Chef’s Cut steak boards at Fire + Wine

An elevated steakhouse experience awaits at the beautiful new Fire + Wine in Uptown. Their Chef’s Cut steak boards are available Friday and Saturday nights and focused on exceptional cuts, bold flavors and refined pairings.

A sample steak board includes a choice between:
*Flavorful, hand-cut 14-ounce prime NY strip
*A 12-ounce Linz Heritage Angus Reserve bone-in filet
*A well marbled, hand-cut 14-ounce prime ribeye
*A filet trio featuring gorgonzola, horseradish and crab

Don’t forget the curated wine pairings, and you can take your steak night to the next level with one of their housemade sauces and shareable sides like whipped potatoes, house-cut fries, grilled asparagus or seasonal roasted vegetables.

608 W. Touhy Ave. in Park Ridge. FireAndWine.net

Howard Street Inn’s fajitas arrive at the table just like they should, sizzling in a skillet with onions and green and red peppers. Rumor has it, they pair well with a cold beer and football watching.

Steak fajitas at Howard Street Inn

The lively sports-bar atmosphere and wrap-around patio with views of Tam O’Shanter Golf Course next door are big draws here, and so are the incredible daily specials. And one that draws a lot of attention is the fajita special on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The steak (or chicken) fajitas arrive at the table just like they should, sizzling in a skillet with onions and green and red peppers, complete with warm tortillas. Rumor has it, they pair well with a cold draft beer and a day of college or Bears football watching.

6700 W. Howard Street in Niles. HowardStreetInn.com

Barg kabab at Shemroon Kabab House

The menu at this contemporary Persian restaurant can feel overwhelming at times… in a good way. Just that many tempting options. If you’re feeling steak (and we hope you are since you’re reading this article), the char-grilled barg kabab is made of marinated filet mignon and comes with your choice of basmati rice or fries.

Insider’s tip: Shemroon offers a great happy hour and a nice patio as well. And if you’ve got a group and want to try a variety of things, the Shemroon tray is the way to go. It’s the best of all worlds.

430 W. Touhy Ave. in Park Ridge. ShemroonKababHouse.com

Don Juan Cantina’s Mar y Tierra Surf and Turf

Always a fun spot for authentic Mexican dishes, weekly specials and an impressive tequila collection, the family-run Don Juan’s has a flower-filled sidewalk patio you should be taking advantage of as long as you can this fall.

We’re talking tender carne asada on top of chorizo black beans, and if that’s not enough, it’s served with four coconut shrimp with an orange chipotle glaze on chile serrano risotto.

The Mar y Tierra recipe consists of tender carne asada on top of chorizo black beans, and if that’s not enough, it’s served with four coconut shrimp with an orange chipotle glaze on chile serrano risotto. Just delightful.

650 N. Northwest Hwy in Park Ridge. DJsCantina.com

Harp & Fiddle’s filet risotto

Twin filet mignon medallions, grilled to your liking, are plated over a mixed mushroom parmesan cream risotto and topped with a red wine demi glace and slivered green onions. The creamy risotto would be a fantastic meal in its own right, but combined with a pair of filet medallions that are so tender they almost fall apart when the knife hits them, and now you’re talking next level stuff.

Combine it with Harp & Fiddle’s fireplace, live music and a Guinness or two, and it sounds like a pretty good way to ignore the chilly nights ahead.

110 Main Street in Park Ridge. TheHarpAndFiddle.com

Zia’s Social’s braciole & polenta appetizer 
It’s hard to suggest anything is underrated on what is one of the best, most complete menus in the area, but for some reason this rich, hearty appetizer flies under the radar whenever we’re making decisions at Zia’s. Which is odd, because when braciole is done right, like it is here, it can change one’s outlook on life.

Zia’s talented team takes a flank steak, wraps it and rolls it with parmesan, garlic and parsley, then braises it for hours in a homemade tomato demi glace.

Zia’s talented team takes a flank steak, wraps it and rolls it with parmesan, garlic and parsley, then braises it for hours in a homemade tomato demi glace. If that doesn’t get your mouth-watering, we’re not sure what will.

6158 N. Northwest Highway in Norwood Park. ZiasSocial.com

Tavern on the Point’s tavern steak sandwich

The elevated comfort food at this sleek, modern restaurant in the heart of Edison Park never disappoints. And while it’s difficult to stray from the bourbon-glazed pork chop, short rib grilled cheese or brick chicken, we will for the sake of journalism. The tavern steak sandwich consists of N.Y. strip steak topped with caramelized onions and your choice of mozzarella or blue cheese melted on top with crispy Italian bread.

If you want to take it up a notch on the steak chart, Tavern on the Point’s 22-ounce bone-in ribeye or steak tenderloin with mushroom gravy are quality choices as well.

6724 N. Northwest Hwy in Edison Park. TavernOnThePoint.com

Une Année Brewery’s burnt ends

The menu at this popular Niles brewery is BBQ-focused, and there’s a good reason for that. They do it well. Very well. Lots of mouth-watering potential here, but on a recent visit it proved too difficult to ignore their burnt ends. A half pound of the most well marbled part of their tender beef brisket is smoked, cubed and slathered in sauce. Pick a side like coleslaw, fries, smoked sweet potato, chili or mac & cheese and savor every bite.

Also worth noting are their weekday lunch specials ($2 off sandwiches from 12-2:30 p.m.) and weekday happy hour from 2:30-5:30 p.m., featuring half off appetizers and $4 select drafts. And don’t forget the spacious patio for those warm fall days.

6543 Gross Point Road in Niles. UneAnnee.com

A half pound of Une Année’s tender beef brisket is smoked, cubed and slathered in sauce. Pick a side like coleslaw, fries, smoked sweet potato, chili or mac & cheese and savor every bite.