American food is as American as apple pie, which is itself American food, creating a Möbius strip of culinary tautology. Sort out the complexities of patriotic dining with today's Groupon. For $30, you get $60 worth of upscale American fare and drink at Landmark Grill & Lounge, located in Lincoln Park.

A member of Boka Restaurant Group, Landmark serves upscale American comfort food with twists worthy of a Nancy Drew novel. Appetizers include goat-cheese ravioli ($10) and a red lentil–brussels sprout strudel ($9), while entrees pull from farm-animal communes and fish condominiums for carnivore-friendly cuisine. Exact revenge on cows who said you'd never be a speed skater with the braised boneless short rib ($22) with roasted sunchoke and parsnip puree, or paint your palate in saucy goodness with the barbecue-glazed pork chop ($27) with bacon spaetzle and sweet onion marmalade. The sautéed whitefish ($19) swims invitingly in white beans, swiss chard, and mussels. Salads keep the animal- and mineral-refusing stomachs at bay, with offerings such as red and golden beets with chioggia-frisée salad and a balsamic emulsion, or the arugula salad, starring grilled apple in its comeback role aside candied cashews, goat cheese, and a smoldering yet sweet chile-cinnamon vinaigrette. The dessert menu includes Landmark's gigantic chocolate-chip cookie with vanilla malt ice cream and hot fudge sauce ($7), with an array of wine and cocktails available for libational luxury.

Landmark's décor of faux zebra-skin chairs, decadent lighting, and exotic fixtures sets the stage for an evening of eats far from the traditional dining experience, unless your traditional dining experience draws visual inspiration from Persian parlors and Moroccan mezzanines. Put aside your preconceived notions of American comfort food and embrace chewable change at Landmark Grill & Lounge.

Reviews

Time Out Chicago and Centerstage drool over everything from the appetizers to the cocktails and desserts. Seventy-seven percent of Urbanspooners recommend it, more than 200 OpenTable Diners give an average of four stars, and 180 Yelpers give an average of 3.5:

• There's not a bad place to start, really, but make sure to save room to bookend the meal with stellar cocktails and delicious desserts. – Time Out Chicago
• Located within a stone's throw of Steppenwolf, Landmark offers a flashy interior and equally extravagant menu. Expect to pay a decent buck, but the top-shelf presentation and unique ingredients make this place a must-stop spot for an upscale dinner before or after a show. – Robin Wright, Centerstage
• Our meal was amazing, but we kept seeing entrees pass by that looked really amazing, too. We made a resolution to go back soon and try those things. – OpenTable reviewer who dined on 04/13/2010