Famous Chicago Steakhouse vs Egg TRex Steak

mattm

Went to Chicago this weekend and dined in one of Chicago's famous steakhouses. Being a meat and potatoes kinda guy from Texas, I have eaten more than my fair share of good/great steaks.

I have been grilling and BBQ'n my entire adult life and have had the best steaks I have ever eaten off the egg. At age 50 I bought two eggs and the steaks off the egg have definately been the best I have eaten. TRex is the best!!!

Back to the story...I ordered an expensive bone in ribeye medium rare. My host ordered the porterhouse medium. Mine came out pretty close but a bit overdone...I requested that the steak be pulled at 125 but they let it go a bit too long...my host's steak was
overdone as well.

Both steaks were OK, but my first bite told me that my steakhouse dining out days were over...those steaks were not even close to what I can do in my backyard. At that moment I knew I had become a STEAK SNOB.

We also ordered some chipotle roasted corn and my wife commented that the steak AND corn was not nearly as good as what we do at home. Am I now a ROASTED CORN SNOB???

Now I know they cook hundreds of steaks every night and not all are going to be perfect, and I only cook a few steaks each week so I am not trying to make any point here other than I like steaks off my egg and I have yet to eat out in a restaurant that does a better job....Period!! (I am referring to the famous steakhouses we all have heard of and eaten in. I do not expect a great steak in every restaurant.) I am actually getting to that point with brisket as well...already also have become a RIB SNOB as well.

My fear (hope???)is that as I read this forum, getting so many new ideas and tips from you good folks, I may never leave my house again to eat in a restaurant.

RRP

just between us...which steakhouse in the Windy City?

AZRP

I quit restaurants years ago. -RP

Mainegg

We never eat out any more. the eggs have spoiled it. When we are traveling and have to eat out, no other choice, it is tough. I can not do fast food, I will have a migraine in 20 minutes but I hate spending money on "good" food that I can do better at home, on the egg with one hand tied behind my back! LOL :silly: The last time we ate out on a nice meal, Neil shook his head and said "do you know how many rib eyes that would have bought at the farm?" We get all our beef and pork from a local farmer so we are doubly spoiled!

Stanley

Paid, what? $35-$40 for that rib eye? I don't care how many steaks they cook in a night, they have to cook it right.

mattm

I just emailed the name to you. As I mentioned, the steak was good and I do not want to talk down the establishment and give a negative reference to anyone that may read this. I just like my steaks off the egg better.

mattm

Oh I agree....but I also know that perfection is elusive....Heck, I am 50 years old and I remember the one mistake I made in the 8th grade....still haunts me!! :laugh:

Like I always tell my son....you will make mistakes....what sets you apart from the others is how you fix that mistake!!

fishlessman

veal masala is my resterauant choice, i descided a few years back not to make it at home so that i would still like it when i ate out. other than that i eat burgers, spagetti and meatballs etc when i eat out, atleast with those dinners im not expecting much

tjv

Here is my theory on steakhouse steaks. They cook for the masses: limited seasonings, standard thickness, uniform meat grades and such.

You cook for your tastes and have been perfecting seasonings, thickness, and technique for years. Now with the egg, you have the tools to duplicate the high heat, char, smoke and such. So, chances are you'll do better than the restaurant.

Tom

Rascal

Anyone ever been there (Indianapolis)? I think I hurt myself there years ago while trying to clean my plate. And it was good!!!

Buckethead

I had a great dinner there as well. did you try the shrimp cocktail? HOTTEST cocktail sauce I have ever had.....
Doug

Rascal

Too long ago to remember anything but the humongous steak that could have choked a horse! I guess 106 years in the business says they're doing something right! I'd like to go back and try it again but it's not exactly a Sunday afternoon drive for me....

GreenEgger

I can definitely relate! I did my first steaks on the egg last week and not sure if I can ever order them out again now!

BajaTom

I ate there when the PGA championship was played. John Daly won. There were alot of pro golfers were eating there at the time. I remember Greg Normam was sitting at the next table. I was too polite to ask for autographs. The food is/was outstanding.

Bevo

I moved from Indianapolis in 1979. I am stunned to see a reference to the St. Elmo almost 30 years later. It was definitely THE place to dine. I could only afford to go there if it was an expense account dinner. It was mostly a male environment, and I expect most others were there on some company's expense account. Great food and a private club-style atmosphere.

It's been a long time.

Rascal

Funny thing is, I've seen more St. Elmo's Fire on the outside of cockpit windows than anyone would care to hear about. You don't cook steaks with this stuff but sometimes it explodes with a crack of thunder as it leaves the aircraft in the form of a static discharge! Kinda like a mega-flashback on the BGE without the searing heat! Gotta do a Google search and check out the origin of the term...

Ottawa_egger

I've eaten at Morton's in Chicago and Vancouver, and the award-winning The Steakhouse at the Circus Circus in Las Vegas (twice). Each time I was not exactly blown away by the steak, but enjoyed the experience and atmosphere.

Like tjv says, at home you have your tools of the trade to help you make the best steak in the world. On my egg I can douse my steak with DP RTS and TRex it with Mesquite. Not possible at a steakhouse, and thus a steakhouse steak will never meet the "quality" of what I can produce on my Egg. However, for most people the steakhouse stteak will be the best they will have.

What you don't get at my place is the dingy, macho, male-dominated club atmosphere of a real steakhouse. Despite preferring steaks at home to steakhouse steaks, I will continue to visit steakhouses (once or twice a year) for the atmosphere - albeit on expense account.

grEGGor

My wife always says that our egg has paid for itself since we rarely eat out anymore. And steaks in a restaurant are usually a disappointment compare to the ones we can cook at home.

Wanabe

A few years back I went on a hunt for the best steakhouse in the country. I tried steaks from CA to MA traveling in my RV. IMHO TX is the king of steakhouses with the Cattleman’s Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch in Fabens TX as the best of the best. I've been back three times since.
http://www.cattlemanssteakhouse.com/.

I’m really looking forward to returning home this fall and doing a TRex on a new BGE for comparison.

Roudy

I lived in Indy the first 36 years of my life, so I'm well acquainted with St. Elmo's. You've given away the secret to my enjoyment of going there however. I would always order the shrimp cocktail, and quietly steal the water glass of my unsuspecting dinner companion. To see the look of desperation for water after their first bite is priceless :evil:

Eggtucky

havent eaten dinner out except when out of town and away from my eggs in over 2 years....dont expect that to change either..

AzScott

Heading out for dinner tonight at a steakhouse and was wondering what I would order knowing that a $40 steak would only disappoint. Fish and pasta is usually at the top of my list at restaurants even if they are known as a "great" steakhouse.

Egg-on-Medford

Article a few months ago in the Chicago Tribune discussed steak temps; they said the better steakhouses usually got it right or would tend towards undercooking--could always toss it back on.

Sorry about your experience. I gotta say that I ate at one of the big house's suburban outpost last week (big infrared grills; they have different grill heights to help guide them with cooking time) and our steaks were way overdone--they should have been sent back. Crazy.

Celtic Wolf

On our way home from our Compromise Camping trip my wife suggested that we find a Lone Star Steakhouse. (UGH!!) Well OK I said..

The waiter asked how I want my Rib Eye. I told him to tell the cook Sear 90 seconds each side and plate it.

Wow he actually did it. Now if I just told him that on the grilled veggies.

If I knew she was going to suggest a steakhouse I would have brought the Dizzy Pig with me.