A CUT ABOVE

Steakhouses have been an integral part of Chicago’s dining scene since the city’s founding in the late 1830s. For many of today’s examples, their formula for success depends on two things: a high-end cut of beef together with a wine list that features big reds, typically numerous Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley. While many downtown establishments deliver the former, only a handful have assembled a wine selection that goes beyond the norm; of these Maple & Ash, located just west of the high-rent district of North Michigan Avenue, has become a temple for wine lovers looking not just for the usual offerings, but also for unique pairings from around the world.

That’s only fitting, as Maple & Ash is not your typical steakhouse, as regional executive chef Austin Adler explains. “We’ve always prided ourselves on being able to change and be more of a modern twist on a steakhouse.” Noting how creamed spinach is a standard side dish at many steakhouses, Adler remarks that their version is different. “We’re going to do it our way. We’re going to get the best spinach, it’s going to be lightly wilted, mixed with mornay or some sort of fonduta – we’ll do it our way. So it’s special, loving, and you still feel at home, but we make it Maple & Ash.”

National wine director Amy Mundwiler, who joined the restaurant when it opened in 2015, opted to create a wine program that matched the vibe described by Adler, as she explains. “Meaning how do you build a wine list that has all the classics, but not a boring steakhouse list. How do we present the list to make it fun, to make it interesting, to make people want to look through it?”

Mundwiler has answered this question by assembling a 2,400-bottle list with classic offerings from around the world; a good percentage being white and sparkling. There are more than 20 German whites, a dozen or so Alsatian whites and 200 white Burgundies (this section comprising eight pages of the 100-page list). You can easily spend more than $1,000 on such iconic selections such as Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes and Les Pucelles or Domaine Ramonet Corton-Charlemagne, but there are also several offerings of white Burgundy for less than $150, and even some costing less than $100. Why so many of these wines? It’s down to executive chef/partner Danny Grant: “Chef Grant loves white Burgundy, that’s his thing, so we have an extensive list of these bottles,” Mundwiler explains.

But almost everyone who dines here wants a full-bodied red, and yes, there are 270-plus Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux blends from California, with several verticals (Chateau Montelena, Corison, Abreu, Bond, Staglin Estate) that a diner can choose from. Mundwiler clearly has done her homework here, but personally, she looks elsewhere for a wine with steak. “My favorite pairing is Nebbiolo,” she proclaims; there are more than 30 Barolos to choose from (including the 2018 Ratti Barolo “Marcenasco”), while for Sangiovese lovers, there are verticals of Monsanto Il Poggio Chianti Classico, Tignanello, as well as seven offerings of Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. She also fancies Syrah with steak and offers numerous examples from the Rhône Valley (including a dazzling vertical of Guigal Côte-Rôtie), California and Washington State.

Amy Mundwiler

PERFECT SETTING

Befitting the restaurant’s amazing culinary agenda, the interior of Maple & Ash is stunning. There is a handsome street-level bar (along with outside dining when the weather permits) that is crowded afternoon and night, and where a smaller food and wine menu and glitzy cocktails are served. The main dining room is reached by elevator two floors up, where diners are awed by the huge ceilings, candlelit tables (there is minimal light in the dining room), leather couches and a partially open kitchen with a wood-burning stove. “We do have a beautiful lounge here,” says Mundwiler, “so if someone is still enjoying themselves drinking cocktails, we invite them to have a drink on us, a cocktail or a glass from our wines by the glass list.”

Adler aims for six menu changes per year. “Seasonal steak dishes, halibut, whitefish or salmon are always changing with the seasons.” Mundwiler notes the shift in drinking habits with the variable weather in Chicago. “White wine sales go up when the weather gets warmer; there’s also a rosé season, although I drink rosé year-round.”

Sparkling wine is also well-consumed at the restaurant throughout the year. “Champagne sales have gone up insane since Covid,” Mundwiler explains. “It’s wild how much Champagne we’re selling. It might be because people can celebrate. I think people started drinking Champagne and then realized, ‘I can drink this every day if I want to’.”

As for the customer base, Mundwiler explains they have diners who make reservations months in advance for a special occasion. “That’s a lot of weight on our shoulders to make sure we live up to that expectation,” she comments. Given the ritzy location along with the outstanding experience, there are many locals that frequent the restaurant (including many celebrated Chicago athletes), who no doubt enjoy their evening. “We have the people that like to party on the weekends and at night,” says Mundwiler.

Maple & Ash has a location in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is opening another venue in Miami. Will Mundwiler put together a different wine program there? “100 percent,” she says. “I’ve already researched some wine lists down there.”

The wine program at Maple & Ash is clearly one of the finest in the country, but lest you think that it’s all serious business for Mundwiler and her team, consider the “I Don’t Give a F*@K” dining option, in which the restaurant will take care of everything for $200 per person for the food and $160 per person for the wine (or for those willing to spend $500 per person on wine, there is “The Baller” option.) So much for the belief that a big-city steakhouse has to be conventional.

Alternative restaurants to try in Chicago

Osteria Langhe

The brainchild of Aldo Zaninotto, a former Italian wine agent, the venue in the Bucktown neighborhood is Chicago’s most authentic home for the wines and foods of Piedmont’s Langhe region. Standout pastas include plin and gnocchi al Castelmagno, while the prosciutto-wrapped rabbit loin is a classic.

Quartino

Located on State Street in the fashionable River North district, Quartino is managed by chef John Coletta, who has headed the American team at the Culinary Olympics. A wildly popular place for small servings of salumi, pizza, and of course, Italian wines and cheeses.

Spacca Napoli

Named for the district in Naples that is home to some of the city’s most famous pizzerie, this is home to some of the finest Neapolitan pizzas outside of Italy. Proprietor Jonathan Goldsmith, a certified pizzaiolo who worked for several years in Naples, offers 20 different pizzas at this handsome dining room in the city’s northside Ravenswood district.

Avli River North

The most exciting Greek restaurant in Chicago (there are three locations in the city along with the original in the north suburbs), Avli is headed by executive chef Panos Chalikiopoulos, who previously worked in some of Greece’s most heralded restaurants. Highlights include small plates and spreads such as tzatziki and taramosalata.