Did you know that the original P.J. Clarke's in New York City dates to 1884? And that this saloon was owned by a man named Patrick J. Clarke, an Irish immigrant? Singer Nat "King" Cole, way back in the late 1950s, proclaimed that the bacon cheeseburger at P.J. Clarke's was the "Cadillac of burgers." Frank Sinatra was considered the "owner" of table 20. Johnny Mercer penned the lyrics to "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" on a napkin while sitting at the bar. There's a rich history connected with this fabled saloon.
The P.J. Clarke's in Streeterville (which borrows the famous name but has different ownership) doesn't have the same panache as the original, but then hardly any outpost does. However, when it comes to menu choices, the P.J. Clarke's in NYC has a lot more pizzazz. I bring this up because as much as I enjoy some of the food at the P.J. Clarke's in Chicago, I think it's time somebody took a hard look at the menu and made some changes; it's beginning to look just a little bit dated.
That said, bring on P.J's classic chili, which has just enough spicy kick to make it worthwhile. Served with a side trio of grated cheddar, onions and sour cream, a bowl easily turns into a light meal.
P.J. Clarke's fine burgers include the "minnieburgers" -- tidy little pucks of beef tucked into sturdy little buns (you can order three, six or 12). Among the big burgers, the hamburger with cheese was good, no doubt about it. The bun was sturdy, so it stood up to the hefty patty, and there was a kind of beef "freshness" that came into play with every bite (and my request for medium-rare was on the money). The french fries accompanying the burger were good but not great.
The chicken pot pie was quite good. The lid was a cloud of airy, puffy pastry. Underneath was a wealth of chicken (meaty strips) and chunky potatoes (big chunks), along with carrots, mushrooms and peas in a flavorful white sauce.
The Monday special is shepherd's pie, which I found to be just as interesting as the chicken pot pie. A thick cloud of potatoes hung over the good stuff just below -- an array of root vegetables (nicely cooked, not mushy) and a good amount of meat lurking in the flavorful sauce. It was a portion almost too much to finish.
A dessert special one day was the German chocolate cake. It was nothing more than a large slice of cake, which had I eaten the whole thing would have used up too many of my daily allotment of calories. Key lime pie with a graham cracker crust came as a slice that was a little thin for the price, but it was quite good.
E-mail brunoeats@aol.com.
