Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Where's the Beef?

Without a doubt my favorite meat is beef. I like my beef every which way: steak, salad, stew, burger, noodle soup, Vietnamese 7 style, Korean style, roast, bbq, etc. Among all the ways to prepare beef, my favorite is in the form of a nice, thick, medium-rare inside but crunchy on the outside piece of steak. I'm going to attempt to review some of the steak joints I've been lucky enough to have enjoyed this past year.


CUT, Las Vegas NV

Las Vegas is famous not only its gambling but also for its food. I was like a kid in a candy store when the boyfriend and I went last year to Vegas for Independence Day weekend. So many restaurants, so little time!

After much debate we decided one of our meals in Vegas would have to be at a steak joint. But which? We got on the trusty internet and typed in "steak las vegas." Not surprising, there were about 22 million results. An hour and a gazillion reviews later we agreed on CUT by Wolfgang Puck at the Palazzo.

CUT offers American Kobe and USDA Prime aged from 21-35 days in a variety of cuts, all a la carte. The waiter brought out a platter of uncooked steaks for us to compare the different cuts. We each ordered the 8 oz USDA Prime Petit Cut Filet Mignon.



Our steaks looked perfect when they were served. I like each side of my steak to have a crispy, caramelized crust and this is exactly what it was. But, my one complaint is that my steak was cooked a bit too done for being medium rare. When our steaks were served, we cut them in half to check for doneness but they were so similar that we couldn't decide who actually got the med rare. 

The one thing that sticks in my head most is my side order of Wild Field Mushrooms & Japanese Shishito Peppers. It really was the best side dish I've ever eaten and I wish I could have more. Overall, our steaks as well as the sides and appetizers were delicious, but at $50 minimum per steak and $12 per side order, we're not sure it CUT is worth the price.


Bern's Steakhouse, Tampa FL

Ah, Bern's, the infamous steakhouse in the Tampa Bay area. I went once many years ago and it didn't impress me. After much urging from my boyfriend as a treat for my birthday, and the mention of its great dessert room, I decided to give Bern's another try.

Decisions time. Which cut? The nice thing about Bern's is that its menu contains a detail explanation of the cuts it offers. I quickly narrowed down to either the Filet Mignon or the Chateaubriand. They both come from the same meat but the difference is that the filet mignon is cut so the grain is vertical while the chateaubriand is horizontal. The horizontal grain makes the heat harder to penetrate resulting in a better crust, and that is exactly what I want.


This was my very first time eating this cut of beef and I was in love! It was cooked perfectly to med rare, nice crust and flavored just perfect. Accompanied our steaks were Bern's organic grown squash, zucchini, carrots and onion rings.

Aside from the yummy food, there are 2 added bonus to eating at Bern's: 1) The oh so so so good desserts, and 2) if you like, you can request to tour its kitchen and wine cellar.

Whether you live in our beautiful Tampa Bay area or just visiting, Bern's is a must try.


Ruth's Chris, Tampa FL

I was so wrong! Where to begin? It all started with me ordering the Ribeye. Not that the ribeye isn't an acceptable cut but when I have the best cut of beef in the house, the filet mignon, to choose from, why did I order a cut that isn't as tender and so huge that I can't possibly finish? The steak was a la carte so I decided to order broiled tomatoes as my side item. What a rip off! At $8, my order was just half a beefsteak tomato. The ribeye was cooked right but it was fatty and not very tender. Choosing the wrong cut of steak was my doing but charging me $8 for half a tomato that is not cooked in any special way but just broiled was Ruth's Chris's wrongdoing. Overall, I didn't enjoy this experience. I won't be back.


Fleming's, Tampa FL

On a rainy evening my boyfriend and I decided to make the 40 minute trek to Fleming's. I went there knowing 100% I'd be ordering a filet mignon. The boyfriend, on the other hand, didn't know what he felt like eating. Once there we were informed of a filet mignon prix fixe menu for just $40. SOLD! It wasn't just a filet mignon, it was a filet mignon topped with crab meat and hollandaise sauce.

As usual, I ordered my steak still slightly mooing. It was cooked just right. I usually don't like anything on my steak but a bit of salt and pepper but, in this case, the crab meat and hollandaise sauce added so much flavor that I had to disregard my norm.


Overall, the entire meal was above average and at such a great price! As if good food wasn't enough, Fleming's also has a really good happy hour menu. Be sure to get there early as the restaurant fills up quick.


Salt Rock Grill, Indian Shores FL

You know I have to try it when a place boasts of steaks aged 4-6 weeks and grilled over natural oak and citrus wood pit fire at 1200 degrees. The pit fire is immediately on the right of the hostess station so it's hard to consider eating anything else but a nice juicy steak. There are 6 cuts to choose from: New York Center Cut, T-Bone, Porterhouse, Ribeye, Top Sirloin and Filet Mignon. There are also 5 sauces to accompany, if you so choose. For my dinner I chose an 8 oz filet mignon with the Salt Rock’s House Steak Butter.


I don't know whether I was tired from the day's boating or my taste buds were dead but I thought the filet mignon was just okay. Don't get me wrong, it was still way better than the ordinary steak chain but it just wasn't as tender and juicy as I anticipated. My boyfriend had a bite and said I was crazy to think it's "just okay". Bah. I chalked it up to being tired and vowed to come back another day for another taste.

And so my adventure in the world of steak continues. I won't rest until I find that perfect steak. Yes, I know that's a heavy burden but I'm willing to take the challenge. Although, in my opinion, Bern's Chateaubriand is as close as it gets.


Websites for these restaurants:
CUT http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3801
Bern's http://www.bernssteakhouse.com
Ruth's Chris http://www.ruthschris.com
Fleming's http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com
Salt Rock Grill http://www.saltrockgrill.com


1 comment:

  1. Excellent reviews of the visited steakouses! After this read, I'm ready to assist in your "quest" of the perfect steak!

    Willing to take another swipe regarding this challenge... Charley's anyone???

    ReplyDelete