Miller's Pub in Chicago

Saturday January 5

Once again we went out with one of our favorite people, Amy. But she was feeling a bit rocky, and wanted something homestyle and soothing. The answer was Miller's Pub, which our friend Jon had recommended for its "fun, comfort food, and good meats," specifically their "world-famous (in Chicago) B.B.Q. Baby Back Ribs."

We started with a soothing Bloody Mary for Amy, a bottle of Querceto Chianti for ourselves (anticipating the aforementioned meat on the horizon), and a platter of buffalo wings for us all. The chicken was nice and spicy, with hefty bowls of ranch and blue cheese dressing for the raw carrots and celery alongside.

On to the meats. Holt had two nice double-rib lamb chops, broiled just right and nibbleable right down to the bone. Barbara wanted prime rib, which the menu offers as "Miller's Pub Cut" (20 oz.), "Diamond Jim Brady Cut" (14 oz.) or "Lillian Russel Cut" (10 oz.). Prompted by the waiter ("it's still a lot of meat"), she decided to be ladylike and take the mere ten ounces. A good thing, as the thick circle of beef took up a whole plate, edging out the bowl of horseradish cream served along with it. This is the sort of place where everything comes with separate servings of other stuff, so our table was crowded with bread, cole slaw, green salad, mashed potatoes, french fried potatoes, steamed carrots we mainly ignored, and of course the blue cheese dressing that Barbara had hoarded to dab on various things (even the steamed carrots) since it arrived with the buffalo wings. None of it would have made you do handsprings, but everything was a solid, well-made version of its own particular kind.

We left feeling much better. Miller's Pub was just what the doctor ordered.