Michelin-Starred Chef’s Steakhouse — The Alston 🥩✨

Okay, a bit of clickbait — but to become a member of this steakhouse opened by Esmé’s chef, you’d need to spend way more than a meal 😅. Membership application alone runs $7.5K–12.5K, with annual fees between $2.4K–4K depending on tier. But for us regular folks, you can still dine here without the membership — so I did. 🥖 Complimentary Bread Service – Tableside bread slicing (a bit fancy, but hey), served with both plain butter and herb-infused butter. 🐌 Escargot – Delicious, paired with a buttery puff pastry bite. 🌱 Ramp Barbajuan – A fried “chive dumpling” but the wrapper wasn’t crispy, and the ramps tasted oddly papery — skip. 🦪 Razor Clams – Seasoned perfectly with rhubarb instead of lemon — tangy, sweet, and let the clam flavor shine. 🦞 Lobster Soup – A creative twist with peach, cucumber, and basil — light yet rich, and wonderfully aromatic. 🥩 Filet Mignon (small portion) – Cooked perfectly to temp. Sauce choices go beyond classic: I picked the crayfish sauce with fresh herbs — like Oscar style but brighter. 🍰 Lemon Pistachio Cake + Lavender Ice Cream – The ice cream was delicate and floral, but the cake had an almond-like pistachio flavor — not my favorite. Saw chef Jenner overseeing the kitchen all night — impressive energy. The food is solid, and I’ll be back to try more. Also love that they opened right next to another suburban-import steakhouse — a bit of cheeky competition! 📍 The Alston 750 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654 #TheAlston #ChicagoSteakhouse #MichelinChef #FineDining #SteakLovers #MembershipVibes