Coach fare

Famous coaches don't necessarily make savvy restaurateurs, but Mike Ditka's game plan seems like a winner.

After 10 years downtown at 100 E. Chestnut St., Ditka recently opened a second location at ground level in the Mid-America Plaza office building in Oakbrook Terrace. It is across the street from upscale Oakbrook Center and within a huddle of high-density office towers at Routes 83 and 22.

It looks like the perfect formation for a touchdown.

At lunch the dining rooms attract shoppers and business people looking for a change-up from old favorites such as The Clubhouse, Braxton Seafood Grill and a cluster of Lettuce Entertain You restaurants, all within the confines of the shopping center.

Even for a midweek dinner the place was abuzz with casually dressed, middle-aged and older couples and families with young children.

The spacious interior is more informal supper club than sports bar. Ditka photos and memorabilia are scattered throughout, but are low-key.

The focal point of the brawny interior is a handsome mahogany and chrome bar where half a dozen men were watching sports on flat-screen TVs. The dining rooms -- with linen-topped tables, oversized light fixtures and mahogany trim -- flank the bar. A large, open kitchen at the back spills energy into the space.

The menu is basic steak-and-seafood-meets-comfort-food, not as extensive as downtown offerings but with plenty of satisfying options. The lengthy wine list features five options under Mike Ditka's label plus a "coach's list" of high-end special and reserve vintages. More than 30 wines are available by the glass.

Much of the food here is ready for first string. Plan to order Coach's Pot Roast Nachos, a heaping platter large enough to feed the Bears' defensive line. Well, maybe not that large, but it will feed four to six people as an appetizer, a tidbit of information that our server should have told the two of us.

Generous forkfuls of slow-cooked, richly flavored pot roast are topped with melted cheddar, sour cream, jalapenos, tomatoes and scallions. This is absolutely wonderful. I wish they would offer the pot roast as an entree, as they do downtown.

Oyster shooters, mini cheeseburgers and wood-oven pizzas are among other starters.

Sweet, mellow French onion soup earns extra points. A generous portion of rich, beef-and-onion broth holds the line against layers of brioche, melted gruyere and parmesan.

Entrees include a dozen seafood dishes, nine steak and chop options and four "Grabowski" choices that range from $11.95 for a burger to a hefty $27.95 for fettuccine marinara with shrimp, clams and scallops. That is hardly the working-class fare implied, especially for a la carte options, though portions are generous.

Assured by my server that "the chef would recommend this," I tried the Hawaiian bigeye tuna, buttery slices of seared, very rare tuna lightly drizzled with soy-based sauce and served with wasabi and pickled ginger. I'm a huge fan.

Other possibilities include sea bass with Mediterranean orzo and cashew-crusted tilapia with spicy vanilla rum butter and pineapple relish.

But I'm calling a penalty on the twin medallions of filet mignon. The peppercorn demi-glace, béarnaise sauce and crab meat could not disguise dry, ho-hum beef in need of seasoning.

Other hefty options include a 16-ounce veal parmesan "chop," 20-ounce rib-eye and 16-ounce boneless prime rib.

Sides are pretty straight-forward fare -- mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus and hash browns -- except for the sweet potato mash with bacon and maple-bourbon butter.

Desserts are thoughtfully offered in mini or full-size portions. In our satiated state we opted for a miniature Key lime pie and mini chocolate mousse served in oversized shot glasses. Both were good enough to make me break training.

Just two months into the game when I visited, service needed some fine tuning. Our server was courteous and friendly, though he never gave us a bread basket. He apologized but couldn't explain the long waits for food.

Based on Ditka's winning record downtown, Da Coach should have those kinks ironed out soon. I'm told he is on-site three days a week, working the crowd and whipping the staff into pro-bowl shape.

Mike Ditka's

2 Mid-America Plaza, Suite 100, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 572-2200

Cuisine: Steakhouse meets comfort food

Setting: Casual steakhouse

Price range: Appetizers, soup and salads $4.95 to $15.95; entrees $11.95 to $49.95; desserts $2.95 to $6

Hours: Lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday (brunch offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Accepts: Major credit cards

Also: Free valet parking