The Gage

24 S. Michigan Ave.

(312) 372-4243

By Rick Karlin

Contributing writer

The Irish side of my family jokes that an Irish spice rack contains only salt and dill. Maybe a little pepper if you’re feeling adventurous. In Chicago, that was too often the case, with Irish pubs offering little more than fish and chips (not really Irish), corned beef and cabbage, lamb stew, soda bread and endless variations of potatoes. You’d think in a city with such a vast Irish population we could do better than that. We finally have with The Gage.

As is true with most things Irish in Chicago, it’s all about family connections. Billy Lawless, an original partner in the The Grafton, partnered up with his father and chef Dirk Flanigan to convert this landmark former millinery building (designed by by Holabird & Roche with a facade designed by Louis Sullivan) into a 21st century dining destination that's as casual as a neighborhood pub but offers upscale cuisine with a brogue.

Lunch options include salads, sandwiches and entrees ranging in price from $8 to $21. We began our meal with a plate of olives and pickles, a Scotch egg and fries with curry dipping sauce. Except for the fries (called chips as in England), we were not overly impressed. The olives and pickles weren’t anything special and overpriced at $4. The Scotch egg, served the traditional way, hard-boiled, surrounded with sausage and bread crumbs, was low on flavor and greasy, also overpriced at $6. The potatoes on the other hand were perfectly crispy and the curry dipping sauce so good that I’d consider a bowl of it as soup if it weren’t so rich.

Sesame beet salad combines yellow and zebra-striped varieties of the root vegetable alternated with bleu cheese Napoleon style augmented with refreshing wedges of orange and grapfruit. Accompanied by mixed greens, this dish is not quite large enough for an entrée but makes a wonderful first course. Another luxurious opener is the Hawaiian tuna, served atop a bed of salted cucumber slices with a side of pickled ginger. For a heartier opener, try the potato soup, smoky with bacon and given added ooomph by the addition of clams.

Among the entrees, The Gage’s version of fish and chips doesn’t offer an exotic interpretation but is a damn good example of the dish prepared in a traditional Guinness-based batter with a side of malt vinegar-enhanced tartar sauce. The prime burger, topped with melted onion marmalade and camembert, is a yummy upscale version of traditional lunch fare. The roast turkey Cobb sandwich presents the traditional salad ingredients perched atop a crusty roll. Lamb stew is given a nice twist with an Indian vindaloo base.

Dessert offerings range the globe from buttermilk panna cotta to lemon meringue cake, French toast and—our favorite—peanut butter mousse fudge cake layered with peanut crunch bar and topped with a shard of brittle. Check out the cinnamon straws with spiced apples and vanilla ice cream for a deconstructed apple pie a la mode.

After a day in the sun, we preferred iced tea as our beverage of choice, although I couldn’t pass up a delicious kir royale. Of course, being an Irish pub, there are plenty of beers and ales available. Service was pleasant, although there appeared to be a little issue in the kitchen with the timing of dishes. Our first courses and salads were delivered one on top of the other, then there was a long gap before our entrees arrived.

The Bottom Line: Lunch runs about $20 a person with either an appetizer or cocktail, and dinner is about $50 for three courses, tax and tip included.