When Michael Jordan graced a chain of several steakhouses with his name,
he went above and beyond to ensure his steakhouse was actually a restaurant
worth talking about. Here's some facts you need to know before going to Michael Jordan's Steakhouse.
While Michael Jordan might be most connected with the city of Chicago,
it wasn't actually Chicago that was first home to his steakhouse.
Instead, Jordan's first steakhouse opened in New York City in 1997, a project of the Glazier Group.
The branding of that '90s steakhouse was much
the same as what you see in Jordan's steakhouses today.
There wasn't a heavy sports theme. Instead, the restaurant focused on what the brand called,
quote, "Michael Jordan the businessman".
In other words, the goal was to create a space where even the most
accomplished businessman could enjoy an elevated dinner, no sports paraphernalia required.
The brand also, and still does, focus heavily on what it calls "steakmanship,"
a theory described as, quote, "a belief in the steak, not the sizzle."
While the 1997 New York City restaurant was Michael Jordan's first steakhouse location,
it wasn't the very first restaurant that he opened.
Jordan's very first restaurant opened in Chicago in 1994,
and was called, simply, “Michael Jordan's Restaurant”.
Unfortunately, despite Chicago's affinity for Jordan, the restaurant wasn't exactly a hit.
It was met with pretty poor reviews.
One of which was by a reviewer in the Chicago Tribune. They called it:
"A tourist trap that feeds off the incredible popularity of its namesake."
It's easy to see why.
The restaurant did indeed play on Jordan's fame versus focusing on the food,
which the reviewer called "mediocre".
The eatery was complete with a gift shop and even featured a warning at the bottom of each menu.
This warning cautioned guests to leave any sighted celebrity diners alone,
rather than annoy them for autographs.
Luckily for Michael Jordan, his attempt at a steakhouse
proved much more successful than his attempt at a sports-themed restaurant.
The focus on "Michael Jordan the businessman," rather than Michael Jordan the basketball
superstar, seemed to strike the right chord with regular diners and high-brow foodies alike.
As it turns out, ditching the kitschy, sports-focused vibe was a game-changer.
"We either turned them out to some new things they might not have thought of having or,
they really found exactly what they wanted to have that evening."
The New York Grand Central location received
high praise from The New York Times food critic and author Ruth Riechl.
She claimed that Jordan, along with the Glazier Group, had managed to create a
"New kind of celebrity restaurant, [with a menu that was] a straightforward document,
offering serious food that is a far cry from what you find at the All-Star Cafe or Mickey Mantle's."
Unfortunately, if you have high hopes of dining at the very first Michael Jordan's steakhouse
for yourself, you're out of luck. The New York location is now permanently closed.
You might assume that once Michael Jordan had found a winner with Michael Jordan's Steakhouse,
that he might simply stick with what's working.
Instead, Jordan went back to that sports theme that treated him so
badly with the short-lived Michael Jordan's Restaurant.
He opened a sports bar and grill at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut called the MJ23
Sports Bar & Grill. This time, he managed to still get a lot right while embracing the
basketball theme, with casual sports-themed food, beer, and a vibe befitting a casino.
It's fitting that the Michael Jordan's Steakhouse Chicago location has really leaned into its
identity. The restaurant also has still managed to not go overboard and to keep things classy.
One of the ways it does so is via Table 23, aka Michael Jordan's booth.
This corner booth, tucked away and large enough to seat six or more diners,
is usually reserved for the GOAT himself. However, Eater reports that,
under certain circumstances you can slide in and enjoy yourself so long as he's not in there.
The restaurant offers the table along with a prix fixe menu, but it doesn't come cheap.
The prix fixe menu starts at $300 for two diners or $600 for four diners.
With this menu, you can expect to chow down on delicious items like dry-aged Delmonico steak.
The downside to booking one of those pricey prix fixe dinner experiences?
If you do book one and are enjoying your dinner at Table 23, and Michael Jordan does happen to
come in on that night, you'll be asked to leave — not the restaurant, just the booth.
According to Eater, the staff will relocate you to another table to finish your meal.
The good news, though? Your meal will be free. So,
maybe you'll hope that Jordan interrupts your dinner, as it could mean a $600 meal for four
on the house. And did we mention the prix fixe menu also comes with wine and beer included?
The experience's full menu includes tantalizing options like double
smoked bacon with a maple black pepper glaze, baked and stuffed half lobsters,
and a 23-layer chocolate cake to share with your dining companions.
You wouldn't be blamed for wondering if celebrities actually do use their
own products or eat at their own restaurants.
Is Rachael Ray using all her own cookware at home? How often does
The Pioneer Woman break out her Walmart line?
But, Michael Jordan does in fact eat at his restaurants quite a lot.
And by a lot we mean as much as 30 times in a year and a half.
The general manager at the time of the Chicago outpost's opening, Myron Markewycz, told Eater,
"Since we opened a year-and-half ago, [Jordan]'s probably been in here 25–30 times.
He'll come with the guys, with guests, with his fiancee,
and they'll do everything from sit at the bar to the dining room."
And Jordan isn't the only famous athlete you'll spot in the dining room.
Markewycz also says, "Scottie [Pippen's] been in here,
Ron Harper's been in here, and some of the guys he used to play against like Charles Oakley and
Patrick Ewing. A lot of the guys from local teams, the Blackhawks, Bears, Cubs, have been in too."
For many '90s kids, even if they didn't grow up watching basketball,
they probably know Michael Jordan from Space Jam. So, in 2019, Michael Jordan's Steakhouse
gave fans a Space Jam combo. However, it's only offered this whimsical combo at the bar.
The combo was available only during Chicago Bulls home games during the 2019-2020 season;
it included, as Eater reports:
"[A] Burger with barbecue braised pork belly,
pickled onions, dill pickle, stout mustard, butterkase, and aged cheddar."
For those not in the know, butterkase is a traditional German butter cheese.
The burger was accompanied by a serving of fries and a salted caramel milkshake that
was lovingly referred to as, quote, "Mike's Secret Stuff" in a fun nod to the movie.
“You see these aliens come from outer space, and they want to make us slaves in their theme park.
What do we care? They’re little! So we challenge them to a basketball game.”
If you were ever thinking you should use Jordan's likeness for a steak coupon?
Just don't. You could end up in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
That's what happened to Safeway's grocery chain Dominick's. According to Eater, the chain used
Jordan's name and number 23 on a coupon for $2 off Rancher's Reserve steak purchases,
along with the words "You are a cut above."
The coupon's appearance coincided with Jordan's Hall of Fame induction,
which means it was probably some well-meaning designer or marketer's attempt at cleverness.
Nevertheless, it ended up with a court ordering Safeway to pay Jordan a hefty $8.9 million. After
the lawsuit concluded, a reporter asked Jordan if he'd ever even eaten a Rancher's Reserve steak,
to which he responded, "No, I got a Michael Jordan Steakhouse over here!"
Visited a Michael Jordan's Steakhouse in the past and loved it? Well, you're in luck.
You can get a taste of the restaurant at home, thanks to an Esquire article that published
Michael Jordan's Steakhouse steak sauce recipe online. However, the sauce is more of a glaze
and au jus than what you might think of as a traditional steak sauce. It's a far cry from A1.
The sauce is served alongside the restaurant's 45-day dry-aged
Delmonico steak, and it all comes together in less than 15 minutes.
The brown butter beef fat glaze combines rendered beef fat with dairy,
corn syrup, and Worcestershire sauce. The balsamic ginger jus, on the other hand,
is a little more complex. It requires cooked mirepoix, veal demi-glace,
and some freshly peeled and chopped ginger and garlic, among a few other ingredients.
We said that Michael Jordan's Steakhouse is far from kitschy, and that's true. However,
that doesn't mean that the restaurant doesn't also have a little fun on occasion.
On the regular menu, you can find whimsical offerings via 23-themed items on rotation.
The ever-present 23-themed menu item that's a must-try, though, is the 23-layer chocolate cake.
The cake requires two days to make,
as Oregon Live reported after visiting the restaurant's Portland location for a slice,
and is made from 23 layers of alternating cake and ganache with a final ganache layer on top.
One entire day is spent just creating all the different layers,
while a second day is spent putting them together and then blowtorching
the exterior frosting for a shiny glow. The end result is about six inches tall.
If your steaks could use a little extra help when you're cooking at home,
you may want to take a cue from a Michael Jordan's Steakhouse chef.
When the steakhouse's New York City location was in its heyday,
its executive chef, David Walzog, spoke to New York magazine. They reported his secret for
getting the perfect steakhouse char on every steak that made it through his kitchen doors.
As the magazine notes, Walzog's secret is
"dipping the steak in a combination of butter and oil, coating it with a generous layer of
kosher salt and cracked black pepper, and searing it over the hottest possible fire."
So, the next time you dine at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse,
take a look at the char and then try to replicate it at home using this same method.
Walzog also said he only ever cooked the best prime-grade, dry-aged beef he could get at the
time. That's bound to make any steak taste a little bit better, regardless of the char.
If you were to head into the Michael Jordan's Steakhouse kitchen,
you might spot an unfamiliar ingredient. But that ingredient is incredibly popular
in Croatia — and, according to the brand, the best-selling seasoning in all of Europe.
Vegeta is an "all purpose seasoning" that originated in Croatia in the '50s.
It's essentially a salt plus spices ingredient that can be used to add a little kick of
seasoning to your favorite dishes, or, when you add water, can be used to make broth.
In a Dubrovnik Times article, the Michael Jordan's Steakhouse chef Cenobio Canalizo said,
"We use Vegeta because it brings a richer flavor to our Mediterranean cuisine dishes and steak.
The richness of flavors of various types of vegetables in a combination that does not
burden fish or meat, but enhances their freshness and completes the culinary story, motivates me to
prepare even better dishes, so Vegeta has become [an] unavoidable food supplement in our kitchen."
Of course, just like any restaurant diner, Michael Jordan has his particular favorites off the menu.
A few years ago, the executive chef put together an "Eat Like
Mike" special that included all of what he said were Jordan's favorites.
But make sure you come hungry if you plan on replicating the meal.
According to the chef's interview with Forbes, the meal starts out with three appetizers:
maple-glazed, double smoked bacon; a crab cake with lemon aioli;
and garlic bread with blue cheese fondue.
Then, it's on to the Caesar salad,
which the chef said Jordan orders every time he comes into the restaurant.
From there, it's a 16-ounce, bone-in filet,
with that ginger balsamic vinegar jus that you can make yourself at home.
As for sides, the chef recommends mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and sautéed spinach.
Lastly, you'll go with the 23-layer chocolate cake for dessert. The chef notes, though, that he never
sees Jordan eat the cake — but if he's dining with someone, he orders it anyway, for his guest.
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