find interesting is that the Berghoff was issued Liquor License #1 in City of Chicago following prohibition in 1933!
Next cool fact: Herman Berghoff immigrated to America from Germany in 1870. Herman and family started brewing Beer in 1887. Herman wanted to expand the market for the family's beer and to do so he sold beer at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893.
The Berghoff had a brief closing for approximately a year and reopened at it's same location with a new menu about 5 years ago.
I really enjoyed this dining and learning experience at the Berghoff. Thank you so much to the kind staff including Linda our server, Keith the Maitre d' and Ted the General Manager for inviting us in and letting us partake in such an excellent meal. A special Thank you to Shelly of
Still Blonde After All These Years for organizing it!
