May 05--Starting Thursday, C Chicago (20 W. Kinzie St.) will have a new name: Ocean Cut.
The sister property to Chicago Cut steakhouse had specialized in high-quality and high-priced whole fish sold by the pound but will open its doors Thursday with a more casual seafood menu, lower prices and a new executive chef in Dirk Flanigan, who was the opening chef at The Gage and Henri (now known as Acanto).
"When (C Chicago) set out, they got beat up for being overpriced and unapproachable," Flanigan said.
Whole fish will remain on the menu, but at a fixed price, rather than a per-pound rate. Whole bass, branzino, snapper and Dover sole will be offered, ranging from $36 to $60, but there also will be fillet cuts of tuna, salmon, halibut and more from $22 to $39. (Prices are approximate; I got a peek at an unfinished menu.)
"I've been working on a seafood-based charcuterie plate," Flanigan said. "Seafood sausage, brandade, barbecued eel and foie-gras terrine. And we'll have a crudo section; it seemed like the right thing to do."
Appetizers will include such dishes as octopus a la plancha, house-smoked trout, Ge-Goki (Flanigan's seafood version of bulgogi) and crabcake.
At least three dry-aged steaks from Chicago Cut will be on the Ocean Cut menu.
Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic.
pvettel@tribpub.com
Twitter @philvettel
