Just a hop away from the Raleigh-Durham airport is a large red wooden barn that houses one of the most revered institutions in the NC Triangle. The Angus Barn is much more than a mere steak house, and around Christmas time can be seen bedecked in lights, trees, apples, santas, and crowded with local families carefully dressed in their Sunday best for family reunions, dinner with Grandma, and milling about with chummy business associates impressing each other with their largesse. Downright impossible to get a reservation for the main dining area during these times, it’s best to go frightfully early, around 4pm, and set up camp upstairs, past the gun collection, in the no-reservations Wild Turkey Lounge, which has enough presence and Southern charm to satisfy any diner.

Forget the yummy twice baked herbed potato with cheddar or the huge “side” of Caesar salad – one could happily munch on bottomless cheddar spread, homemade pita chips, and pickles all night with a glass of sweet tea. And maybe a cocktail. Ok, then there’d be no juicy, perfect spare rib or lush, classic Southern desserts – sawdust or chocolate chess pie, anyone? Expect a constant battle of the frustrating confines of ones own stomach, but just keep in mind that the portions (and service) are pure Southern hospitality and each additional course is worth sacrificing the previous course for room.

9401 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27617, USA

courtesy of benandjackssteakhouse.com

Delicious. Absolutely delicious. I love me some good steak. And let me tell you something, Ben and Jack’s Steakhouse has some damn good steak.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to write this post. I went to Ben and Jack’s a year ago and it is still fresh in my head. It’s definitely a typical steakhouse. Waiters in white buttoned up shirts, patrons of all age groups, unimaginative menu (but I mean, you’re going for steak, not something wrapped in pretty flowers and shaped into a sculpture).

My date and I started off with a lobster cocktail. Perfectly cooked and chilled, all I did was squeeze a little lemon over it and it was scrumptious. Next came our porterhouse and side of bacon. The steak was a gorgeous medium-rare and melted in our mouths. Our thick slab of bacon with flavorful and heavenly, just the way that I like it. Sometimes I wonder if I prefer the bacon over the steak and then I realize what difference does it make, just order both!

How does Ben and Jack’s compare to Peter Luger’s? They’re about the same. I mean think about it…the owners use to work at Luger’s, the bartender use to work at Luger’s and the chef use to work at Luger’s. It’s pretty much Luger’s, just with different owners and a different name. If one had an edge over the other, who would it be? I would say Luger’s and I say this because I am not scared of fat. The bacon and steak at Luger’s has a teeny amount more fat on it, and because of that can be more flavorful than lean meat. Ben and Jack’s meats were slightly on the leaner side. My dinner at Ben and Jack’s was definitely fantastic though, don’t get me wrong. I definitely want to go back. It’s been too long.

8.5 out of 10

219 East 44th Street
New York, NY
(212) 682-5678

-Juice

London

Our friends in London, Ontario, suggested this place to us for supper one night – on the 17th November. It had been recommended to them by colleagues who know London better than they do. The Timbers steakhouse restaurant nestles within the Radisson hotel complex in Wellington Street, London.
Canada is a confusing place for a visitor from the UK, especially from Scotland, like me, as familiar names of places appear all over the place in a juxtaposed way. Hence London or close-by Hamilton and so on… Canada should consider adopting a policy of giving the names of these localities in native Indian alongside their New World names just as Scotland did some years back with its bilingual policy of making place names on signs in both Gaelic and English.
Timbers is so called because of the design of the interior that allows large beams of timber placed in a robust and decorative fashion to appear part of the roof-supporting structures. The ambience is decidedly New Worldish! The atmosphere evoked from the lighting style is quite dark but restive.
We were brought menus by a very civil and friendly lady, civility being a feature that was emerging as a pattern in Canada. We decided upon a carafe of a Santa Carolina Chilean dry white, a good and reliable plonk. While the group opted for calimari as a starter, I, not being a seafood man, selected some lemon chicken soup which was good although being a Scot I do like my soup piping hot.
Timbers is the kind of restaurant I like in that you have ample time to enjoy a glass of wine before your main course arrives; it’s unhurried and laid back but not what I would call slow.
Since it is a steak, or chop, house I decided upon a sirloin steak, medium cooked, with fries and vegetables. The meal was delicious. My partner who had indulged in the calamari along with the rest of the group had seafood linguini for main course which she thought was also delicious. We shared a sumptuous ice-cream dessert.
Once again in Canada I was impressed with the civility and friendliness of the waiting staff. They seem to have more highly developed interpersonal skills than what I am typically accustomed to in Scotland: the ability to probe that bit deeper out of inquisitiveness and genuine interest without being intrusive or rude.
Equating the Canadian dollar to the pound Sterling I would say that the bill was very reasonable considering the quality of the food, service and environmental ambience. We would certainly eat there again.

Check out my review of Timbers – I am grian1954 – on Qype

Stop the press: STEVE GUTTENBERG IS NOT DEAD!

As we rapidly hurtle towards our destruction by a future angry at us for crimes other people committed, the dividing lines between good and bad seem more sharply defined than ever. Climate change: bad; climate awareness: good. Swine flu: bad; pork: good. Postal strikes: bad; the postal service: good.

 Do the same dividing lines apply equally to the world of cinema? Given the willingness of some of us to lap up any old horseshit as long it’s horseshit that looks like it’s  hurtling towards us in 3-D, whilst the rest of us retreat into our Fellini DVD boxsets, I think maybe they do.

 In a world of good and bad: what of the run-of-the-mill, the ok, the mediocre? Spare a thought for Steve Guttenberg, the undisputed king of mediocrity (cf Fist of Fun, 1995). I assumed he had died a quiet, mediocre death somewhere, possibly of SARs (not swine flu: too now). I was wrong.

 Steve Guttenberg is back and seems to be undergoing a bit of a career re-positioning. First, he’s trying his hand at stand-up comedy. Second, 19 years after the last one, they’re making a new Three Men and a Baby film. It’s going to be called Three Men and a Bride. What with the announcement of a movie adaptation of the Berenstein Bears books, is this the week my childhood finally breaks down into a big weeping puddle of despair?

 Is Guttenberg funny? See for yourself (the answer is no, obviously):

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cfa7881384/guttenbergs-steak-house-from-steve-guttenberg-and-drew

Love surf & turf, but don’t want to pay a big price at a steak house.  Create your own surf & turf in the comfort of your home.

Steak Preparation:

2 small steaks or one large steak (you pick).

Salt.

Pepper.

One stem of thyme.

One stem of rosemary.

2 tblsp. of olive oil.

Steak Cooking Instructions:

Pre-heat oven at 375 degrees.  If you’ve marinated the steak the day before, you’re all set, if you didn’t then prepare steak before placing in the oven.  Wait to place in the oven, because salmon will be cooked at the same temperature.

Maple Glazed Salmon:

1 large salmon filet.

Salt.

Pepper.

5 tablespoons of maple syrup.

Cooking Instructions For Salmon:

Oven should be pre-heat to 375 degrees, because steak will be going in too.  Cook steak & salmon for 30 minutes.  If you like your steak medium rare, cook for less time (approx 20 minutes). 

When steak and salmon are complete, serve with your favorite vegetable.  I highly reccomend mashed potatoes and corn. 

Reviewed 21 October 2009

Many years ago, when I was living in Brooklyn, someone asked me if I ever thought about making my own wine. My response to that was “No, I can’t . Wine making is about growing grapes as much as it is about fermenting and blending the juice. I can’t grow grapes in Brooklyn.”

Well, I’ve come to another similar theory about meat. The US Department of Agriculture grades meat, basically on the fat/lean ratio… In other words, the marbling. I’ve had meat that was stamped “USDA Prime” that was just… ok… So, here’s my theory- If you want to serve a truly great steak, you have to age it yourself. You have to hang that hulking side of beef in a refrigerated locker, for weeks… let it dry out… let a little funk grow on it… Let it break down and concentrate. This is how you make a truly great steak. Wet, factory aging doesn’t do the trick.

Del Frisco’s doesn’t dry age their meat.

We were in Houston on Wednesday for an investor tour and a site visit for some property that we have under contract to purchase. The last few times we were there, we ended up at Pappas’ Bros. Steak House (a good choice) but, we thought we’d mix it up a bit and try something different this time.

I’ve been to the Del Frisco’s in New York City, many years ago, and have a fond recollection of the dinner there, so, this seemed like a reasonable choice to mix it up.

Del Frisco’s is in the Houston Galleria next to what appears to be an hotel. It wasn’t easy to spot from the cab and once we did spot it, it wasn’t easy to figure out exactly how to get to the front door.

Upon entering, it had a nice feeling to it. There was a hostess desk just inside the door with a coat check. Left of that was a staircase leading to a second-level dining room. Just beyond the staircase was a long bar. It was a comfortable spot for a cocktail, or, a casual dinner at the bar.

After ordering cocktails, I noticed something strange served to a woman sitting next to us. She was served a plate of bread and something that looked like chocolate mousse in a large martini glass. She seemed to be struggling with how to approach the martini glass without capsizing it. The glass full of brown muck caught my attention and required closer examination… It wasn’t mousse at all, it was meat!

Martini Glass filled with potatoes, meat, and gravy at Del Frisco's.

The martini glass had a bottom layer of mashed potatoes and was filled to the top with chunks of meat in gravy. It looked like stroganoff on smashers. I didn’t try this, of course, but had to take a picture. I’m sure it was tasty, but, the presentation seemed precarious, odd, and unpalatable (I don’t want brown muck served to me in clear glass stemware).

We were seated at a center table in the middle of the upstairs dining room. It’s big and institutionally artsy. The dining room was bustling and comfortable. There seemed to be a lot of nondescript staff running around.

As soon as we were seated, a woman came by to see how we were doing. She introduced herself as the manager. Then another woman came over to take drink orders followed by a third who came to discuss the wine list. (we opted for a 2005 Rubicon “Cask” Cab. Nice bottle, slightly pricey at $175)

Then came the bread. Good, homemade white bread covered in sesame seeds and served with a vat of butter. With all of the staff around, I was amazed at one thing- They just didn’t get the timing right. The courses were painfully distant and the meal ended up taking a good 4 hours.

We started with some shrimp. It was a simple plate with 5 steamed prawns with three sauces. There was a fantastic Cajun remoulade sauce, an Italian vinaigrette inspired sauce, and classic ketchup and horseradish based cocktail sauce. This was followed with soup and salad courses. I had the Beef Steak Tomato and Sliced Onion Salad. Simple. Thick slices of tomato, thick slices of onion, some oil and vinegar, and gorgonzola cheese crumbles. Mike had the seafood soup. It was tomato based and smelled good, but, I can’t comment beyond that since I didn’t try it.

Beefsteak tomato and Onion Salad at Del Friso's

24 ounce charred porterhouse

For the main courses I had a 24 ounce porterhouse. It looked great on the plate. Charred outside and glistening, medium rare on the inside. The flavor was ok, but just that… Unfortunately I’ve become somewhat of a steak snob- if it’s not a deliciously concentrated dry-aged cut of prime beef… It’s just ok… That’s the problem… If you’ve had the best, it’s hard to appreciate middle-of-the-road.

Mike went for the coconut fried shrimp… This looked like something that you’d get from a fast-food seafood place with giant slices of onion rings, but, what do you expect? You don’t order fried shrimp at a steak house.

Bone-In Filet Mignon

Two of the other diners split a bone-in filet. It also looked good, but, they didn’t seem impressed with the flavor. This speaks to the preamble of this review: You have to age your meat yourself to get a truly great steak. The meat was passable, and “ok”, but as $50 for a 24 ounce porterhouse, I expect better than just “ok”.

For our side dishes, we had a plate of steamed asparagus covered with thinly sliced and toasted almonds. This was pretty good. They also served a smoked bacon flavored macaroni and cheese… This was terrible! It had the consistency of Movie Theatre Nacho Cheese Sauce. No finesse, gummy, pasty, nastiness. I wouldn’t recommend this. Additionally, we had a side of sauted mushrooms. These were fine and a welcome accompaniment to the steak.

We finished dinner with coffee and espresso and hit the road worn out and not completely satisfied. The wait staff was not up to the task. There seemed to be an overabundance of staffers and they took too long to accomplish the task at hand. It just didn’t make sense that everything would be so long and drawn out.

When we finally paid the check and headed downstairs, the hostess station was unattended. I had to let myself into the coat check closet to retrieve my briefcase on my own. In addition to this, the front door was locked and we had to let ourselves out the side door. It was late, but, that wasn’t by our doing, simply due to the slow pace of the waitstaff.

All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this if you were looking for a true steak house experience. There are definitely better options in Houston. But, If you’re going for a nice but casual cocktail and some food at the bar served in stemware… Give it  a try.

Wild Side West: steakhouse or gay bar?

What about Toad Hall? Steakhouse or gay bar? What about C. C. Slaughters, the Polo Club, Switch or La Cabana? Steakhouse or gay bar?

SteakHouseOrGayBar.com has compiled the names of steakhouses and gay bars across the country and then put them up on the site asking participants to select whether the name graces the sign of a steakhouse or a gay bar. The site displays which answer is correct and shows how many other people replied with that same response.

And in case you were curious, Switch and La Cabana are steakhouses, while Wild Side West, Toad Hall, C. C. Slaughters and the Polo Club are all gay bars.

“El Bulli” in Cala Montjol, Spain. In 2007 it was crowned the best restaurant in the world for the third consecutive year. Chef Patron Ferran Adria commands 42 Chefs in the kitchen, at this small bay on the Costa Brava.

The “Aragawa”, a little steakhouse in Tokyo’s Shinbashi district. Tabs reliably start at $370 per person for Wagyu (Kobe Beef). The restaurant has neither a web site nor grandiose décor.

Life is crazycrazycrazy lately. Getting home after 6:30 from school (I do live a half hour away, to be fair), is simply insane & just another day after the last, before the next, blended one into another by headaches and sleep deprivation. Forget balancing sleep, family, sanity & a social life. They just seem to fall between the cracks lately.

Do those words even make sense?

So we take advantage of every moment. These were taken at a dinner with friends last weekend in the back of a steakhouse.

Who needs fancy sets & brightly lit runways?

p.s. she look familiar? checkk my banner.

song of the day: “Dogs Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine

reviewed 8/1/2007

What, no Strippers?!?: A recent business trip to Las Vegas put me and my partners at Michael Mina’s Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay for dinner. Stripsteak is a typical steak house in Mandalay Bay. Simple, Vegas styled upper-middle restaurant.

We met one of our partners there who was sitting at the bar eating a huge pile of king crab and a beer. Apparently, he couldn’t wait for dinner. We ordered a quick cocktail at the bar, which is essentially looking out onto the Vegas buzz in the hallway behind us.

We were greeted by a hostess who took us to a table that was falling apart. The top wasn’t quite screwed onto the base, and we decided this would detract from the evening, so, we asked for another table. They were very apologetic and sent us back to the bar to wait for another table.

The hostess was very attentive and checked in with us regularly, apologizing that there wasn’t a free table available yet.

So, after a few cocktails, we decided to just eat at the bar.

The menu was decent, and a typical steak house variety of options. There were a couple of things that caught my eye though, that we had to sample.

First they brought out a tray of French fries. This sounds a little odd, but, it was very good! There were three tiny ceramic cups filled with three different types of fries. This was accompanied with three dipping sauces that went with the fries.

The first was a traditional fry with homemade ketchup. Very nice. The second were truffled fries with a white, creamy, truffle sauce that was outstanding! I could have eaten that all night and been happy. Finally, there were some barbequed fries with a barbeque dipping sauce. Very good, but, dwarfed by the truffle sauce.

The next thing we got were fois gras “sliders”. These were seared slabs of fois gras served on a small bun, like a white castle burger. The bun had the texture of a brioche, just a little softer, and it was served with a pear compote. Outstanding! Definitely try this if you can.

We followed this with a dozen oysters that came on the half-shell with 3 sauces (they seem to be into threes here). There was a standard mignonette, cocktail sauce, and a weird green sauce that I couldn’t quite tell what it was. The oysters were very good, but, I like mine plain if they’re good. Save the sauces for mediocre oysters. The waiter also, at our request, brought out some shredded horseradish. This was ridiculously potent. So, if you order horseradish, be sure to sample it before using.

For my main course, I ordered a 30oz porterhouse, medium rare, that I shared with my partner. It was a lot of meat, and at $69, a but pricy, but, good. To accompany it, I ordered a HUGE baked potato that came with a trio of accompaniments… Scallions in olive oil, Spanish chorizo, and a cream sauce. The potato was fine, the chorizo not as good as I expected. Waste your carbs on something else…

I also added some asparagus in a béchamel (very good) and a seared slab of fois gras (excellent).

The wine list was more than adequate, and we chased the meal down with a bottle of Chappelet 2000 “Pritchard Hill” Cabernet. This was an excellent bottle of wine. At $204, a but pricy, but a delicious cabernet.

All said and done, the bill came to $580 without tip. This was for 3 people, with wine and cocktails, so, probably about right for the quality of the meal. I’d recommend this restaurant for the quality of the steak, the excellent fois gras.

reviewed 7/16/2007

Attack of the Killer Potato: The Missus and I were looking for something new in the area. I just searched on “steak” and Red Tracton’s came up. Figured we’d try it out. Made a same-day reservation, on Saturday night, at 8pm, with no problem. Although, I hear it gets a lot more busy during racing season (Del Mar Race Track opens this wednesday).

We arrived, valet parked, and were immediately seated in the lounge area. It was a little noisy, but, fun. Dark wood, with a bar and a piano player in the corner. We were seated right next to the piano, so, it was probably particulary noisy at our table.

The service was adequate, the wine list less adequate, but cheap, and we brought our own bottle anyway ( a 2003 Chateau Mouton Rothschild) that they corked and decanted for a $25 fee.

The menu is short and simple. Steak, seafood, salads and a few sides. The main courses come with either a GIANT baked potato, and I mean GIANT… probably a 3 pounder, or, a twice baked (stuffed) potato.

We started with the blackened shrimp, that was good, and tasty, but, probably a bit pricy at $16 for 4 shrimp. This was followed by a tomato, onion, and anchovy salad that was very nice. I’d suggest splitting it and opting for the chopped version.

For our mains, Heather had the small cut of prime rib, and I went for the rib eye (rare of course). The meat was tasty and prepared well, but, I would have prefered a thicker cut of ribeye. Not complaining, it just wasn’t the “fatty” that I would have done if it were on my own grill. We opted for 2 additional sides, a bowl of mushroom sauteed in butter and onions, and, a plate of steamed asparagus with hollondais.

One thing of note… The stuffed potato was without style, and dry… The GIGANTIC baked potato was tasty, and stuffed with some nice bacon, chives, butter, and sour cream. It was enough potato for 4 people, so, I didn’t mind sending the stuffed potato back.

We followed dinner with some cheesecake and a chocolate/icecream cake of some sort that were both fine. All said and done, it was about $150 for dinner for two. This included a couple of cocktails before dinner and the corkage for the wine. Probably a bit more if you included wine from the menu.

After dinner, we moved to the piano, and closed the bars while sipping Jack and Coke’s. This was a lot of fun… Mostly an older crowd, but, still fun. I was definately the loudest, and most obnoxious singer in the bunch, but, that’s what’s expected in a drunken stuper at a pseudo piano-bar/karaoke… What I lack in skill, I make up for in volume, and… I’m fine with that…

I’d recommend this place, just don’t expect a “high end” steak house.

reviewed 3/19/2007

Steak Splatter: We had a night out planned without the kids and were trying to decide on a decent restaurant for dinner before heading out to an Eric Clapton concert. Didn’t want to go too over the top, because, I didn’t feel like dressing up for the concert, and didn’t want to invest 4 hours on a meal before heading to a 7:30 concert.

Ruth’s Chris seemed to fit the bill. This is the first time I’ve been to the one in San Diego. It seemed a bit dated, like many of the older establishments in the area. It was comfortable, but, felt a little tired.

We went early, and got to the restaurant shortly after 5pm. The hostess greeted us and told us we needed to wait at the bar until they “opened”. One cocktail, and a few minutes later, we were seated at a banquet that was facing a window overlooking San Diego bay. There were shades pulled to keep the sun out of our eyes that still had a couple of hours to set.

The menu was adequate. There were a few New Orleans style options that sounded pretty interesting, like spicy shrimp as an appetizer.

To start, we had a chopped salad. It wasn’t huge, but, still enough to split. It was pretty good, and topped with deep fried onions. Good starter. We followed this with the seared ahi. This was prepared with mustard and beer and was fine as a starter.

For the main course, we both ordered the petit filet. I wasn’t super hungry, so, didn’t go overboard on the larger cut. Mine came with an “au poivre” sauce that didn’t quite hit the mark, and, my wife’s steak came with a seared blue cheese crust that was pretty tasty. For sides, we ordered a pile of shoestring potatoes and creamed spinach au gratin. The spinach was a heart attack waiting to happen… creamed spinach with a huge amount of cheddar cheese melted on top. Quite tasty. It’s the one thing we finished. Both steaks were prime and cooked well, served on a really hot plate, sizzling with melted butter.

As an accompaniment to our entrees, we also ordered a pound of Alaskan King Crab. I was a little disappointed with this. It came served with a pot of drawn butter on top of a tea candle, but, it was dry and flavorless. Not nearly as sweet and plump and juicy as the king crab you get at Costco.

The wine list was also adequate, and we opted for the 2002 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet at $150. It was a bit young, but, after decanting was pretty nice.

We finished the meal with a chocolate cake filled with chocolate goo and a pots du crème of chocolate covered in whipped cream.

All said and done, it’s a comfortable place to eat with some good steaks. Probably a bit pricy for what you are getting, but, quick and easy. If you really want a great meal at a similar price, I’d drive up to La Jolla and try Donovan’s.

reviewed 4/2/2007

Great Steaks, Creative Menu: This is a pleasant surprise as you’re driving from the Bozeman airport at night and can’t decide where to go for dinner.

The Mint is a small steakhouse/bar on Main Street in Downtown Belgrade, probably 2 or 3 miles from the Gallatin Field Airport.

Main street in Belgrade has always been a tired, worn down excuse for a town center until very recently with new development coming in a steady stream.

From the outside, the Mint doesn’t look like much. Just a typical little Belgrade bar/restaurant. They have a pretty long bar and a two dining rooms.

When you first walk in, there is a large chalkboard next to the bar with the day’s specials. One of their specials was a smoked salmon crepe with a savory sauce topped with a lingonberry sauce. Delicious. They also have a few meat and seafood specials with an assortment of sauces. Finally, a few pasta specials that sounded great, like pasta with prosciutto wrapped grilled chicken.

After a short stay at the bar, We were seated and ordered a half dozen snails in garlic butter and the salmon crepe. The snails were a standard butter and garlic delivery system, but, the crepes were excellent.

This followed by a salad that was fresh and delicious.

Finally, we ordered the porterhouse for 2. This was a HUGE piece of meat. I’d guess it started out 3 inches thick. It was tasty and well prepared, but, the filet had been removed. The New York side was excellent though, and more than we could eat.

We accompanied this with a $30 bottle of Argentine wine that went very well with the meal.

If you’re hungry, and flying into Bozeman, this is a great place to stop. They’re menu has standard meat and seafood, with some creative specials. Definately worth a look.

reviewed 1/13/2007

Great Lamb Chops: We had a last minute change of heart when we were deciding what to do for New Year’s Eve this year. We started with a Charger’s game, and planned on heading up to Vegas to celebrate the New Year. At some point during the day, we just decided that it would be nice to stay local.

A friend had recommended Donovan’s in La Jolla, so, I thought I’d try it out. I called for reservations, and they had two openings, 5:30 and 9:30. 5:30 seemed dangerously close to the end of the game, so, we opted for the later seating.

When we arrived, we were greeted by a hostess who told us it would be a few minutes until our table was ready, so, we spent a few minutes at the bar. Very nice bar. It was elegant yet comfortable, and the service was instant. We weren’t quite through our glasses of scotch and wine when the hostess came up to us and offered us our table.

The wine list ran the gamut. We opted for a 1981 Chateau Margaux. It wasn’t cheap at $450/bottle, but, it was a special occasion, so, I splurged. I didn’t have to ask to have it decanted as the service was prompt and professional.

The menu was short and sweet. This is, after all, a steak and chop house. There was a selection of 4 or 5 appetizers, various cuts of meat, and a couple of sides.

To start, we had a shrimp cocktail (standard fare), a salad (also standard), and some spicy Lamb chops. The Chops were fantastic! Indian spiciness, well prepared, delicious.

Following the appetizers, the boys both had ribeyes, with a peppercorn sauce (not on the menu, but, very nice). The ribeyes were great. Very flavorful and well prepared. The girls both ordered filets. Heather’s was topped with blue cheese. Also very good. We chose sauteed mushrooms and creamed spinach as our sides, served family style. The spinach was a cheesy delight, and you can’t have a steak dinner without mushrooms…

To finish, we shared a creme brulee and a couple of espressos. The brulee was standard fare. Not bad, but, nothing special.

We finished the meal with a half bottle of Champagne Veuve Clicquot. It was getting near midnight and we needed something to celebrate with. The half bottle ran us $48, and was plenty for everyone to get a glass to toast with.

It was getting close to midnight, so, we all gathered in the bar to watch the ball drop and ring in the new year. Pretty much everyone in the restaurant gathered for this momentous occasion.

We finished our drinks, paid the tab, and hit the road. All said and done, the bill came in just under $1000.00. This was a dinner for four and included our bar tab, wine, dinner for four, champagne, desert, tax and tip. I would definitely go again, and would recommend it to anyone wanting a great steak, in a comfortable environment with professional waitstaff.

Last week Luke and I went to two steak places. One because our friend Aaron likes steak, and the other because Luke’s dad likes steak, and it was father’s day.

We don’t eat steak. We’re not really big meat eaters, particularly not huge slabs of the stuff, so our judgments (at least on the food side of things) were a little skewed. We decided that instead of a regular review, a comparison would be in order!

So here’s us comparing Hogs Breath Cafe (Mooloolaba) to Bullockies Steak House (Maroochydore)

Ordered: Rump steak, sides.

Photo via disneymike on Flickr.

Talia’s Ratings:
Entree: Bullockies. We had potato skins at Bullockies, compared with medocore garlic bread and curly fries at Hog’s Breath. The potato skins were unique, and well cooked.

Flavours: Bullockies. This was pretty close, but Bullockies steak was better- a little more juicy and full. Not being big steak eaters ourselves, this was hard to judge, and we were told by the friends that we went to Hogs Breath with that we were missing out because there wasn’t any of the 18-hour slow cooked steak left…

Needless to say, both had sides of either vegies or salad, and they were quite good quality.

Variety of Dishes: Hogs Breath. This one is pretty much hands down to Hog’s Breath. There were more options for their steaks, and also more variety in the other food available. Bullockies did offer variety, but the quality of these other meals wasn’t as high as Hog’s Breath.

Luke’s Ratings:
Service: Hogs Breath. Neither of these restaurants had fantastic service, but Hogs Breath was never trying to win a service award. The sign on the wall said something along the lines of “We don’t need another 5 Star restuarant on the coast”. The service at Bullockies was just plain terrible though.

Atmosphere: Bullockies. This was close. Bullockies pulled through on the back of its ‘dirty-rustic-shed’ look. And the seats we had at Hogs Breath were very uncomfortable.

Value: Bullockies. Quite reasonable prices, especially when compared to a rather expensive Hogs Breath, plus the steak was better.

Winner: Bullockies Steak House!

In my attempts to provide you, my valued reader (literally), with tools to make dating in Hong Kong a little easier, I will be running an ongoing series of restaurant and bar reviews so that you can make informed choices about where your next awkward date will take place.  This week: Wooloomooloo Steak House in Wanchai.

Say it with me.  Wooooloooomooooloooo.  Fun right?  The name’s just fun to say and the place itself is pretty good too.

Last week me, The Girl and Meg from Kobe went to Wooloomooloo in Wanchai.  Its the fourth Wooloomooloo here and situated on the 31st (and 32nd) floor The Hennessy.   Upon arriving, we realized that the bar and restaurant are actually not on the same floor and you need to take the elevator to get from one to the other.  I suppose you could take the stairs, but my recent penchant for opening up doors and hearing blaring alarms has made me a tad cautious about  venturing from the proscribed path.  Nonetheless, the spacious terrace bar has great views (reminiscent of the Standard Hotel in Los Angeles). and more importantly, whoever was working that night made me a great Manhattan, which is so hit or miss here that I gave them a half a star right off the bat.

We chatted in the comfy chairs, waiting for our dinner reservation time, and even got to see a bit of the nightly light show before heading down to the actual dining room.  Here’s where it gets a bit less awesome.  But only a bit.  The semi-hip lounge music playing terrace bar does not exactly match up with the dining room, which seems a bit serious and subdued.  Formal steak houses are fine, but the dichotomy from the upper venue was a bit jarring.  But really, who cares?  I was about to eat some steak.

The service was very attentive and reasonably prompt.  We got our crab cake appetizer in due time, though it was kinda tiny.  But it was crab cake for God’s sake (I heart crab cake), so no demerits.  The Girl ordered the pan seared sea bass, which was very buttery so…kudos!  And I of course ordered the ribeye rare (I rarely order fish and never chicken out so don’t hold your breath for such reviews) which was cooked perfectly, but I think the cut was not awesome. Still, I won’t give it a “meh” since I was happy with it.  Meg from Kobe ordered something, but I forget what.  Did  mention they make great Manhattans?  I also got a side of hash browns which were tasty, but (and I hate to do this because I love grease!) but they were too greasy even for me, which is saying something.

We skipped dessert because we were feeling gluttonous and opted for polishing off bowls full of Hagen Daaz at home, but the dessert menu had promise.  To wit, the menu.

I think the highlight might have been watching the family next to us eat dinner while the kids played psp, oblivious to the presence of their parents.  I am not sure how much of my face my mom would have caught as she slapped any gaming device out of my hands had I been crazy enough to pull one out at dinner, but it would have left a mark for sure.

Grade: B
Good for: second or third dates, even if it’s just for drinks.  Date one might be a much.  Save the big guns for later right?

Tel: 2893 6960

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We all met at Ditka’s bar for a quick Bloody Mike (a bloody mary with a skewer of vegetables and shrimp, rimmed with celery salt and served with a rocks glass full of beer back). The coach wasn’t around, so, we walked around the corner to Gibson’s.

Gibson’s is a dark old restaurant on the corner of Rush and Oak Street next door to Hugo’s Frog Bar in the Gold Coast Section of Chicago. There is sidewalk seeting and a good sized bar facing the street with a large dining area and a glass covered patio.

There were 6 of us total and we were offered a cozy table in the corner of the patio, looking through the window at the street corner with plenty of passers by to watch. It was dark but not dungeonlike.

The waiter had an odd and affected way of talking but was professional, attentive, and polite. Cocktails all around followed by a plate covered in raw meat for show and tell.

They had a 2lb lobster tail, a big bone-in New York, a porterhouse, and a London Broil to tease us with. Also, a 14oz filet mignon crusted with crushed black pepper.

Ordering was fun… We started with a spicy lobster cocktail for the table, Huge chunks of lobster tail in a spicy sauce served ontop of a big beefsteak tomato. For salads, Steve, Donna, and I shared a chopped garbage salad- essentially lettuce, chicken, pepperoni, etc, etc, etc… all chopped up and divided into three large portions. Mike had the sweet onion and beefsteak tomato salad… Large, inch thick slices of tomatoes and sliced onion dressed on a plate. All very tasty…

For the main course, Alyssa had the talapia, Mike had a small filet, The Jiaras girls split another small filet, and Steve and I shared a HUGE double-cut porterhouse, crusted in peppercorns, charred outside and medium rare inside, with a side of sherry-peppercorn sauce. It was sliced and sectioned, and then put back on a tray with the bone and placed between us… Delicious! The Filet side was tender, and the New York Side was tasty. I’d probably elect to not do the peppercorn crust if I did it again because I’d rather taste more of the meat and less of the pepper… At least for the first few bites. The whole chunk of meat was $96… It was big. We probably could have finished it, but Donna wouldn’t let us because she wanted to give leftovers to homeless people…

We also ordered a huge lobster tail that was carved up, and placed as a centerpiece with drawn butter. Excellent!

For our sides, we ordered two large twice-baked potatoes… this was a buttery, cheezy orgie of starch and fat. Delicious! The waiter cut each enormous spud into 3 sections and spread the love around.

In the center of the table, we also had a tray of giant asparagus, with the shafts peeled, and sautee’d mushrooms.

The winelist was large, but not pretentious. We ordered a $70 bottle of 2006 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon. Decanted, it was nice and went well with the food assault in front of us.

Finally, we ordered coffee and the turtle pie. The turtle pie was a giant, probably 5lbs chuck of  crust, Haagen Dazs Ice cream, macadamia nuts, and various other decadence. It was placed in the center of the table with a giant steak knife thrust into the center for effect. Almost as if the monstrosity had been stabbed in the head to keep it from getting away.

The pie was sliced, flung onto plates, and consumed by an already full crowd of overeaters. Mmmm….

After dinner, we strolled liesurely back to the hotel with Donna searching high and low for homeless people to taunt with tasty beef and leftover bread…. No luck… We waited outside of the Tremont as she walked down toward the Hancock Building looking for someone to feed… No luck… She came back with the doggy bag still in her hand.

The night clerk at the hotel was the final happy recipient of the leftovers. The next morning, he remarked at how good it was and that he’d finished the remains of Steve and my steak that we weren’t allowed to finish…

It was a great dinner… Thanks Mike!