Morton's The Steakhouse • 1978

Arnold J. Morton and Klaus Fritsch launched their upscale steakhouse empire from Chicago in 1978, building a reputation on USDA prime-aged beef and tableside presentations that turned ordering into theater. The downtown location near Millennium Park continues the tradition with dry-aged porterhouses and filet mignon, served in dark-wood dining rooms where power brokers and steak lovers converge. Bar 12-21 draws the after-work crowd with martinis and the same cuts available in the main dining room.