I’m studying a WSJ Online article today about Wagyu beef. It’s quite interesting. I think it was way easier figuring out another very esoteric and expensive proposition: buiding diamonds. Get this:

…finding good Wagyu can be a complicated proposition. Cross-breeding among the cattle is common, and most products on the market are actually half-Wagyu, half-Angus, says American Wagyu Association spokesman Charles Gaskins. Some ranchers and retailers aim for a higher percentage — Morgan Ranch says its cows are mostly 75% to 80% Wagyu, while Lobel’s says it requires a minimum of 87.5%. There are no federal rating systems for Wagyu — unlike most steak sold in supermarkets, labeled by quality from “select” to “prime,” it’s not graded by the U.S. Agriculture Department. Finally, almost every ranch has a proprietary blend of grain and roughage for the cattle’s diet, and cows that are raised longer can yield more marbled steak

Apparently there is even some fair degree of deceptive marketing involved, with online retailers claiming to sell American-raised “Kobe beef” (you can only call it Kobe if it’s been raised, by hand most likely, in Kobe, Japan).

I doubt you’ll see us taste-testing them… until of course the paid sponsorships begin, and we can shell out for five hundred bucks worth of steaks.

Via: Moments of Clarity: Do you Wagyu?

A cool blogger reviews a new steak place in Atlanta GA. Let’s do the bullet points:

• super-chef Kevin Rathbun’s new place
• billed as ‘a steakhouse for the new millennium’
• excited … being both a fan of steak and kevin rathbun.
• skip to the chase … WOW. amazing, incredible,
• but the butters? out of this world.
• $110 before tip and neither of us drink

From Metroblogging Atlanta:: Via ::

Steakfeed would really like to be a big shared resource of steak dining and preparation writings by a happy community of steak enthusiasts. We need your help to do that!

If you’re crazy about steak, whether it be the steakhouse dining experience, finding really great steak meals on the cheap or on the street, or your absolute favorite grilling or marinade secret recipe … You should share it with the world! Bring your words and your steak knives, but please leave the A-1 sauce in the fridge for the next time you make meatloaf.

Write for steakfeed, and share the meat!

I think I’ve heard of this before. Before I went to Vegas with My Fiancee last year, I was looking into where best to have steaks there, and ran across some who were disappointed in Ellis Island Casino and Brewery.

But, it would seem that from me with lots n love: foodie review, ellis island steak special counter-indicates those impressions somewhat. Here:

since eating there i’ve actually dreamed about it several times.

… to summarize, we asked for the off-the-menu steak special and got (with excellent service) a delicious 10 ounce steak, the size and shape almost like a softball, a really good baked potato (i even ate the skin it was that good) with butter and sour cream, a lot of green beans which were so-so, and a green salad.

… nothing can beat a steak dinner for less than $5.

The emphasis there is mine, which is my way of trying really hard to remember “order the off-the-menu steak special at Ellis Island in Vegas!!”

How can you go wrong at a place that claims supper club status. It just evokes ladies in pantsuits and “relish trays”. We were not disappointed. In fact, besides it’s far away location in far flung Eagan, MN. (Truthfully, it’s not that far from the center of Minneapolis but I start to feel uneasy any time I leave the city limits.)

After being ushered to our table by the teenage hostess, we were greeted by Judy, our waitress, who surely has worked at Jensen’s for most of her adult life. Judy provided us with the obligatory relish tray.

Jensen’s only got a C grade on the Big Beer Test–an A grade requires beer by the liter, a failing grade a dry restaurant. Jensen’s had only pints.

I chose the Filet Medallions–2 little filets, wrapped in bacon. They were $14 less than the real filet but I was poor that week. Here’s the menu.

True to supper club form, salad, choice of potato and “rolls” were included with the meal.

my medallions were superb–almost tender enough to cut with the fork, grilled to absolute perfection. Somebody in the kitchen knows how to make a tenderloin. Charlie got the New Your Strip and was extremely happy as well–he said the fat was succulent. I say that’s gross but each to their own.

The other thing to note: the roasted garlic mashed were amazing–served in a ramekin, they’d been toasted under the broiler before being served so they had that tasty little crust that makes any food item taste better.

As we were eating, the “band” started playing. The band gets quotes because they consisted of a dude on a guitar, a drummer with what looked to be a toy drum set and a keyboard player. They played mostly waltzes and polkas and even let a drunk lady from the bar sing along on one number. Oddly, no one danced while we were there.

We skipped dessert in favor of the ice cream shop near my house but, after paying the bill, I was treated to a classic supper club moment, when, outside in the parking lot, I was treated to the sight of a mint condition Trans Am with personalized plates: Itza 92. You couldn’t end the supper club vibe any better way.

Steak House on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Eat Out Dubai: Royal Steak: The Rib Room

If you’re ever in the UAE, you’ll want to try The Rib Room. Right nexte to the Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel lobby.

MyFiancee and I have been trying to get HerMom out to dinner for a really long time, because we believe that everyone needs to try our Favorite Little Italian Place Down the Street. So, it was her birthday on Friday, and she consented to join us for what we like to call “the best” Italian (in town). They had lovely crab + asparagus + five cheeses handmade ravioli.

I had a NY Strip with port wine sauce, topped with gorgonzola, sauteed shallots.

I new there was going to be a problem as soon as Franco took more than 20 minutes to visit our table to recite the speciales. He was very distracted, and kept looking over his shoulder, watching the service staff, and the kitchen. Franco, a real Italian guy with tons of energy looked weary. We were to learn soon that this was the first night of service with doubled seating capacity. The worst possible night maybe, to bring HerMom for her first time.

The raviolis were lovely, the ladies said. The service was, although agonizingly drawn out, basically accurate. When we asked Franco politely if we could pay and leave, we’d been there almost three hours. Thank god the chianti was kept filled.

I think I’m going to have to go down there, or call down there or something though, because what I was served as a NY Strip was almost unrecognizable as that cut of beef. I have no idea what was going on in that kitchen, but it must have been difficult enough that the kid at the grill wasn’t able to see my steak. There’s no way this thing would have passed a visual “is this a New York” test. It came apart in three weird sections with barely any meat between great tangles of other tissue. It was almost like chuck steak, cut 3/4 inch thick. Oh, and there weren’t any shallots, anywhere.

The thing is, with all their difficulty that night, it would have taken an additional forty-five minutes for me to try and get a better cut of New York. If I’d had the heart to mention it… If I wasn’t a Minnesota-no-send-back’er.

I hate to think I’m not able to order a good steak at my favorite Italian joint. I’m left puzzled. What happened to the real NY Strip that night?

Sorry Mom.

blog.myspace.com/proudjagmom

I know it might not be fair, but it is on the internet.

We haven’t had the chance to do a fully-staffed review of a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse yet. I’ve never really thought of it as an important destination — more like in the same category as Stuart Anderson’s (Black Angus). Apparently though, it’s quite impressive!

Through the miracle of internet myspace homepage blogs, we get a peek inside what seems like a very fancy, high-class operation Ruth (or should I say “Mrs. Fertel“?) puts on in New York.

Please read about Joe and Ricky’s Bdays on Simply ~ Dee’s Myspace blog. It speaks for itself.

From @llie’s @ttic a really sweet review of Morton’s of Chicago, The Steakhouse

I haven’t been to a Morton’s, but now at least I know it’ll cost me 3 C’s without wine. I think we have one in Seattle.

Not your father’s Surf and Turf …

So Saturday was my birthday, and the Fiancee is one million percent excellent so she took me out to dinner at a new favorite little Italian place in Lacey (98503) called Ricardo’s (I’m not sure if it’s ‘ristorante’ or ‘restaurant’, it depends on where you look). Her boss, Dr. Mike, had hosted their office Christmas party there, and it was really really good, so we chose to go back and do some free-choice dining, cause we were stuck with the ‘beef or chicken’ drill at the party.

So, after reading the PDF menu Ricardo’s put up on the internet, I really had my heart set on this bastard :

Big Momma’s Steak $29.95
Nebraska Beef at its best… ” USDA PRIME ” Thick cut rib-eye seasond & char broiled to perfection
(Medium Rare) then topped with a fresh mediterranean salsa & finished with roasted red potatoes,
( This will be the best Thrity bucks you’ve ever spent )

On the one hand, I was really disappointed because it wasn’t on Saturday’s menu. On the other hand, it gives us a needless excuse to go back to Ricardo’s for more steak. And on the third hand, I got to have the Surf And Turf from the specials menu. Our server said that the prime rib special was filling in for the Big Momma, and recommended it, but I’m not yet recovered from a really awful prime rib from years ago. We’d both had excellent little filets at the Christmas party, so I chose to extend that a bit with the S-n-T. My lovely companion chose some “do the truffle” ( or something? ) special of a 5oz filet with black truffled mashed potatoes. We was not disappoint! (Although, are truffles known for being, erm, gassy??)

Both (little tiny) steaks were perfectly medium, with a lovely outside — seared and carmelized — and practically fork-tender inside. ‘Course it’s a cliche , but the words “like buttah” were said at least twice.

The surf part of my dinner was way above average: crab cakes done absolutely correct with TONS of crab, and great flavor; and some wild Mexican white prawns that were slightly over cooked but had great flavor. All this was sauced nicely with a white truffle Bernaise sauce, and great big roasted red potato wedges, with some barely noticeable field greens or basil or something. Who cares? The truffle-bernaisey filet was heavenly. I didn’t miss having “the veg” at all.

We didn’t spend much time looking at the wine list, because it’s way over our heads (especially budget-wise). And we already knew from the office party that the house pours a great chianti for six bucks. I had a 6 buck primitivo, and it was great too.

Bottom line, GO HERE!!! Ricardo’s is a winner on every point except one: the decor. Which I won’t really pick on, because it’s adorable, and you know, A for effort and all that. But, who cares? You really can’t go wrong with this place. I haven’t had a better steak anywhere within about 300 miles of here, except that Argentine place in Seattle which I keep forgetting to write about.

Boulder Report- Reviews on everything Boulder » The Boulder ChopHouse Serves the Best Steak in Boulder

Steak Frites

Originally uploaded by jamesjyu.

Grr. I looked at this tiny preview picture from flickr guy jamesjyu and it made me a little bit angry. I knew instantly that this was that same plate of steak frites that so bummed me out from my July trip to Bouchon in Vegas.

I don’t know how I knew, but I knew. But it reminds me of another bistro style steak I made recently that I still need to tell you about.

I wonder how these guys enjoyed their Bouchon Steak Frites at the Napa Bouchon?

What more can a girl ask for her birthday than to be taken out for a tasty steak dinner?

Nothing, I tell you.

Of course, me being me, my date was my mom.

I chose Kozy’s Steaks and Seafood mostly because mom’s on a budget and Kozy’s seemed to have decent food to dollar ratio.

Kozy’s is in The Galleria shopping center in Edina, MN. Malls are not normally my first choice for steak restaurants–something about all malls having the same stores and fastfood places doesn’t lend itself to my idea of where a steak place should be located. But, The Galleria isn’t a mall, mall. It’s a rich people’s mall. And, Kozy’s isn’t owned by mall steak people; it’s owned by the folks that own Kozlak’s Royal Oak–a Twin Cities dining fine dining flagship. So, I knew it would probably be pretty good.

My thought was proven out.

We both got filet mignon ($27) which included salad and garlic mashed potatoes. (I’d been warned by my brother that mom would think anything over $20 that didn’t include sides would be too expensive.)

The steak was probably the best I’ve had in that price range. It was cooked perfectly (medium) with a wonderful crust. It was tender, tender, tender! The potatoes were slightly lumpy (a good thing), with actual roasted garlic bits laced laced throughout.

The setting was very unmall-like and was done in classic steakhouse: dark wood, lush drapes etc. We were seated in a backish room which meant that the mall was hidden from view and that we had actual windows that faced the out of doors.

Overall, twas a fabulous, tasty birthday dinner.

In an informative article, Which steak tastes the best? Mark Schatzker of Slate Magazine proclaims “Marbling, schmarbling.”

I liked reading this piece, because of a few different reasons.

1. the little guy wins [alderspring.com]
2. the happy cows win [nimanranch.com]
3. the happy cows get eaten
4. nobody really knows for sure why or can guarantee good results except for the factory guys, who fare the worst and are most expensive, HA!

In other news, I don’t know, maybe I will buy some twenty-two-buck-a-pound steaks…

If anybody out there has ever dined on steak at a certain Hamersley’s Bistro in Boston, drop me a line. I’m getting ready to fry up some steak, bistro-style, from Hamersley’s luscious cookbook Bistro Cooking At Home and I’d like to compare notes or something.

I think it’d be fun to do a side-by-side review of a dish prepaired at a restaurant, with the same or similar dish prepaired from that restaurant’s chef’s cookbook. I’d probably pick the Sear-roasted Rib Steak With Garlic Butter (for simplicity of steak) or the Grilled Flank Steak With Coffee and Black Pepper Marinade (cause I love flank steak, and coffee and pepper, wow!)

The Bacon Guys have done this book from a bacon perspective… I think it’s time for the steak perspective.