Put a steak....I mean stake.....I mean fork in it!

 

 Yeah, that's the ticket! I'm talking about some grilled cow. A steak. A big one or a small one. A medium rare one or a medium well one. (Others are really not steak anymore if they are raw or shoe leather). Filet, Strip, T-bone, Ribeye, Porterhouse and Prime Rib. One of life's simple pleasures is sitting down to a nicely cooked, sizzling steak brought out with some complementary sides and begging to be eaten.


Steak sauce? Not if the place is any good. Maybe some fresh horseradish for the Prime or even one of the other cuts but A1 and Heinz 57 do not belong on my steak. Steak Oscar? Ok, I guess I can allow that one as long as the seafood is right out of the Gulf fresh and does not overpower the red meat.

Favorite steak places? Oh, let me see, there are many. I will highlight just a few here in this column. Some will be from days past and some will be from my current culinary life. I will also try to hit across the spectrum from fine dining to casual eats and anything in between. I may have to do a follow up at some point as this is a broad category with myriad good choices.



From their website: My choice is the filet

 So, first I will extol the virtues and consistency of one, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. My adventures in eating have taken me to many locations of this fine chain. I began the RC journey in New Orleans, then Mobile, on to Atlanta, up to NY, a stop off in Denver and then to Tampa. Out of all these only one has not been up to par, the one in Denver, and it was something about ownership as I recall. Other than that the steaks are top choice, the atmosphere and service remarkably consistent and the menu everything a steak lover could imagine and maybe a little more. Usually a filet man but have ventured into other territory as well for some change of pace. Some meals consist of just an app, salad and a glass or two of vino. The sides are always enough for at least two and spinach and fries fresh from the oil are two faves. They have great stuffed mushrooms, BBQ Shrimp, Crab Cakes and Ahi Tuna, a mouth watering chopped salad and the desserts always look fab but I am always already satisfied so it goes unordered. The sizzling platter and the sumptious sides are enough for this meat lover. If I had to rank the locations I would have to say the NY location is #1, maybe purely based on it's location in the Marriott where I stayed on business all the time. It was hard to only eat there once per trip up but I did it. Always a great meal here. Always. Save the Denver location where I hosted a group dinner.

From their website: Florida Style Steakhouse

Staying local here in the area, Charley's Steakhouse is on our list of favorites. This one is also on the top end of the scale pricewise and we always start in the bar for a cocktail before heading to our table for dinner. This is a nice spot for business dinners and have had more than a couple here. This location has a nice Florida feel and is upscale and laid back all at the same time. Aged steaks are presented at the table for your choice before you order. I have had the filet here often but have moved into other cuts as well as Lobster depending on whether it is on the expense account or not. The service is usually great here as well. I have had a couple of instances where the cuts of meat were not quite as I would like and once some rubbery (frozen?) lobster tails but for the most part Charley's delivers.

Other good steak places I have had the pleasure of frequenting are Del Frisco's in Ft. Worth, Seegars at the Sandestin Hilton, Smith and Wollensky along with Gallagher's in NYC, Chops in Buckhead and I am sure I will come up with more as we go.......

Also, will report in on some of the more inexpensive steak places and chains in another story.

For now I need a nap after all that red meat talk.

Oui, Oui for the Brasserie!

 I am not French nor do I speak the language but this past weekend I did visit a place that reminded me that I do like their food. And one day will sit and eat it on the Champs De Elysee with my lovely bride. I will thank them for the Statue Of Liberty and for Steak Frites.

I digress.

We visited the other side of the bay and stopped in for dinner at The St. Pete Brasserie on Central Avenue. Very unassuming from the outside but when you walk in you do get a sense right away of a nice and lively little bistro with a bar on the right side and ample tables spread throughout. The crowd was buzzing when we arrived and we were shown to a table all the way at the back of the dining room.

A diverse crowd was in house and as we dined we noticed a lot of regulars coming and going based on the interaction with the ownership and staff.

We also had the pleasure of using a gift certificate for our first time here which had us looking at the apps right off the bat. Nice thing about restaurant.com GC's is that you can then add on items you might not normally try and really get a good cross section of the menu. We ordered a Chicken Liver Mousse that came with cornichons, toasts and a ginger pallete cleanser. It was lovely and delish.

I got a beer and ordered my wife a glass of the Clos Du Val Chard to start and we took our time perusing the entree selections before making the call. We decided on the old standby, Steak Frites and also the Duck Confit with a Brasserie Salad and a side of the recommended Mac and Cheese.

The salad was pretty standard fare BUT the lively vinegar based dressing was a real standout in this dish. I asked our server to bring me a good red wine with my Steak Frites and she did choose a nice one, the name escapes me but it was right on for my dinner. The Duck Confit was rich and flavorful and sitting atop braised red cabbage and some whipped potatoes. My steak was perfectly cooked and had a bit of a sweet taste from the marinade and the fries were crispy, hot and perfect with the meat.

The reco of the Mac and Cheese was a GOOD one and the al dente pasta and the rich cheese blend made this a must order for next trip. We could not finish half of it due to our full state.

We did LISTEN to the dessert choices before politely declining them and coffee due to my wife's tired state.

Our server was good for this evening but I felt she was "selling" a bit too much.....I don't know if it was due to the GC or what. Still all in all attentive service though.

Bottom line, we will be back and this one was one of those places where you talk about it the next day and try to dream up a reason to go back as soon as possible.

Tab with our GC and lavish tip was only $65. It was worth it without the GC and they did their jobs so to speak. They will get us back.......and soon. I hope to be able to order in French next time in.