<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">None of this would matter if the steaks didn't measure up, but Carmichael's acquits itself well on that score, too.
First to the table is a basket of bread, rolls and crispy flatbread, accompanied by a ramekin of whipped-cheddar spread. This gives you sustenance as you pore over the meaty and non-meaty options.
The operative question in the appetizer category is "How do you want your shrimp?" Four of the seven appetizers are shrimp, including a straightforward shrimp cocktail and shrimp de jonghe (a dish that originated in Chicago), which features lemon-kissed rock shrimp under a blanket of garlicky breadcrumbs. I've had a lot of shrimp de jonghe over the years (though it's rare to find it on menus these days), and this version is first-rate.
Larger shrimp are on display in the barbecued shrimp starter, in which a half-dozen shrimp are wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and dunked in a tangy, hickory-smoked barbecue sauce, placed on a pile of Tabasco-marinated fried onions. Spicy shrimp are not alarmingly spicy, though the seasonings of cayenne and chipotle peppers do get your attention. I could do without the accompanying corn pudding, which tastes unpleasantly starchy.
The beef on Carmichael's menu is Certified Angus, cooked with a minimum of fuss and a great deal of accuracy by the kitchen, run by chef Brian Reid. Steaks can be ordered with a char crust (my favorite), peppercorn crust or al forno, in which the steak is studded with garlic cloves and blanketed by a blend of fontina, fontinella and parmesan cheeses.
The gimmicky apple pie, imported from a farmer in Mukwonago, Wis., actually is baked inside a lightly oiled paper bag, which the servers carefully tear away at the table. The bag allegedly keeps the crust crisp and flaky, and I can't argue with the results.
Carmichael's
1052 W. Monroe St.
312-433-0025
Open: Dinner Mon.-Sun., lunch Mon.-Fri.
Entrie prices: $15.95-$49.95
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V
Reservations: Recommended
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Other: Free valet parking.</font>