By Helen A. Lee

In a city like Chicago, which is renowned for its world-class cuisine, a stellar reputation like the one enjoyed by Morton’s The Steakhouse is hard to come by. But if you enjoy a succulent steak or classic and super-fresh seafood dishes, it’s impossible not to think of Morton’s right away. Less prominently but just as importantly, Morton’s already enviable status has been raised by the addition of technology that makes it a perfect place to hold business functions, especially in the newest location on Freedom Drive in Naperville.

How does Morton’s do it? For one thing, it uses only the best quality, prime-aged, Midwest grain-fed beef, shipped directly from beef suppliers in Chicago. This means more if you realize that the highest quality meats, rated Prime for quality and intramuscular fat by the United States Department of Agriculture, are in limited supply. In fact, only about four percent of the beef cuts sold are certified Prime. This makes Morton’s cuts of exceptional quality—a quality you can taste.

Grain-fed beef indicates that the cattle is fed corn, soy and other kinds of feed that provide a high-starch, high-energy diet. That means the cattle get fat faster. And a cow’s diet naturally affects the flavor of the meat; most of us prefer the taste of grain-fed beef to other types. Using grain made in the Midwest makes Morton’s beef uniquely American and imparts a hearty flavor produced by our local farmers.

Before cooking, the cuts of meat are dry-aged, an expensive and time-consuming process reserved for better cuts of meat. The beef is loosely covered and hung in a refrigerated cooler so that moisture in the muscles is allowed to escape, thus concentrating the flavor. Also during this process, the beef’s natural enzymes break down its own connective tissues. This imparts a complex richness and a tender, buttery texture. Each cut is aged for a minimum for a minimum of two weeks. Morton’s then gets the cuts and prepares them in the most flavorful and tempting ways.

Morton’s offers the best of land and sea, so the lighter seafood choices offered here are as spectacular as the steak offerings. Seafood is flown in daily from reputable dealers all over the world, then checked for freshness. This means that when it arrives, the chefs at Morton’s check that seafood doesn’t smell fishy, that shellfish is firm and mildly sweet-smelling, that the fish have bright eyes and pink gills. Then the fresh fare is prepared in classic ways designed to deliver maximum taste. It’s a quality that food lovers can experience with all five senses.

But there’s even more to Morton’s than just great food and an award-winning wine list. You can be sure that the restaurant’s smart, purely American ambiance and reputation for excellence hints at the forward-thinking nature of Morton’s as a business. The chain’s most recent Chicagoland venture, located at Freedom Commons in Naperville, includes private boardrooms for groups as small as 10 and as large as 70. Each Boardroom is Wi-Fi equipped and outfitted with a Velocity private broadcast suite so companies can create and display personalized high-definition programming for all audiences. The bar is well-designed for meeting, greeting and eating, with comfortable chairs and large plasma television screens.

These features make Morton’s an exceptional choice for any business or personal function. The combination of fine dining, budget-friendly pricing and up-to-date meeting facilities is an irresistible one—it’s a total package for efficiency, value and quality. Since that’s exactly what Morton’s is known for, you can’t lose.

The newest Morton’s is located at 1751 Freedom Drive in Naperville, (630) 577-1372. You’ll find six other convenient locations in Chicagoland. Two of them are in Chicago, at Wacker Place and State Street. In the north suburbs, Morton’s is found in Northbrook. In the northwest, you’ll find Morton’s in Schaumburg. In the O’Hare area, there’s one at Rosemont. If you’re in the near west, don’t miss the Westchester restaurant. Visit www.mortons.com for additional information.