Do you ever just crave a steak? A nice juicy, tender steak? Well I do. I could go for one right now. But not just anyone. One from Ruth Chris Steakhouse. I think it is one of the best steaks I have ever had, and I have tried some of the top chains. But the latest and perhaps greatest on my list is; Ruth Chris Steakhouse.
Usually as a rule you get what you pay for both in terms of atmosphere and the quality of food. So I don’t mind shelling out the big bucks when I know I am going to get what I deserve and what I am paying for. Sometimes you just need a nice meal. Sometimes special occasions warrant it. For a birthday or a special celebration I always believe going all at whenever you can. The great thing about steakhouses is that you can usually select a great piece of meat and then share the sides with the rest of the table. Depending on whether or not you drink, order appetizers and dessert, you can really control your bill to a reasonable amount; especially when you consider what you are getting in return. Living in NYC sometimes you can pay more for meal than it’s worth. But with a good steakhouse you know you are in for a treat.
I am not really a meat eater. But I do appreciate a good meal and I always want to try the best, both the best in my city and any that I visit. I had tried Morton’s steakhouse a couple of years ago for a birthday dinner in NYC that I had arranged. It was an excellent meal and I loved every minute of it. The service was impeccable and I believe it was worth every penny.
I had first heard of Ruth Chris on a trip to Chicago back in 2007. I did not know much about it until a friend of mine told me that it was suppose to be delicious. Since then I have had it in the back of my mind that I would try it one day. After my experience at Morton’s I figured Ruth Chris should be next.
The great thing about these mega famous steakhouses is that they are chains. Now normally I associate chains with food groups like McDonalds or the Olive Garden in which case I would avoid them like the plague. However, here we have the opposite effect. These steakhouses are places that maintain their quality, charm, class, and magnificence despite their many locations. It is a wonder like a gift from the Gods.
It was a mere coincidence that I would get to try Ruth Chris Steakhouse in the city where I first learned about it four years later on a return trip to Chicago. Chicago, as you will read in later blogs, is a city I greatly adore. They have a food culture all their own. However, I managed to squeeze in a meal at Ruth Chris because I was aching to try it out, especially after having read the online menu and caught myself drooling.
What can I say? It was a meal to remember! I had a terrible cold and still could taste the amazing food. I ordered wisely so as not to eat myself sick. I shared with my companion: Caesar salad, the stuffed mushrooms with crabmeat, petite filet and shrimp, and mashed potatoes.
It was the perfect amount of food. I was stuffed to the gills. Yet I knew as soon as I digested this was a meal I would crave day after day, year after year. It is not the kind of thing you get sick of. Even though our experience got off to a rocky start, as my reservation was running an hour behind, the manager was happy to make sure our food was hot and quick but not rushed so that we were enjoying ourselves and off to see the show I had tickets for at Second City on time. I love when professionals are well, professional, without me screaming bloody murder. It is a rarity.
This past Christmas, Santa brought me a book entitled “The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak” (http://www.amazon.com/The-Gorilla-Man-Empress-Steak/dp/1617030821/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334782695&sr=1-1). It is the story behind the steak. This story is so random is has to be true. Ruth and her husband hail from New Orleans and this book tells the tale of how their family went from politics into the restaurant business almost by accident. Their success story and colorfully background is intriguing. I cannot wait to finish reading this book. It is surely a story unlike anything I have read before. Right up my alley!
My next steak related mission is to try another NYC institution that has also spread out across the country, the Palm Restaurant. It is another place I have always heard such great things about and am sure I will love. I cannot wait to try it this year and share my review with you all.
Let the steak eating begin!
For Steak
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