Here in the heart of Canadian beef country, we don’t go anywhere for a decent steak except an honest-to-god steakhouse, not a chain restaurant. We might have a steak at a place like Outback, but we don’t complain much about it. If they’re within a degree of doneness of what we ask for (medium for medium-rare, etc), we figure we’re doing well there. The steaks at a good steakhouse, you can cut with a fork.
:smack: You, of course, are right. I blame vacation - brain isn’t firing on all cylinders yet.
Friend Cyberhwk,
I live in Omaha, Nebraska, famous for great steaks. Our favorite place is a small family owned Italian Steakhouse. The last time we went there, we had fried raviolli as an appetizer, then we each had a mixed green salad, dry aged New York strip steaks, baked potato, a side of spaghetti, warm bread baked on site and we shared a bottle of chianti. The ticket for this delicious dinner for two was about fifty bucks, plus a nice tip for the waitress.
We also sat two tables away from Warren Buffet. This place is his favorite restaurant.
I know but clearly the one is named for the other, I’m merely pointing out the complete lack of any actual connection. For its culinary connection with the Australian Outback it may as well have been named the Bauhaus Stakeout.
Generally speaking the appropriate dressing for any given salad will be decided by the chef, as it would be with any other dish. Your ubiquitous bleu cheese and ranch dressings are unknown here pretty much, the usual choice (if any) for a standard green salad would be Italian, French, vinaigrette or none. You’d usually have a choice of salads like green, greek, nicoise, thai beef, and so on, the theme of the salad mostly dictating the dressing.
But I think we’re probably talking about different classes of restaurant here, our Pizza Hut salad bars would (I imagine) have much the same choices as yours do. I’m talking about non-chain restaurants which (it seems to me anyway) are more common here than in the US (in the areas of each country I’m familiar with, anyway).
Mmmmmm Caesar’s.
Is this were all the 'tude went after the beer thread died down?
The wife and I go to Outback quite a bit, partly because they have a special gluten-free menu for her food allergies (and yes, while most restaurants will say they can do something gluten-free off menu, they usually can’t unless they’ve been specially coached - Outback takes it seriously), and I, almost without fail, order the Victoria’s Crown Filet with a bleu cheese crust, and I have never, ever enjoyed steak that much. And yes, I’ve been to Morton’s, I’ve been to Ruth’s Chris, I’ve lived in Texas, I grill for myself, and that is the damned best piece of meat I ever ate. I’ve been to a dozen Outbacks in a couple states, and they’ve always been incredible.
That is not to say that they are not capable of serving a bad meal. Their fries are not my favorite in the world (prefer me some thicker-cut steak fries), but I simply disagree heartily with the attitude of some people here.
A decent restaurant would toss the salad with the dressing before it came to the table, and it would probably be some sort of vinaigrette made mainly from olive oil and vinegar.
Heeeeeeeee! Are you joking?
Actually my Dad drinks Fosters, but he’s like my Dad. You’re not allowed to drink Fosters unless you’re over 60!
I went to the Rochester MN one with Cuckoorex last year when I was in the US. Not unexpectedly there was not a whole lot Australian on the menu, aside from as you say a few words and (as i recall) misused phrases.
All I wanted them to do was to change “Tasmanian Salmon” to “Map of Tas Salmon” and I would have been happy. 
So, it would be vinaigrette or go someplace else? I guess I’ve never been to a decent restaurant in my life. I’ve always been asked which of the available dressings I’d like. I might as well have been going to the salad bar at Wendy’s I guess.
When I go to Ruth’s Chris Steak House next week, I’ll know what to look for now. If they ask me what dressing I would like, I’ll most likely throw my drink at the waiter and let him know that he does not work for a decent restaurant. If they tell me what dressing I will be getting, I’m sure I’ll like whatever main course they tell me I’m having, as well as the desert I’ll be ordering.
I had no idea that dining at a “decent” restaurant entailed being told what to eat. I hope the waiter doesn’t tell me to leave a sixty percent tip!
Dnooman (or anyone),
I’ve heard good things about Ruth’s Chris. There’s not one in my town, but their website shows two locations in Vegas, which I’ll be visiting in October. Would you reccommend it? Last time I was there I had a great steak at the N9ne Steakhouse at the Palms (not a typo), but I would like to try a different steak house.
Related question, does Kobe beef live up to the hype?
Dude: if you don’t want to know, don’t ask.
Vinaigrette then. No croutons though, seems I’ve been naughty.
You didn’t send it back? Outback seems to be rather sensitive about their steaks being improperly done, and I have sent one back and got a new steak. I have never had a substandard eating experience at an Outback. OTOH, I will never eat at a Stuart Andersens Black Angus again.
IMHO Outback does Buffalo wings better than anyone else. I like the fact I can ask for extra dressing or two salads and no potato and it’s “no worries”.
I have had Morton’s. The service was so-so (they don’t like serving singles for some reason), and the steak was a tad better than Outbacks at twice the price.
You know what I really dislike about Outback? They don’t put enough windows in their restaurant and I always feel like I’m walking into a cave. I like natural light.
That being said, I have made a meal (albeit a 35,000 calorie one) out of their Bloomin’ Onion. Of course, I feel like shit afterwards, but it sure is good when I’m chowing it down.
Trouble is, you either go for the onion or you go for the steak. You can’t do both in one night.
It’ll be whatever type of dressing the salad is supposed to come with. Usually, that’s some sort of homemade vinaigrette, but it can be anything the chef thinks goes well with the ingredients. I can’t remember the last time I was actually asked for what kind of dressing I want on my sala, but, then again, I generally do not get a salad unless I’m eating at a decent restaurant, as I hate iceberg lettuce (except every once in awhile I do like the whole wedge-with-blue-cheese/Thousand Island thing).
Amusing anecdote about those blue cheese wedge salads:
The company I work for owns a few restaurants, two of them are you typical steak-house chain places (neither one is Outback, and from what I have heard from lots of people, we are quite better than them, despite being a chain.) At any rate, the other place is a more upscale chain. Only a few locations, and just in large cities. On our menu, we had a “wedge” salad. A wedge of iceburg lettuce, topped with diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, blue cheese dressing, and blue cheese crumbles. It was $1 more than a regular salad (which is to say, if you got a salad free with your entree, it would cost $1 to get the wedge.) At this fancier place, where everything is a la carte (so no free salad in the first place,), the damn thing cost $8, and here’s the kicker…exactly the same. EXACTLY. Same dressing (made on site by both places, but using the same recipe,) same brand of blue cheese, same brand of bacon.
Really makes you wonder if those upscale places are really worth the extra money.
Calgary hijack:
Next time you’re in town and hungry for a steak, you could try Carver’s in the Sheraton Cavalier in the NE - even better than Caesar’s. I read a review of Carver’s - they do two things, steak and dessert, and they do them very, very well.
ETClarify: I read a review, but we’ve also been to both places.
Okay, back to your normally-scheduled thread. 