Benny's Chop House opened in River North earlier this month. The restaurant dishes out U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, oysters, pasta, and classic side dishes such as creamed spinach and hand-cut fries. For events, the chef can prepare plated dinners, buffet stations, or passed hors d'oeuvres.
At the front, a bar area overlooks Wabash Street and is decked with birch tree trunks, chandeliers, and dark wood tables. A lounge area within the bar can be sectioned off to hold 40, and the entire space can host receptions for 100. Along with beer and traditional martinis, the bar offers high-end cocktails with ingredients such as brandied apples and torched thyme. A former Alinea sommelier presides over the 450-bottle wine list.
The main dining room seats 180. In the back, a private dining room equipped with wireless internet can seat 40 to 50, or hold 75 for receptions. Built into the wall, a flat-screen TV hooks up to laptops and DVD players for presentations. The room also offers a rolling champagne cart for tableside drink service.
