District Chophouse has established itself as a lively part of the Gallery Place dining scene. I’ve eaten here a couple of times, and my most recent visit solidified it as one of my favorite places for an upscale, leisurely, and delicious meal the city.

The restaurant attracts an eclectic mix of tourists (the Crime & Punishment/Spy Museums are a stone’s throw away), young interns enjoying a classy meal after a hard day, the lawyer-ing crowd, and local families. The restaurant is metro accessible (Gallery Place-Chinatown is the closest, and the Metro Center & Archive stops aren’t all that far).

Come hungry! My favorite aspect of the restaurant is it serves skillet cornbread as the ‘bread’ course, and it is sooooo good. Always warm, fresh, and steaming, and a great way to introduce your taste buds to the flavors Chophouse has to offer.

My sister & I are suckers for spinach artichoke dip, and our most recent meal was no exception. The dip is served with warm grilled flatbread and big chunks of artichoke hearts within the dip. Maybe not for those who prefer a smoother dip, but it was ideal for me, who is not totally crazy about having an abundance of cheese in my spin-art dips. My arteries didn’t feel (overly) clogged, so I had plenty of room for my next course(s) :)

I only recently became a crab cake eater and have now realized I have missed out on a huge part of my food education! This entrée consisted of two mini crab cakes, made out of generous chunks of crab meat with very little breading, with a choice of four different side dishes – white cheddar mashed potatoes, baked potato, fries, or rice pilaf. I opted for the baked potato, mainly because I remembered the potato is covered with rock salt and an excellent mix of spices that can’t accurately identify (basil/rosemary/something good).

As hard as it is for me to admit, I wasn’t able to eat everything on my plate (tragic, I know!) The baked potato was way bigger than the span of my hand, but my inability to finish up my glorious entree is no commentary on the quality. The potato’s seasoning had a great kick, and the relish on the crab cakes was superb, a tomato-corn-cilantro mixture that was not too oily or overwhelmingly strong. I appreciated the presentation – the tartar was very prettily drizzled on the side of the plate so one could choose to eat it or not.

My dad had the tuna chop rare with rice pilaf, and my sister got the chicken picatta with mashed potatoes. Both enjoyed their entrees immensely, but the portions were huge and we parted with a healthy bag of leftovers. At least we have dinner for tomorrow night!

As far as ‘pacing’ of the meal…I would say it was one of the best. Cornbread was served approx 10 min before the appetizer, allowing for some eating enjoyment without getting full. We had plenty of time to enjoy our salads that come with the entrees (either house or Caesar) before the entrees arrived – it was perfect! The waitstaff was extremely friendly and attentive, and made sure we had full drinks and a cleared table before the next course.

I was def in the mood for something sugary (as usual) after all that salty food, and the caramel apple pie hit the spot. The pie crust literally melted in my mouth, it was so light and buttery. Served with two generous scoops of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce…a sweet finish to a fantastic meal, and the apples were cooked right to my liking – not too soft with still a good amount of crisp & crunch. I’m a bit bias as apple pie is not my favorite dessert, but this was pretty good.

Like any other steakhouse of similar ilk, it’s pretty pricey but not outrageous (apps average about $9-$10, entrees between $20-$35ish). Great wine & beer list, and a nice bar with multiple TVs, so you’ll be able to catch any of the big sporting events nearby…and having the Verizon Center two blocks away keeps things exciting. I would highly suggest reservations, even during the week. The longest wait I’ve had without a reservation is about 45 minutes on a Saturday night, which isn’t too bad (but still frustrating!) for the Gallery Place area.

Great meal and great service. I was surprised for how crowded it was on a Wed night – gotta love all us foodies helping stimulate the economy. The restaurant has 3 other locations in Cleveland, Boulder and Denver…so if you’re out in those areas, I’d suggest stopping on by!

Not at all impressed with lunch. Had the burger and it was undercooked and lacking in flavor. Also, my order and the order of two others in my party were messed up (but maybe this only happens in large parties, we were 20). I have, however, heard better things about their dinner offerings and would still consider giving it another shot.