# How on Earth is a 10 oz New York strip steak worth $42.99? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459 "2017-08-12T19:30:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/81 "2017-08-17T14:03:47Z")
There is a steakhouse in a town a little over an hour from me that advertises: “Every Steak is Ihnen-aged for 14 days, 6 hours, 37 minutes to lock in the meat’s natural flavor for optimum grilling.” I don’t know what “Ihnen-aging” entails but Ihnen is the surname of the owners. Their 12-16 oz New York Strip dinner is $16.99. I’ve never been there but I hope to at some time. Maybe this weekend I might take a road trip. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/82 "2017-08-17T14:06:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > In the context of whiskey, if I order a shot of, say, a whiskey like Jameson, I get it in a shot glass. If I order it “neat,” I get it in a tumbler, usually with a larger pour, sometimes double. At least at most places be been to around here. It’s all good. Around these parts if I order a shot of cheap ($2.00) tequila, I’ll get it in a shot glass with a salt shaker and a lime slice on a napkin. I shoot the shot. If I order a shot of good ($18.00) tequila I get a slightly more generous pour into a nice glass (heavy tumbler) with coarse salt in a cellar and several nice wedges of lime on a plate. I sip. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/83 "2017-08-17T14:06:35Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > How on earth is anything on McDonald’s 99-cent menu worth 99c? I’m pretty sure McDonald’s hasn’t had a 99-cent menu in quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/84 "2017-08-17T14:20:55Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > It’s all good. > > Around these parts if I order a shot of cheap ($2.00) tequila, I’ll get it in a shot glass with a salt shaker and a lime slice on a napkin. I shoot the shot. > > If I order a shot of good ($18.00) tequila I get a slightly more generous pour into a nice glass (heavy tumbler) with coarse salt in a cellar and several nice wedges of lime on a plate. I sip. Yeah, I purposely picked a lower/mid end whiskey that is not unusual to serve either way. If I ordered a shot of, say, a sherry cask aged Macallan, I would expect the bartender either to double check what I asked for (“do you want a shot or neat?”) or, more likely, just assume I meant neat. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/85 "2017-08-17T15:08:19Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > As others have said, there are just more staff and they’re better trained, so you never find yourself looking for a waiter. You never sit there wishing you had another drink or wishing they would clear away a plate. At the same time, good service is never smothering, you never feel like anyone is hovering. Just about the time you think, “I could use another glass of wine,” there s/he is. This, exactly. At a higher-end restaurant, your waiter is going to be very good at his / her job, and good at knowing what to provide, and when. He or she likely won’t have as many tables to serve as a waiter at a place like Outback will, and you’ll rarely, if ever, be in a position where you’re looking for your waiter, and trying to flag him / her down to do something for you. There’s a very nice, white-tablecloth restaurant which my wife and I go to three or four times a year (though it’s a French bistro, rather than a steakhouse). We’ve been going there for at least a decade, and some of the waitstaff have been there the entire time (and, probably, even longer). The service there is always exceptional, but when we get one of the true veteran servers, it’s even better, because those waiters simply know their stuff, inside and out. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/86 "2017-08-17T21:12:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > …heavy lowball type glass… That would be a rocks glass. Or a double rocks glass. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/87 "2017-08-17T21:21:45Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > That would be a rocks glass. Or a double rocks glass. “Lowball glass” is fine. I use the term “Old Fashioned glass,” personally. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/88 "2017-08-17T21:41:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > “Lowball glass” is fine. I use the term “Old Fashioned glass,” personally. I bartended in many places and never once heard the term “lowball glass”. But that was many many many years ago, so who knows what the kids these days are doing. I’ll accept “Old Fashioned glass” however. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/89 "2017-08-17T22:12:17Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Timely thread. My husband and I dined at a fancy, schmancy local steak house (Carlo & Johnny’s, if you must know) last Friday. The most expensive steak was $77, and none of them include any sides, unless you count the bread and butter. > > I got a half-portion ceasar salad (which is the size of a normal side salad) and the cowboy bone-in ribeye for $66, with mushrooms on top. (I got 2 meals out of it.) Hubby got the Steak Collinsworth, a filet with crabmeat on top. It was preposterously small next to mine. He also got the oysters for an appie, which should have filled him up, but still he whined like a baby when he saw my brontosaurausteak. We shared a bottle of Altos Las Hormigas malbec and a slice of chocolate mousse cake. > > Mmm mmm. Great for a special occasion, but we would never spend that kind of dough without gift cards that he routinely gets from work. I’m always amazed when I see a packed house because for $300 I could get a lot of really good ribeyes. > > Total spent out of pocket was $100 (total bill was $247 + $53tip = $300-$200 in gift cards). I live in your neck of the woods and while I have been to other Ruby restaurants I’ve never been to Carlo and Johnny’s. The Steakhouse downtown I’ve been to (my former boss, a multi-millionaire, paid the bill, it was a grand for three people), I’ve been to the Precinct, the Waterfront when it was a thing (and I had the steak Collinsworth when I was there, that’s been on several of his menus for decades now) and Bootsy’s when it was open. Ruby’s steakhouse downtown is super expensive, and this is in Cincinnati! Look at the menu…I could never afford to eat there at this juncture. [http://www.jeffruby.com/Portals/jeffruby/Documents/Menus/2017-07-11%20JR%20Letter%20Sized%20Menu%20-%20for%20email.pdf?cache=1503007626247](http://www.jeffruby.com/Portals/jeffruby/Documents/Menus/2017-07-11%20JR%20Letter%20Sized%20Menu%20-%20for%20email.pdf?cache=1503007626247) Lisa, if you haven’t been, try Sotto downtown under the old Maisonette (now Boca). Or go to Boca. It’s astounding what David Falk has done to the interior of that place. I cannot begin to describe how magnificent it is. But Sotto is a subterranean gem. It’s far less expensive than Boca and the food quality is terrific. It’s dim and often loud, but I love it and think it’s a great date location. Sotto menu (the grilled octopus is AMAZING): [Menus | Sotto - Cincinnati, OH](http://sottocincinnati.com/menu/dinner-menu) And on the subject of steak at home, the price of beef sucks. Flank steak and flatirons used to be my go to for marinating and grilling at home (my old chef used to joke about the $10 cut of meat with the $40 marinade I concocted), but not anymore. Flank steak is super expensive now and that makes me a sad Panda. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/90 "2017-08-18T00:56:18Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I see that I missed that part of your post. I realize that describing how something tastes can be difficult but in what way would you say it tasted better than other steaks you’ve had? It had a good, strong but not overwhelming beef flavor. A lot of steak tastes like…not quite beefy enough. Tender, nice flavor from what I now know is likely expensive aging. Nice, fully rounded out flavor. Perfectly medium rare, but that high heat finish makes a big difference, too. Sigh. Not looking forward to cereal for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/91 "2017-08-18T00:57:22Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > You paid for it. Thankfully, I didn’t. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/92 "2017-08-18T01:03:09Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Believe it or not the top-level steakhouse makes fairly little money on the steaks. These are not your supermarket cuts. They are not choice, they are prime, and they are dry aged. You want to buy dry aged prime cuts to cook yourself? [Here’s](http://www.lobels.com/usda-prime-dry-aged-boneless-strip-steaks/p/UPBLSS) a place to order them. That 10 oz NY strip prime dry aged will cost you $39.95 to buy raw. Think that’s being selective? [Here’s](https://www.debragga.com/beef/dry-aged-beef.html) another. The 4-pack of raw 12 oz dry aged prime NY strips is $199. > > Truth be told you are getting _a very good value_ having that NY strip prepared just right served with good ambience for $42.99. > > They make the money on the [“upsell”](https://www.foodfanatics.com/food/the-dry-aged-beef-revolution) of drinks and sides, especially the drinks. Thank you, this is great context that helps me appreciate the cost. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/93 "2017-08-18T02:09:20Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Pick the wrong night, and you can find the same thing in tonier places. Money doesn’t teach manners, and can often exacerbate bad ones. I will say that when we left our waitress asked me where we were all from and complimented us on being so nice. I told her we were from all over, small towns and the city, but that most of us had waited or worked in a kitchen so there was no way we’d be anything other than a good table. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/94 "2017-08-18T02:17:48Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I bartended in many places and never once heard the term “lowball glass”. But that was many many many years ago, so who knows what the kids these days are doing. I’ll accept “Old Fashioned glass” however. To be honest, in person I’ve only ever heard Old Fashioned glass and rocks glass (or even “whiskey tumbler”), but in reading random bits and pieces about cocktails and liquor over the years on the net, I’ve seen “lowball glass” being used as another way to refer to these, as a contrast to the “highball glass.” ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/95 "2017-08-18T12:48:03Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Lisa, if you haven’t been, try Sotto downtown under the old Maisonette (now Boca). Or go to Boca. It’s astounding what David Falk has done to the interior of that place. I cannot begin to describe how magnificent it is. But Sotto is a subterranean gem. It’s far less expensive than Boca and the food quality is terrific. It’s dim and often loud, but I love it and think it’s a great date location. Sotto menu (the grilled octopus is AMAZING): [Menus | Sotto - Cincinnati, OH](http://sottocincinnati.com/menu/dinner-menu) I’ll have to try Sotto. We rarely venture downtown now that neither of us work there anymore. People up in our parts (West Chester) rave about Tony’s now. While it’s still $60+ for a steak, it includes a salad and potato, so not as bad as the Ruby’s places. > [@](#): > > And on the subject of steak at home, the price of beef sucks. Flank steak and flatirons used to be my go to for marinating and grilling at home (my old chef used to joke about the $10 cut of meat with the $40 marinade I concocted), but not anymore. Flank steak is super expensive now and that makes me a sad Panda. Yeah, flank steaks are like chicken wings. They used to really cheap, until they became a victim of their own success. I get all my steaks at the butcher’s or Costco now. I love that Costco cuts them really thick. And the price per pound is reasonable, relatively speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/96 "2017-08-18T13:06:24Z")
When considering the cost of a really good steak at a fine steakhouse, I’d suggest suggest comparing the price not to a dinner in a typical restaurant but to a ticket to something like a Broadway show. It’s an experience. Of course that comparison only makes sense to people who really enjoy and appreciate a top-quality steak. > [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > And on the subject of steak at home, the price of beef sucks. Flank steak and flatirons used to be my go to for marinating and grilling at home (my old chef used to joke about the $10 cut of meat with the $40 marinade I concocted), but not anymore. Flank steak is super expensive now and that makes me a sad Panda. For sure. Gone are the days of london broil on sale for $1.99. Add some seasoning and slice it across the grain, and you ended up with a very tasty dinner on the cheap. Now even cube steaks are $3.49 a pound or more! (Don’t judge me! They’re comfort food, okay?) Costco is the only place it’s worth it to buy “everyday” steaks these days. Still comparatively expensive, but at least the quality is good enough that it seems worth it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/97 "2017-08-18T14:35:12Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Now even cube steaks are $3.49 a pound or more! (Don’t judge me! They’re comfort food, okay?) No judging. Cube steak made correctly is lovely! (like in Swiss or smothered steak or chicken fried steak.) > [@](#): > > Costco is the only place it’s worth it to buy “everyday” steaks these days. Still comparatively expensive, but at least the quality is good enough that it seems worth it. Yeah, they’re not cheap as the local groceries, but they are far better than anything I can get at most of the local/regional chains, who all seem to cut their steak much too thinly. Plus, they also sell prime meats at a reasonable price (compared to the other places around here where you can find prime.) ---
**Author:** ![Theodore\_Striker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Theodore\_Striker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theodore_Striker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/98 "2017-08-18T16:53:47Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I live in your neck of the woods and while I have been to other Ruby restaurants I’ve never been to Carlo and Johnny’s. The Steakhouse downtown I’ve been to (my former boss, a multi-millionaire, paid the bill, it was a grand for three people), I’ve been to the Precinct, the Waterfront when it was a thing (and I had the steak Collinsworth when I was there, that’s been on several of his menus for decades now) and Bootsy’s when it was open. > > Ruby’s steakhouse downtown is super expensive, and this is in Cincinnati! Look at the menu…I could never afford to eat there at this juncture. > > [http://www.jeffruby.com/Portals/jeffruby/Documents/Menus/2017-07-11%20JR%20Letter%20Sized%20Menu%20-%20for%20email.pdf?cache=1503007626247](http://www.jeffruby.com/Portals/jeffruby/Documents/Menus/2017-07-11%20JR%20Letter%20Sized%20Menu%20-%20for%20email.pdf?cache=1503007626247) > > Lisa, if you haven’t been, try Sotto downtown under the old Maisonette (now Boca). Or go to Boca. It’s astounding what David Falk has done to the interior of that place. I cannot begin to describe how magnificent it is. But Sotto is a subterranean gem. It’s far less expensive than Boca and the food quality is terrific. It’s dim and often loud, but I love it and think it’s a great date location. Sotto menu (the grilled octopus is AMAZING): [Menus | Sotto - Cincinnati, OH](http://sottocincinnati.com/menu/dinner-menu) > > And on the subject of steak at home, the price of beef sucks. Flank steak and flatirons used to be my go to for marinating and grilling at home (my old chef used to joke about the $10 cut of meat with the $40 marinade I concocted), but not anymore. Flank steak is super expensive now and that makes me a sad Panda. Another SW Ohioan checking in. Funny enough, me and some friends were talking about fine steaks last night, as they had just returned from Vegas. The consensus was that the Precinct still had the best steak in town, however, none of us have tried the Pine Club in Dayton, which is supposedly exquisite. Unfortunately, so many local high end places are owned by Jeff Ruby… and I don’t hold him in very high esteem as a person, having met him and heard tales from those who have worked for him. Boca has been a gem in Cincinnati for a long time (underrated restaurant city btw), and I have heard nothing but good about Sotto, except that it is very difficult to get a reservation. I am interested to see how there Bistecca alla Fiorentina is, just to compare it to the one I had in Florence (Osteria Pastella, osteriapastella.it, up the hill from the church of SMN). A good steak in a nice place is worth the price to me. the Texas Roadhouse’s of the world will suffice for normal times, but for a memorable meal, it’s worth ponying up the cash. Better cuts, better skilled cooks, better service, better experience. However, paying more than $350 for a meal for two still makes me blanche a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/99 "2017-08-18T17:58:54Z")
Y’all might like this YouTube video [“$11 Steak Vs $306 Steak.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5FoX3ju2J0) (Their other episodes are good, too.) I, too, miss the days of cheap flank steak. Even round steak is expensive, and that’s really only good for making chicken-fried. Oddly enough, in my neck of the woods, I often see ribeye or NY strip on sale for just a buck or two more than the “cheap cuts.” Sometimes even less! My fine dining days are over for a while with little ones and no reliable babysitter, so I won’t rhapsodize about old experiences. I will note that if we want to make a bit of a drive, there’s a nice supermarket in Cincinnati (Jungle Jim’s) where they do their own beef aging, and I can get some killer cowboy steaks for about $30/lb. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459/100 "2017-08-18T18:25:24Z")
> [@Elemenopy](#): > > Y’all might like this YouTube video [“$11 Steak Vs $306 Steak.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5FoX3ju2J0) (Their other episodes are good, too.) Thanks a lot.☹ There goes my weekend.😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-on-earth-is-a-10-oz-new-york-strip-steak-worth-42-99/793459.md?page=6)