On Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:17:57 -0400, Goomba
wrote:
I've not been to Peter Luger. I stopped going to steak restaurants
years ago. All their hype doesn't phase me. Eating steak out is a
big crap shoot, more than half the times I've ordered steak it wasn't
very good, often it was so full of gristle I sent it back. When I
want a good steak I pick one out myself at the stupidmarket and slap
it on my grill... haven't been disappointed yet and haven't had my
pocket picked with the tab. There's no way I'm paying $50 for a
steak that I can buy better at the local stupidmarket for under $15.
and I don't even like USDA Prime beef, it's too fatty, I think Choice
is better. And remember, there is a range within grades... if people
know what to look for they can easily choose better Choice than
Prime... letting a restaurant choose is not a very good idea because
once it's cooked you really can't tell what they're serving you. Years
ago I'd go to a steak restaurant in LA where as you entered you came
upon an actual butcher shop with a big glass refrigerated meat case
counter manned by real butchers. You either chose your hunk of meat
from the case or they'd be happy to custom cut whatever you wanted
whatever size you wanted. They'd weigh your choice and you'd pay
right there. Then a waitperson brought you to a huge dining area
where there were big round masonary grills, you could either cook
yourself or the grill people would to your liking. I was never
disappointed there. This was back in the mid '60s, I don't know if
that restaurant still exists, in Rosemead, in the San Gabriel Valley.
The last time I ordered steak it was a porterhouse at a local very
well recommended restaurant, this was when I first moved here about
nine years ago, it was a terrible cut of steak, it tasted okay but was
mostly fat and bone. I learned a long time ago that when folks over
pay at restaurants, or for anything, it's rare they will come home and
tell all the people they know that they were taken, in fact they will
boast constantly about what was actually not a very good experience...
they don't want to appear the sucker. I've no idea why people think
getting cheated is something to brag about like they're wearing the
emporer's new clothes... probably a symptom of snob disease.