A $39 dollar strip steak and a couple $39 lamb chops for VD….

[jak757]

Last September my wife and I were married. My boss, who is quite generous, gave us a $150 gift certificate to a certain local restaurant that is known for it’s steaks and chops. A high end place, with a lodge like décor. Nice place…

For Valentines Day they had a somewhat limited menu. My wife ordered a strip steak -- $39, and comes with a house salad. Baked potato another $5.95 (not “quite” $6). I had lamb chops – also $39. We each had one drink and a cup of French Onion soup.

Now I have to say the food was good, and we had a really nice waitress (she was quite down to earth, unlike some of the others there). Wife’s steak was cooked just fine, juicy, tender. She liked it. She also said it was no better than what I cook on the grill at home. I love that woman!

Now I’m not begrudging an establishment from making money. I’m too much of a capitalist to do that! Just for me, spending just about $160 total (including tip) for a meal I could cook at home….well….without that gift certificate…we would never have gone there I suppose.

I love to cook. I’m not to bad at it either. And I can’t help but think of beautiful chunk of Prime Rib I could have bought from a local butcher and cooked up at home for somewhat less than that steak and chops cost!

Just thought I’d share….no other point to this one I suppose.

Make it a great day!

 

[acemakr]

Like you, I also enjoy cooking.

Every now and then a night out is a real treat but we're not the clientele those high end steak and chop houses are after. We're just a happy with a $14 entre. When we were first married our only criteria for eating out was that we refused to unwrap dinner.

 

[timtimmay]

My wife and I go to a 5 star place like that once a year or so; usually for our anniversary. I find that the meat is fantastic, but like you said you can do fantastic at home. I guess its just nice to be treated like royalty sometimes!

We just went for our anniversary in Jan, I had a ribeye, she had a filet, we split an order of crablegs and had a couple drinks for about $150. It was quite good. Sadly since I eat so much meat so often the most memorable item was my drink; a latte/mudslide (espresso, whole milk, kahula, and some premium rum I don't know what label)

 

[jak757]

I agree -- we are not that clientel either. I got a big chuckle out of that last line! And can relate!!

Yes, it is nice to be treated like royalty....and funny you should mention the drink being most memorable. That night I was thinking about how good my Manhattan tasted....didn't really think about the lamb chops (don't get me wrong -- they were good...). I guess that does come from cooking our own meat so often.

 

[hdsmoke]

Why dont you share where you went for us OH boys? It wasnt Baker's Cafe; was it?

 

[jak757]

No, not familiar with that place. It was Ken Stewart's Lodge in Bath (just north of Akron). A popular place in this area. Good food -- like I mentioned above it's a bit pricey. But it is (for us) a very special occasion place.

I really do like the lodge decor. They have chandeliers made of big antlers, and in the men's room there are stuffed animal heads over the urinals. I had a wild boar head above me!

Where is Baker's Cafe?

 

[hdsmoke]

Bakers Cafe is actually in Canton. It is an awesome little hole in the wall joint. GREAT steaks...but prices are not bad at all. They have a 16oz strip that is a beast...again, great steaks. Its a really neat LITTLE joint. Signed pics of golfers everywhere from the Firestone tourneys over the years. Look it up and give it a shot you will enjoy it im sure. Havent been there for a couple years myself but i know its still open and i hear foods still great.

 

[jak757]

I'll check it out -- thanks! Are you in the Canton area?

 

[flyhigh123]

well, it also depends on the meat they served.

If the steak was prime quality, then of course it gets closer.

All food places have a good market in margin.

I mean a $10.00 spagetti and meatballs probably has a cost of $3.00 or less.

But yah, i know what you mean.

I don't mind spending lots on a nice dinner that i normally can't cook... :D

 

[mballi3011]

I love to cook/grill/smoke and I think I'm getting pretty darn good at it I hope. Cause there are alot of fat kids that live near us Our Kids. Now I do find it really hard to go to a high end resturant (the only ones I'll go to) so I do demand the food to be top notch but I normally come out pretty dissapointed saying most of the time that I can cook it better. Now it's getting even harder wiht my new found love of fresh sausage and bacon and making things like real corned beef and pastrami. I guess i should be happy to get some good meats from the store now.

 

[gnubee]

I have a tip for the unwary. My wife asked if I wanted to go get a couple of A&W Teen Burgers for My Valentines present. Being a bit of a Dummy at times what I should have said was sure, what a wonderful Idea Dear.
What I did say was Heck Hon why don't you pick the Restaurant and I'll treat after all its Valentines day.

Please don't follow my example, if Your wife wants to use Her coupon for the "Two can dine for $9.99 A&W teen Burgers plus fries and a Root Beer" keep your mouth firmly shut and agree with her!

She picked this cute little Italian restaurant that had supposedly won this years best Italian restaurant of the year for 3 years running. The article suggested that a minimum dress code for dinner would be a sports jacket and tie. So She makes me put on a monkey suit and tie. Damn!

Now here's where the tip part comes in.

When you enter a restaurant and the tables are set with real linen, bone china Plates and long stemmed expensive crystal glasses. The cutlery screams at you steal me! Before you can bust a move the waiter who by the way is dressed far better than you are, rushes over and pulls your chair back for you then scoots over and seats your wife in the plush real leather seat.

Then you check the Menu and there are no prices to be found anywhere on it. THIS IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE; GET TO YOUR FEET AND YELL TO YOUR SPOUSE, RUN!!!!

Did I do this? No of course not. I inquired how much the salad was. The waiter looked down his nose at me and muttered disdainfully $15.00

Crap I should have bolted from the place. But sitting there across from me with a huge smile on her face was my beloved. Clearly She was loving this place, how could I now take her to get a burger?

We had a marvelous meal. I had veal something or other that was absolutely fabulous and my wife had a fancy something or other that she raved about. I was driving so I just drank coke from the smallish crystal glass. The very helpful waiter re-filled my drink 3 times. My wife had 3 cocktails over the course of the evening. After the meal was consumed quite frankly I was still hungry. You don't get a lot for your money. I flirted with ordering dessert but remembered the $15.00 salad and declined.

When I got the bill I damn near died of shock. $350+ the cokes were $6.95 each the cocktails $48.00 for the three my wife had. Nearly $70.00 for 3 drinks each. I am used to bottomless glasses of pop at most restaurants. $21.00 for less than a liter of Coke was a shocker.

I don't remember the ride home, I do remember bursting into tears as I passed the A&W.