David Flom / Chicago Cut Steakhouse

Chicagoans are no strangers to a juicy piece of meat. But with so many steak joints lining the city streets, it can be hard to choose which meaty morsel to chomp down on. Lucky for you, Chat Chow TV has zeroed in on your top contender, Chicago Cut Steakhouse in River North.

Chicago Cut Managing Partner David Flom sat down with Chat Chow TV to explain how his labor of love came about.

“I have always wanted to be in the restaurant business since I was about ten years old,” he told Chat Chow TV. “I would cook for my parent’s friends when they would come over to the house through my younger years.”

Flom’s food career has since landed him gigs at some of Chicago’s great venues, like Gabriel’s and Rosebud, as well as stints at critically acclaimed Michael Mina in Las Vegas and San Francisco. But the Windy City called him back and shortly thereafter, Chicago Cut was born (thank goodness).

Here, it’s all about perfect execution, down to the signature sides. “Creamed spinach [is] something that is very simplistic in nature,” explains Flom. “But if done right with fresh organic spinach, mixed with the parmesan cheese and the cream, and the whole thing, it’ll be a heavenly complement to the steak.”

Check out the video above to see why Chicago Cut chooses caramelizing over charring, how their dry ageing process makes your steak taste better, and why the restaurant is such a celebrity hotspot. Mayor Daley even had a hand in naming the resto (so you know it has chops).