Tavern On Rush   

The SceneThirty-something singles eye each other over martinis at the bar of this classy Gold Coast restaurant, whose country-club decor is all dark wood, leather accents and lazily twirling ceiling fans. Upstairs, the stately dining room is a more subdued, family-friendly scene, with tall, spacious booths, a bustling open kitchen and no-nonsense servers who could recite the menu backwards if asked.The FoodThe classic American menu scores with upscale steak and seafood plates. Favorite starters include artichoke and crab dip and griddled crab cakes, plus a regal fresh seafood platter piled with jumbo shrimp, crab claws, a mound of lump crabmeat and a few morsels of seared tuna with ginger. Steaks (all prime cuts and charcoal-grilled) are impeccable: Servers recommend the bone-in fillet, but the petite New York strip is more than enough meat for most appetites, perfectly cooked and ringed with a juicy layer of fat.