Located within the historic Drake Hotel, Drake Bros.' Steakhouse (formerly Oak Terrace) provides views and cuts that make even the locals drool. Score a seat at one of the window-side tables and gaze out at the lake or onto the Mag Mile's hustle as you work your way through classic steakhouse fare. How to ensure the view? Call ahead and make a request; although Drake Bros. can't guarantee a window seat, it'll do its best to accommodate you. (Hey, these are fancy hotel folk; their hospitality earns its legendary rep.)

Chef Thomas Chapman honed his chops (pun intended) at Bistro 110 and Biggs' Steakhouse before settling in at the Drake Bros.' stove. Appetizers ($11-$20) include beef carpaccio and the Drake's famous crab cakes served with creamy mustard sauce; take note of the red-snapper-laden Bookbinder's soup and the watercress and roquette salad with stilton, bosc pears and candied walnuts. As for "Classics," the dry-aged New York strip is aged up to 20 days and is, as one staffer declares, "amazingly tender." Lovebirds can share the 20-ounce Chateaubriand with béarnaise sauce for two, carved tableside. If you're craving something from Coq d'Or or Cape Cod Room, the menu of each is available at Drake Bros.'

Though upscale touches like white linen tablecloths, bottles of champagne on display and a slew of vases filled with orchids make themselves known, the ambiance remains low-key and attire is casual.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Jennifer Berg