steak

Dorian Restaurant, London, 1/26/25

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exterior – 107 Talbot Rd, London W11 2AT, United Kingdom

Dorian called itself “a bistro for locals”.   It was a long place featuring a wood fired grill.  There was a long counter with stools and a few small cloth covered tables near the front.  The tables are additionally covered with a piece of paper, probably because dishes are meant to be shared, and this makes for a mess.  They had a couple of uni-sex bathrooms with crazy tile work, distorted mirrors and “crapper” toilets, so don’t miss those when you go.    Exposed duct work and lots of stainless steel in the open kitchen behind the bar provided a show for the counter and the throbbing music kept those of us at the tables entertained.  There was a fantastic aroma when you entered the place and friendly, helpful servers gave it a fun vibe.  They have one Michelin Star.  The menu is composed daily and all a la carte.  The beef, which they are known for is a UK hybrid aged 60 days, below the restaurant.  There were a couple of specials offered, including a chicken skewer appetizer and suckling pig main.  We got the former as we were there to try the beef.  The wine list was much better than last nights at SOLA.  I would easily recommend this place when you are in London. Continue reading →

Doe’s Eat Place, Little Rock, AR., 12/11/24

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exterior – 1023 W Markham St, Little Rock, AR 72201

Doe’s Eat Place started in Greenville, Mississippi, where pilot George Eldridge would fly friends and clients to eat steak.  He eventually contracted to bring one to Little Rock and maintained the no-frills tradition and fabulous steaks.  They achieved even more notoriety when it became known that President Bill Clinton was interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine there and Clinton’s staffers made it their hangout during the 1992 campaign.  Eldridge escorted former chef Lucille Robinson to his inaugural ball.   Daughter Katherine Eldridge assumed ownership of the restaurant in 2012.   Clinton is not the only regular of note with entertainers, sports stars and other professionals eating there on a regular basis.  We were in town to see Clinton’s Library so where better to eat than one of his favorites?  It is a very down-to-earth place with red checkered oilclothes adhered to the tables, a high open ceiling, a black and white linoleum tile floor, no music, walls covered with photos and memorabilia, flatware distributed in paper bags and very friendly and helpful servers. There’s a back room where “deals are made” by local power people but I didn’t photograph it.   You should visit when you’re in town.  Continue reading →

Market Steer Steakhouse (update), Santa Fe, 9/16/24

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exterior – 213 Washington Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Market Steer Steakhouse was started in 2018 at the St. Francis Hotel by Chef Kathleen Crook and Kristina Goode.   You can see Frankie’s visit to  the old location here but this trip it had relocated last July to a new 4,500 sq. ft. building with a separate bar area and extensive sound proofing in the main dining room.  They did 4 months of remodeling to the structure before moving in and so were able to address the noise level of the older location.  Adding a bar allowed them to offer craft cocktails and have a place to display the equestrian and rodeo roots of the Chef.  The 60-seat dining room is adorned with a 600 piece hand blown amber glass chandelier and wall sconces made of horse hair ties.  The bench seating along the walls was well padded and matched with closely set 2-top white cloth-covered tables.   Larger tables were in the center on the old wood floor with music in the background.  The ceiling was lined with wood beams and much of the art on the walls was from local galleries with the price list on the back of the wine list.  It was a room of soft tones with friendly and excellent service.  The food was quite good, so if you are ready for a steak dinner put this on your list. Continue reading →

Goodwins, Dallas, 6/3/24

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exterior – 2905 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206

Goodwins opened in May 2024 in the space previously occupied by a Mexican restaurant (Blue Goose Cantina) for almost 40 years.  A trio of local business partners, Austin Rodgers (Alamo Club), Jeff Bekavac and David Cash are behind the concept that wants to provide an upscale neighborhood restaurant and named it for the corner where it’s located – Goodwin and Greenville.  It’s a large space divided by a massive long bar and set with lots of cozy booths and tables.  The plan is to open an even darker cocktail bar next door (Goose Bar), which looks to be another fun space based on my preview.  Presently it’s only open for dinner every day but they hope to add lunch by mid-summer.  The interiors are all new but well done with wide plank wood floors and dark beams overhead.  There are a few windows to the street but otherwise the lighting is lowered, art is on the walls and music is in the background.  The open kitchen makes up the back wall in the room without the bar.  There is valet parking in the lot behind the place.  It was crazy busy but not so much you couldn’t talk to your dining companion.  Service was first rate – friendly and efficient – and I can’t wait to go back and I suggest you put it on your list when in Dallas. Continue reading →

McGregor’s Blink Bonnie, St. Germain, WI., 5/23/24

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building – 1506 County Road C, Saint Germain, WI, 54558

McGregor’s Blink Bonnie Supper Club  was started by Jack andJudy McGregor in 1971.   More of a steakhouse than a traditional supper club it has been wildly popular with locals and tourists.  Now owned by the third generation of McGregors – James and his two sons. The name Blink Bonnie is Scottish in origin roughly translated to “welcome warmly”.  They open at 4:00 pm and the line can start as early as 3:30.  The dining room has just 11 tables so the first wave fills it and if you’re not in that you are looking at a couple hours wait.  However the room you enter in is a bar with stools at the counter and a few tables.  No food is served in here but drinks are strong and reasonably priced.  The walls in the bar are covered with mounted animals whereas the dining room had more fish mounts and equipment.   The dark wood bare tables are all the same size but a couple of them had fold outs to accommodate tables of 6. No music was in the background but there were a lot of windows to the outside.   Steaks come on a sizzling platter which is their trademark and it doesn’t take long for a haze to fill the room even with a ‘smoke eater’ machine but it is a wonderful smell and conducive to an appetite.  This place is mentioned in many lists of supper clubs but there is no relish tray and dessert choices are limited.  It was a fun experience, since I’ve heard about it for some time but I’m not rushing back.  Maybe if I lived closer I’d feel differently. Continue reading →

J. W. Heist Steakhouse, Bozeman, 10/23/23

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exterior – 27 E Main St STE B, Bozeman, MT 59715
menu

J. W. Heist Steakhouse was named for the great-grandfather of co-founder Brett Evje, who was a cattle rancher.  The other co-founder, Michael Ochsner is a sommelier, who maintains the wine list.  Opening Jan. 3, 2023, the place is all about wood fire cooking under Chef John Thayer.  It was a fairly large classic steakhouse interior with very low lighting, jazz music in the background, white tableclothes and candles, lots of dark wood, red leather upholstery, brick walls decorated with paintings and animal head mounts.  A large U-shaped bar took up much of one room where you could eat and/or drink.  Interestingly the 2 animal mounts near us were not native Montana breeds.  Service was first rate and the food was pretty good, especially if you’re in a beefy mood. Continue reading →

Major Tom, Calgary, 6/13/23

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view from the restaurant – Scotia Centre, 700 2 St SW #4000, Calgary, AB T2P 2W3, Canada

Major Tom is a restaurant and bar on the 40th floor of Stephen Avenue Place in downtown Calgary.  It is the only restaurant in Alberta to be ranked in the top 20 of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants for 2023, claiming #13.  Opening in the summer of 2021 it offers spectacular views of downtown (and further depending on the weather) with a menu that is heavy on steakhouse fare.  While they offer other dining options, the menu highlights their beef selections which are all broiled at 1800º and brushed with Major Tom butter.  It’s a large place and very popular, judging by the crowd and reservation options.  The attractive interior is nicely lit by the walls of windows on the perimeter.  Music is in the background, as well as much conversational noise and a full bar is available.  Service is excellent and very friendly, with our great server Raven willing to pace out our meal and offer guidance on how much to order.  Fortunately, the food matched the wonderful views and it was a fantastic evening.  I recommend you include this one when you visit Calgary. Continue reading →

Hall’s Chophouse, Greenville, SC., 3/11/23

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back entrance – 550 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601

Hall’s Chophouse was started by the Hall family in 2009 in Charleston.  They now have 5 locations in this area of the country with Nashville set as the next to open.  They bill themselves as serving the finest steaks money can buy, offering an extensive wine list and serving hearty family-style sides all with great service.  The Greenville location is located in the refurbished part of downtown overlooking the water feature.  Parking is on the street as well as in several city-owned parking garages.  It was a fairly large place with huge windows taking in the view with an equally huge bar available for drinking and dining.  At lunch, they had some different menu options but the entire dinner menu is available too.  Be advised that portions are large.  The nice sized tables were cloth covered but I found the service to be a bit overdone bordering on intrusive and pushy.  We were there for a relaxed visit with a longtime friend and the constant picking up of plates we were using to replace them with larger ones, changing out flatware after plates were served and the pushing of extra orders did not endear their service to me. Continue reading →

The Prime Rib, Baltimore, 5/1/22

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street entrance – 1101 N Calvert St, Baltimore, MD 21202

The Prime Rib was founded by brothers Buzz and Nick Beler in 1965 and is still a family run business.  It evokes feelings of 1940s Hollywood with lower lighting, live music, stiff drinks and fabulous food and service.  They now have several locations.  The Baltimore location is a dark place with art on the walls, white clothes on the tables, comfortable seating, black walls with gold trim, leopard print carpet and complimentary valet parking in the garage below.  It’s the kind of place that makes you feel welcome, that they’re glad you’re there.  Timing was relaxed as we enjoyed a terrific martini and live piano music.  The server was fantastic and really added to the overall experience.  If you are in the mood for beef, put this place on your list.  We were one of the last ones out so I took interior photos then.  (Didn’t get a pic of the menu but you can find it on their website <https://theprimeribs.com&gt; and make sure you pick the city you want).

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Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf, Chicago, 2/24/22

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entrance

Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf is a large steakhouse offering traditional cuisine with a French flair.  The place has no windows and so is quite dark with yellow lighting and music in the background.  There are a number of rooms with lots of booths, free standing tables and bar stools.  Lots of mirrors on the walls, candles on the table and large chandeliers give it a ‘cabaret’ feel.  It is a sister restaurant to Au Cheval, which does not take reservations.  The service was great and the bar made good strong cocktails.  In addition to the menu there were a couple nightly specials, one fish and one meat. The server was well informed about the menu and able to guide our selections and quantities.  They now have a second location in Las Vegas.  It is a fun and tasty place to eat. Continue reading →

P.S. Steak, Minneapolis, 10/9/21

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exterior

P.S. Steak opened in 2019, an elegant steakhouse to add to the Minneapolis meat options.  Located in a classic building the dining room is dark with lots of brown leather in the roomy booths (now separated by plexiglass too) and dark walls decorated with mirrors and prints.  One wall has the refrigerated cases housing the aging meats, all prime cuts or better.  As you enter to your side is the large modern looking bar where customers can eat as well as drink.  The dining room is further down the hall with a much more clubby feel, with no music in the background.  The menu is mostly steaks but a number of potato choices are there as well as vegetables and seafood.  The one area it fell very short was in our server who really got up on the wrong side of the bed.  She poured the wine with no tasting, repeatedly asked about ordering appetizers, chastised us for ordering too many desserts.  It was surreal, as every other person who attended our table was friendly and pleasant.  I tried to not let it spoil a fun evening. Continue reading →

Las Reses, Madrid, 3/7/20

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IMG_3925
Exterior

Las Reses opened in 1964 and is set below street level.  It is spread over a couple rooms and bright with lots of red walls covered with decorations.  The floors are wood and no music is in the background.  The tables have adequate spacing and are set with white clothes which cover the floor length beige ones and large white napkins.  The staff were friendly but spoke limited English.   It is mostly a restaurant dedicated to beef steaks for which they have carts to come around to the table and show you the cuts of meat.  It is all a la carte and some of the cuts are sold by the kilo.  There were several larger parties there and it looked like they took their remainder of the meat back to reheat it after the initial serving.  Continue reading →

Doris Metropolitan, New Orleans, 2/20/20

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IMG_0609
exterior

Doris Metropolitan has two other locations, Houston and Costa Rica, besides this location in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  The climate controlled meat aging room can be seen from the street through some windows.  It also is adjacent to the reception area that is on the end of the room which has the kitchen on the other end.  In between is a curved bar that is as much about eating as drinking.  At the front of the kitchen is a counter with cuts of meat for sale by the pound.  Lights are on but not overly so and music plays in the background.  The fairly large polished wood  tables are closely spaced and set with striped cloth napkins and a large paper napkin.  The server said the paper napkin was so your flatware would never have to be on the bare table.  Some of the tables use bench seating and others are set with armless chairs.  Wine bottles and art cover the walls, the floor is concrete, there is exposed ductwork all of which does not provide much sound dampening.  Service was friendly and helpful in making choices.  A starter menu included a choice of caviar and champagne.  The regular menu has a number of starters but for main dishes there were lamb and fish options but otherwise everything was cuts of beef.  They do offer A-5 Japanese Wagyu as well as there regular steak options aged either 21 or 31 days.  They also had some nightly specials. Continue reading →

Market Steer Steakhouse, Santa Fe, 11/2/19

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IMG_2422
building

Market Steer Steakhouse is in the St. Francis Hotel in downtown Santa Fe.  It is a good sized room and has an additional entrance if you don’t want to cut through the hotel. The bare wood square tables are set with room to get between the large chairs and there are a couple booths along one wall.  At the end of the room is a stone wall with a large mantle and fireplace.  Windows to the street occupy 2 other sides of the room.  The floor is a wide plank wood one and the noise level was fairly high.  They had been open just over a year when we visited.  They serve all prime beef that has been age 24 days and it looked to be a success, as it was busy.  It’s interesting that 2 women run the place,  Executive Chef and co-owner if Kathleen Crook and General Manage and co-owner is Kristina Goode.   Everything is a la carte, so with your steak you can order separate sauces and all vegetables are by separate order.  Service was helpful and friendly. Continue reading →

La Carniceria, Buenos Aires, 5/25/19

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building
building

La Carniceria is a small place with about 10 small bare wood tables and a few counter stools.  Tables are placed fairly close together and a mural of hanging meat fills the back wall.  Opposite that is the cooking area behind the bar.   The chairs are a comfortable wire mesh and the floor is a lovely terrazzo.  Music plays in the background and windows look out onto the street.  It looks relatively new and is a comfortable ambiance.  It filled up quickly and the noise level rose with that, but it workable.  Our server was helpful and friendly and spoke great English. The menu is small and is heavy on the grilled meat.  Portions are generous and the food is simple and straightforward but seriously delicious.  Doing something simple really well can often dwarf the frilly, less flavorful options.  This place is highly recommended by me to visit. Continue reading →

Elena Restaurante, Buenos Aires, 5/24/19

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door sign
door sign

Elena is a huge restaurant located in the Four Seasons Hotel.  Even with all the space, the small wood tables are placed closed together.  They are set with small square leather placemats and napkins embossed with their logo.  Bench seating lines several walls and there were a couple rounded booths on one side.  There was a staircase in the room and windows to rooms upstairs but I saw no one eating up there.  However there was a dumb waiter in the room that seemed to be carrying things up and down.  It is a striking room with a black and white tile floor, tons of wood and tile on the walls with metal accents.  A large open kitchen is on one end of the room across from the glassed in cabinets of meat. You could see the flames from the gas grill around the meats that were cooking.  A large domed skylight is in the center of the room and provided a ton of light during the day.  There was music in the background.  The menu was in Spanish and English and they did offer a lunch special.  Service was poor with long waits between server check-ins and they forgot to bring the potatoes with our meat.  I finally was able to flag down a manager type, as the server was not to be found, and she got them out asap.  However she also managed to splatter the wine when she poured it  and tried to charge more for the wine than was printed.   There seemed to be as many locals as tourists there but the ambiance was weird and the food average at best. Continue reading →