Inside Gold Coast's Over-The-Top New Steakhouse Perched in a Downtown Skyscraper
The food's from Jenner Tomaska, the James Beard Award finalist behind Esme in Lincoln Park. Tomaska is showing discipline at Alston, embracing his new role in developing a steakhouse menu that can appeal to the masses without sacrificing his avant-garde style that brought Esme a Michelin Star. The hope is that Tomaksa can incorporate elements of fine dining, including superior service, quality ingredients, and cheffy techniques, to show Chicago that a great steakhouse is about more than just keeping the juices in the chops. Tableside preparations include a bread cart and a duck press with the poultry carved in front of diners. The Alston is supposed to represent Midwestern steakhouses crossed with nouvelle French cuisine.
The meat is prime and dry-aged, cooked over charcoal. Wagyu comes from American, Japanese, and Aussie sources. They range from $55 for a six-ounce dry-aged filet to $260 for a 16-ounce, 60-day dry-aged American wagyu chop, called the S.W. Chairman's Cut. That comes with a butter infused with Red Boat Vietnamese fish sauce.
An arsenal of sauces is available to accent the selections. A rack of Dover sole is a tribute to Esme's tasting menu and its unique showstopper. Salt-baked trout is also available. A selection of pastas and salads should sate vegetarians. A Members Tower costs $300 and comes with a dozen oysters, four spot prawns, three razor clams, two scallops, a half-pound of King crab, and a whole cold water lobster.
Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, which also runs Kindling inside the Willis Tower, continues its downtown push. Visitors will find an assortment of textures used throughout the space. Don't blink, your eyes aren't deceiving you — the art on the ceiling of the main dining room changes. There's a digital projection screen that can stream a variety of art. It's a way Tomaska can bring a touch of Esme to the world of beef.
There's a wine cellar, with selections curated by Charlie Trotter's alum Ken Frederickson, and tons of space for private events. A terrace with beautiful views of downtown Chicago will debut later this summer. Management hopes the outdoor seating will be more cocktail-focused, and there are plans for live music. There's also a members-only club which is downright intimate compared to the main dining room. That will come with a special menu.
Walk through the space below and check out select dishes in the photos below.
The Alston , 750 N. State Street, third floor, opening on Friday, May 30, reservations via OpenTable .
Sign up for our newsletter.
Pommes Boulangères au gratin
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
10 minutes ago
- USA Today
DOT launches faster, more secure system for airline complaints
The Department of Transportation announced an updated process for travelers to file air travel-related complaints. The agency said Wednesday, Aug. 13, that the change would make the resolution process more streamlined. According to the DOT, the complaint system previously relied on technology from the 1990s, which slowed the process for airlines and ticket agents to receive copies of the complaint and work toward its resolution. The new system, which users can access online, will automatically notify relevant parties once a complaint is filed. 'I'm committed to making USDOT work better for the American people. By modernizing our technology and getting rid of outdated legacy systems, we can better serve the traveling public and maximize efficiencies,' Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement. The DOT said the new system also improves data and privacy protection for users. The agency recommends travelers try to resolve their issue directly with the airline or their travel agency before filing a consumer complaint. Consumer complaints help the DOT's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OCAP) track industry trends and identify when enforcement action is needed for a particular problem. "For civil rights complaints, OACP will investigate every complaint that it receives and provide its findings to the consumer at the conclusion of the investigation," the agency's website explains. "For all other complaints, OACP is not able to respond to each complaint individually given the volume of complaints received. Although OACP does not respond to individual consumers who file complaints not involving civil rights, OACP will review and analyze non-civil rights related complaints from consumers when conducting targeted or sample reviews to determine airlines' and travel agencies' compliance with aviation consumer protection requirements."
Business Insider
11 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Mark Cuban says companies should be taxed more for buying back their own shares
In an X post on Tuesday, the billionaire investor said raising the federal tax on the practice would push companies to reinvest in their businesses and hit wealthy shareholders — including himself — the hardest. The "Shark Tank" star called it "a way to charge the biggest public companies more" while shifting incentives toward long-term growth. Stock buybacks, also called share repurchases, happen when a company buys back its stock from investors, often reducing the number of shares in circulation. This can boost earnings per share and, in turn, the stock price, benefiting remaining shareholders. Critics say the practice can prioritize short-term gains over long-term investment. American companies bought back $166 billion in shares in July — the highest July total on record — bringing the year-to-date tally to $926 billion, surpassing the previous year-to-date record set in 2022 by $108 billion, per data from stock market research firm Birinyi Associates. The US has had a 1% tax on stock repurchases on publicly traded corporations since the Inflation Reduction Act, which took effect on January 1, 2023. Cuban said that a higher tax could encourage firms to use the cash to expand or pay dividends to shareholders, which he said would be tax-free for many Americans. "Married households making under 94k pay no taxes on it," Cuban wrote. "If I own it. I pay full taxes." In a follow-up X post, Cuban suggested exempting companies from the higher tax if they distributed repurchased shares to all employees, from interns to the CEO, based on each worker's share of total annual cash earnings. He said this would be a "baby step" toward reducing income inequality and boosting workers' net worth. A market correction could encourage more buybacks Citi predicted in a March note that there would be $1 trillion in buybacks for the year, up 11% from about $900 billion in 2024. The bank said market declines could spur more repurchases, as companies seize the chance to buy their shares at discounted levels. Citi said large firms like Apple, Alphabet, Nvidia, Wells Fargo, and Visa repurchased roughly $190 billion in stock last year alone. Citi's forecast came before a series of market warnings from Wall Street strategists. Analysts at BTIG, Evercore ISI, Stifel, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo have all flagged the potential for a correction in the S&P 500 in the coming months. They cited stretched valuations, seasonal weakness in August and September, and uncertainty over tariffs' economic impact.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bath & Body Works opens kiosks in 600 college bookstores. Find out where in Kentucky
Bath & Body Works will be selling its products at more than 600 college campus stores during the 2025-26 academic year, including several in Kentucky. The brand's reach aims to strengthen its connection with Generation Z consumers after being named the No. 1 fragrance brand for American teens and the third overall most-shopped at beauty stores by teens in the Piper Sandler Taking Stock with Teens Spring 2025 Survey. Bath & Body Works has partnered with ICM Distributing Company to launch kiosks, working with national chains such as Barnes & Noble College and Follett-operated bookstores, as well as independent campus retailers, Chief Merchandising Officer Betsy Schumacher said. Here's what we know. What Kentucky colleges will Bath & Body Works sell products at? Bath & Body Works will be located on several Kentucky campuses, including Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Northern Kentucky University, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville. What products will be available? A variety of Bath & Body Works products will be available on college campuses, including body creams and lotions, fragrance mists, Wallflower diffusers, PocketBac hand sanitizers, lip products such as glosses and scrubs, hand soap and 3-wick candles, Schumacher said. Scents like Champagne Toast, Mahogany Teakwood and Clean House Vibes are standout scents and will be available in these bookstores, added Schumacher. Others are reading: Popular activewear brand opening its first Louisville location this fall at Oxmoor Center USA TODAY reporter Greta Cross contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Bath & Body Works to open at 600 colleges. See Kentucky universities Solve the daily Crossword
