Watt's up: Powerhouse offers elegant cuisine in a repurposed former power generating station
Well, no. But by the time you finish the creamy, garlicky, smoky, sinfully filling romaine heart salad ($11), you just may need one—that or an EKG. Still, I’d be willing to sentence myself to an extra hour of spinning class for just one more taste of that dish. Wild boar bacon in a salad? So wrong. But so, so right.
Despite a low-key debut right before Thanksgiving (probably a good thing since they are still working out plenty of early kinks), this upscale dining destination located behind the Ogilvie Transportation Center shows potential to generate major sparks.
Backers include Jimmy Alexander, whose extended family has been in the
It’s easy to imagine West Loop and LaSalle Street wheeler-dealers working the room during lunch or a business dinner—there’s even a glass-enclosed private dining room. (As well as a lounge with a separate menu). The interior is very adult, very restrained and very posh -- yet it’s also a bit of a letdown.
The building was originally the electricity generating station for the Chicago & North Western Railway terminal complex, so I wish they’d done more of an industrial-chic take on the interior to incorporate the spirit of this stunning example of pre-World War I Beaux-Arts architecture. At least turn down the lights a little and reconsider that smooth-jazz dining room soundtrack to help give this place a bit more of a luxe feel.
In any case, Powerhouse is in soft-opening mode. There wasn’t even a printed wine list when we went, forcing us to talk with the sommelier—an experience I usually dread. He was helpful enough, however, and didn’t blanch when I told him my rather meager price point.
The real engine of Powerhouse seems to be John Peters, who steps up to executive chef here after stints at Alinea and Trio and most recently as executive sous chef for Carrie Nahabedian at Naha. I am reminded of Nahabedian’s sure-handed elegance in Peters’ cuisine.
The main courses are divided between beef, seafood and game (which, strangely, includes a juicy, double-cut pork chop, $25), but you get the feeling that beef is the star here. If you can’t afford to drop $43 on an 18-ounce bone-in ribeye, you won’t be disappointed in the red wine-braised short ribs ($27). For those who didn’t get enough bird on Thanksgiving, the slow-roasted pheasant ($37) had melt-in-your-mouth texture, the sweet white meat topped with a perfectly roasted, crispy skin.
Though the meat-heavy menu could show a bit more diversity—vegetarians are not going to like this place—everything we tried was out-of-this-world good, perfectly balancing flavors and textures. Even simple dishes such as heirloom squash soup ($8)—too frequently like that dud friend you keep inviting to your parties because, well, who’s he going to bother?—gets punch from finely diced kohlrabi and a dusting of nutmeg.
Renowned pastry whiz Tara Lane (formerly of Blackbird) is helping out until owners find a permanent pastry chef, so don’t pass on dessert. Try her sweet potato doughnuts ($9) served with a brown-butter glaze—you won’t find these at the Dunkin’ Donuts in the Ogilvie food court.
Besides, you might as well go all the way. After that salad, you’re going to have to hit the gym anyway.
[ Chris LaMorte is the Metromix dining producer. ] clamorte@tribune.com
