Some notes on steak.

To steak or not to steak. That is the question... Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer...! (forgive me. Flashbacks to my sixteenth century undergrad literature class...).

To get to the point, I’ve had an on and off relationship with meat for the last nine years. After finding out the dangers of hormones from meat and the havoc it can wreak on the female reproductive system, I took a break from it for about two years. But whenever I made the decision to return to red meat - ironically enough - it was for health reasons. I’m on a fairly strict diet and red meat helps improve my nutrient deficiencies. I’m dairy-free, sugar-free, and grain-free so this eliminates a lot of foods that are actually wholesome. I eat red meat to get my fix of B vitamins, iron, zinc, and a nice dose of healthy fat.

I was looking more "blessed" than usual in this dress!

Perhaps my date just brought out the best in me that day!

Unfortunately, the only time I ever eat properly cooked steak is when I go out to eat with clients. I don’t have a gas stove or grill at home and even if I did, I still wouldn’t know how to cook it the right way. Luckily, I have wonderful clients to take me out for lovely steak dinners. Here are a few of my favorite steakhouses...

1. Marcel: it actually drove me crazy that the steak was not seasoned... even with salt! But the gorgeous, dark, antique decor puts you into another world. The formality of the wait staff is also interesting. The waiters are very formal in their dialogue yet they're dressed in dark denim jeans...? I liked that down-to-earth, "ranch" touch.
2. Frankie's the Steakhouse: the appetizers were incredible. The crab cake was divine and by the time I was done eating it, I realized I hadn't heard a word my date said because I was trying to figure out what the cooks put into the crab cakes. This was another restaurant where I enjoyed the formality of the wait staff. Treat me like a princess every time and my worries are gone.
3. Chops: I've been here too many times to count. However, the service is always stellar. The last time I visited, we actually got dinner and a show. There was a guy wandering around the restaurant, getting very friendly with guests. He was inebriated and once he made his way to our table, we found out that he had a British accent. My date and I were polite and tried to keep our responses short so as not to encourage London Man. The manager and security intervened and the manager actually lost his temper and threatened to thrash poor London within an inch of his life (boy, was he mad). London Man apologized to my date and I and left us half a bottle of his Zinfandel at our table. It was all very entertaining and my date thanked me for choosing that restaurant.

I'm going to chronicle more of my dates on this blog so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you're interested in getting to me better, have a looksy at the date options on my website.

Until next time!