BEST THING I EVER ATE, IN A RESTAURANT PART 1 - STEAK DINNER

[WapitiTalk1]

Been watching a program on one of the cooking channels (Best thing I ever ate), really enjoying it. Figured I'd try to get something going here... I'll change up the main menu item every so often with a new thread. For this first episode, please... share the best thing you ever ate in a restaurant... Steak Dinner (red meat variety). Share the dish and the restaurant if you wish (give that joint a plug)... Tell us about that tasty meal. And in 3, 2, 1... here we go.

[Swede]

Back when I was a part of Uncle Sam's yacht club, I had a pretty good dinner at the Hong Kong Hilton. Filet mignon with the fixings on the side.

[Tigger]

I rarely, if ever, get a steak in a restaurant. I cannot remember one that was heads and shoulders above the rest. Now pizza, that is a different story. I cannot wait for the pizza thread!

My favorite steak is antelope and elk backstraps on the grill. My boys eat them before I can get them in the house.

[wawhitey]

Really dont go out to eat often. Nothing to get excited about around here. When i go to work, having a 6+ hour drive, i generally go over the day before, leaving early so i can get there before dark (bad enough dealing with seattle combat driving in daylight), and just sleep on the boat so im well rested when its time to get down to business . So ill use that as an opportunity to go find somewhere nice to eat.
One place, only been there once, its a chinese joint, soup dumplings are their main thing. Called Din Tai Fung. I went to the one in the u district, think theres one or two more. Man that place is great. Nothing like 99% of chinese restaurants. Really, really good food. Like the pork they use in their dumplings is some kinda special pig, like the pig equivalent of kobe beef. Anyway, classy joint, both the food and the service are outstanding. I wanted to try two kinds of dumplings, and got a plate of garlicky green beans too, and it was way more food than i expected. Add a few double basil haydens and the bill was a bit steep but like i said, dont go out often so whatever. Rather have a few expensive, but really good quality meals per year than go out to crappy places on a regular basis, and eat stuff i could make better at home
Finally found one place worth going to within walking distance of my work, which is great because i tend to have a few drinks while im out treating myself to a nice dinner. The whole ballard / fremont area has gotten terrible, but theres an irish pub a mile or so up the road from work called shawn o donnels, and its a real nice place with great food and service also. Its my new go-to when im staying in seattle the night before a voyage. Been there 3 times and everything has been above expectation. Hell, one time i ordered the corned beef mac n cheese, and it was kinda eye opening how good a lowly comfort food like mac n cheese can be. Hell of a joint. Wish colville could have a quality place like that, but it just cant support it. Not enough people around, and a lot of the people here wont spring for anything much fancier than mcdonalds or zips.
Only other place that stands out in my memory was some irish or scottish bar i went to in vancouver bc a long time ago, went and spent a few days up there with my girlfriend at the time. Cant remember the name of the joint but their whiskey menu was crazy, like 100 dollar shots, and this was maybe 20 years ago! Think i had some kind of stuffed mushrooms, but it was so long ago, and there was a ot of drinking going on that trip, all i remember was the food was excellent, the prices were a bit above my pay grade, and the waitresses all were crazy good looking and wearing really short tartan skirts. Probably the waitresses and their uniforms are why i still remember it.

Like tigger, i really dont order steaks when i go out. I can do a steak at home. Im either ordering something i have no idea how to make, or at least something that i dont want to make because it would be a pita and make a big mess. Last steak i can remember ordering was at "the yacht club" on the cristobal side of the panama canal. It was good, but nothing amazing. The locals there were real friendly though, and the owners dog was pretty cool. He probably was just pretending to like me because i ordered another steak and gave it to him. Somewhere i have a pic of me in my early / mid 20s drunk as a skunk hanging out at the yacht club with that dog down in panama. Might have to see if i can dig that up. Got a few good pics floating around somewhere from the 2 panama canal transits ive done.

[7mmfan]

The best steak I remember was from a place in Sitka called Victoria's Pour House, the restaurant/bar attached to the Sitka Hotel. Early 20s as a charter captain, we would go let of steam occasionally down there.

I had a friend on a long range charter boat and when they came back into towns on Saturdays they would take their guests out there. I met them down there one night and the owner had ordered 20 oz ribeyes for the whole crew and all the guests. Well a couple of the guests had hit it a little too hard too early and had to retire so there was 3 steaks leftover. I had a reputation as a guy with two hollow legs so they placed bets on how many of the steaks I could eat. Not one to back away from a challenge, I ate all 3 steaks plus the sides of one of the meals. Despite the gross amount of meat, I still remember them as being the best steaks I'd ever eaten.

Last winter my wife and I stayed at a hotel in Seattle and had dinner at Daniel's Broiler. I got the 24 oz ribeye. It was meh. Really wasn't impressed.

[Lefty]

My wife and I dont eat out very often Our high end "dinner " is at Texas Road house" Just past blue , any on sale steak

However Im sure I had some pretty good Steaks way back,, my first wife, we were eating out 2-3 times a week, at a couple of the "high end" places when I was rolling in the dough The Holiday house in St Peter Mn was John Denvers in-laws place.. The other was the Junction Inn, a bit less snooty< South of Mankato Mn
Both have been closed for 30 and 40 years

[Lefty]

My wife and I dont eat out very often Our high end "dinner " is at Texas Road house" Just past blue , any on sale steak

However Im sure I had some pretty good Steaks way back,, my first wife, we were eating out 2-3 times a week, at a couple of the "high end" places when I was rolling in the dough The Holiday house in St Peter Mn was John Denvers in-laws place.. The other was the Junction Inn, a bit less snooty< South of Mankato Mn
Both have been closed for 30 and 40 years

but the best restaurant food was LaPresa Mexican food, Coulee Washington 6=7 years ago