High Steaks

WE'VE UPPED THE ANTE ON BEEF BY PICKING THE 112 BEST STEAKHOUSES IN AMERICA. WHAT A DEAL

Steak is not a subject men take lightly. In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, John Wayne orders Lee Marvin to pick up a slab of beef dropped on the steakhouse floor. "That's my steak, Valance," growls the Duke, putting his hand on his pistol. "You pick it up," Marvin snarls back. Not every man would die over a slab of beef, but great steaks and the clubby confines in which the best ones are served are the sources of endless martini-fueled debates. Who has the best meat? Who prepares the crispiest hash browns, the ripest tomato salad or the creamiest cheesecake? The national steakhouse chains—such as Morton's, Ruth's Chris, the Palm and Smith and Wollensky—thrive because patrons appreciate the consistency of the food, drinks and decor. But even as these temples of high-priced beef proliferate, the independent steakhouses still stand out for their particular style, hospitality and fare. Here are our choices for America's top 12, along with a side order of runners-up that are also definitely worth (continued on page 164) High Steaks (continued from page 130) a try. Grab a steak knife and a fork and get ready to chow down.

Al Biernat's, Dallas

Al Biernat buys the best beef, serves the coldest cocktails and stocks one of the best wine cellars in Texas. But his secret of success in Dallas' tough market is his own affability. He is a gentleman, greeting everyone who comes through the door and showing them to their tables in a bright, pillared dining room filled with color and sunlight. Biernat's "cowboy cut" 24-ounce ribeye is the steak to order. If you're taking a night off from beef, chef Andres Bautista's pan-seared sea bass with lobster risotto, potato-crusted grouper with grilled jumbo prawns, and caramelized salmon with roasted asparagus and eggplant are delicious alternatives. Go once, and Al will remember your favorite drink and cut of meat for next time.

Bern's Steakhouse, Tampa

Bern's is easily the most over-the-top restaurant in America. Opened in 1956 by Bern and Gert Laxer as a hole-in-the-wall eatery, it has expanded to become a multilevel, 320-seat tribute to American beef. Tiffany lamps, jukeboxes, TV monitors in the booths, a wine list thicker than the Tampa phone book, a fresh-fish tank and even an organic farm are part of the mix. But it all starts with Bern's superlative beef—six different cuts exactly broiled to eight degrees of doneness. Martini lovers take note: Vermouth is measured by eyedropper, so your silver bullet will be as dry as you wish.

Chicago Chop House, Chicago

Steakhouses are major topics of debate in Chicago, a city that has plenty of contenders. Nonetheless, the aptly named Chicago Chop House, located Near North in a handsome three-story townhouse decorated with more than 1400 historic photos, is our choice for the Windy City's best beef restaurant. Owner John Pontarelli gets his prime, corn-fed Nebraska and Iowa beef from Chicago suppliers, and one of the specialties here is a prime rib roasted slowly for five hours, then charbroiled to give additional flavor. The T-bone is the top cut, the broiled Lake Superior whitefish is a fine alternative, and the crowd hobnobs happily with pols and celebs during both lunch and dinner.

Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse, New Orleans

Those who are familiar with Commander's Palace, Mr. B's Bistro, Bacco and the Palace Cafe know that the Brennan family, which owns these establishments, doesn't skimp on ingredients or portions and that everything they serve gets the creole touch. So here in this subterranean dining room decked out with swords and rifles, the strip steaks aren't grilled or broiled—they're slapped onto red-hot cast-iron skillets and seared to give them a delicious crust. Sip a Sazerac cocktail in the masculine bar up front, then order fried oysters, a robust Rhône wine and a thick porterhouse. Or try the mixed grill of andouille sausage, filet mignon, chicken and pork tenderloin served with two sauces and lyonnaise potatoes on the side. A bananas Foster bread pudding with a rum-raisin crème anglaise and a snifter of Maker's Mark bourbon is the perfect capper.

El Gaucho, Seattle

The original El Gaucho was a swank Fifties supper club. The new El Gaucho is fancier and is packed nightly with Microsoft millionaires (there are still a few around) and a singles crowd that comes as much for the dating opportunities as for the superlative food. The dining room and bar are big and loud (several intimate rooms are also available) and the waiters are adept at tableside salad tossing and meat carving, which adds to the fun. The menu states that El Gaucho's steaks are "hand selected" dry aged Angus prime. They're delicious, but the diabolically hot "wicked shrimp" is also an essential.

The Grill at the fairmont, Scottsdale princess, Scottsdale, Arizona

Settle yourself in a grand dining room with mission furniture, burnished wood panels and a black granite fireplace overlooking the grounds of the Tournament Players Golf Club. Order the dry-aged (24 days) California sirloin, a bowl of seven-onion soup and a banana-chocolate hexagon with chocolate shavings and caramel and strawberry sauces. Who cares if your golf game wasn't up to par? If you're in the mood for lobster, it's available both steamed and baked.

The Grill on the Alley, Beverly Hills

You wouldn't expect Beverly Hills to have one of the country's best chophouses, but the Grill hasn't had an empty seat since it opened back in 1984. This is a place for power lunch and power dinner—just a bread roll's throw from the William Morris and Creative Artists agencies. Its clientele are the guys who run and bankroll the movie studios, along with macho stars out to prove their carnivorous mettle over slabs of beef (especially the porterhouse), lamb and veal. Other must-tries include the Cobb salad, the Dungeness crab Louis and the rice pudding. Few Calista Flockhart types dine here.

Grill 23 and Bar, Boston

The place is elegant (jackets and ties are requested), with Corinthian columns, sculpted ceiling, marble-and-wood floor and mahogany walls. It's the legacy of the 75-year-old Salada Tea Building that Grill 23 has occupied since 1983. But this is also one of the most convivial restaurants in Beantown—it was voted the best American restaurant in Boston magazine. Start with a platter of chilled New England shellfish, or soft-shell crabs crusted with pumpkin seeds, then move to the main event—a Delmonico steak (a huge, boned rib roast) or filet mignon, with sides of hash browns, creamed spinach and macaroni and cheese with truffles. Don't overlook the wine list, which is rich in great Bordeaux, Burgundies and California reds.

Jess and Jim's, Kansas City, Missouri

Jess and Jim's, situated 45 minutes by car from downtown Kansas City, sounds exactly like what it is—the quintessential Midwestern steakhouse. It's right next to the railroad tracks, the meat hangs proudly in the window, the wait for a table can seem interminable and the desserts are minimal. You come here for great steaks. The cuts to order are the 25-ounce KC Playboy strip (named after a Calvin Trillin article on the restaurant that we ran in 1972) or the 30-ounce porterhouse, with side orders of twice-baked potatoes or cottage fries. Jess and Jim's may not seem to change, but it has. About five years ago the owner, Mike VanNoy, began serving wine by the bottle. Any decade now he may get into tiramisu.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Houston

To some, Pappas Bros. is the perfect Texas steakhouse. It's big. It's friendly. It has dark wood, roomy leather booths with phones, a chef's counter where you can watch the cooking, a cigar lounge, a 1500-bottle wine cellar and a great bar with an impressive array of cognacs and single-malt scotches. When sports celebrities are in town, you'll find them parked here. Add to that delicious crab cakes, a fiery turtle gumbo, the crunchiest onion rings in Texas, a two-and-a-half-inch-thick filet mignon and the Moon Pie, a chocolate-marshmallow dessert, followed by brandy, and cigars from the restaurant's extensive humidor. Now that's a steakhouse. More good news for beef lovers: Pappas has just opened a branch in Dallas.

Peter Luger Steakhouse, Brooklyn

The Williamsburg section of Brooklyn isn't the toniest of New York neighborhoods, and Luger's isn't the classiest place you'll ever eat in. Its turn-of-the-century Teutonic decor is pure kitsch (Luger's opened in 1887). Some of the waiters seem almost as old as the restaurant, reservations aren't taken all that seriously and the wine list is something of a joke. So why go to Luger's? Because even its fiercest competitors pronounce Luger's porterhouse the best piece of beef in America. Luger's serves it sliced for two, three or more, angled on the plate in such a way that the sizzling juices gather to be spooned onto the meat. Don't miss it.

Prime Steakhouse, Las Vegas

Las Vegas is surely the world capital of steakhouses, but none can compare with Prime, the Bellagio Hotel and Casino's glamorous dining room that's overseen by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The beef lives up to the restaurant's name, and the menu goes way beyond the formulaic, with six different mustards, potatoes served 11 ways and five sauces with which to grace that great meat. There's been no stinting on the wine list either, which makes the high rollers who dine here happy.

Side Orders for Steak Lovers

Al's Restaurant: 1200 N. First St., St. Louis, 314-421-6399. Since 1925 Al's has been a St. Louis institution, very comfortable, always dependable and kept that way by the restaurant's veteran steakmaster Al Barroni. Great wine list.

Bally's Steakhouse: Bally's Las Vegas, 3645 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, 702-967-4111. If you long for the old Vegas, this indigenous steakhouse is where to find it. Go for the tomato Beefeater soup laced with gin and flamed tableside, the magnificent Caesar salad and the bone-in cut of prime rib.

Ben Benson's Steakhouse: 123 W. 52nd, NYC, 212-581-8888. Ben Benson has never met a guest he didn't want to turn into a regular. His personality matches the care and attention shown every dish, from the nonpareil sirloins to the humongous five-pound lobsters.

Bryant and Cooper Steakhouse: 2 Middle Neck Rd., Roslyn, NY, 516-627-7270. Take one look at Bryant and Cooper's owners—Gillis, Dean and George Poll—and you'll know that you're going to eat large. These are huge guys who look like they wrestle their own steers. B&C's great beef gives even Peter Luger in Brooklyn a run for its money.

Carl's Chop House: 3020 Grand River Ave., Detroit, 313-833-0700. Carl is long gone, but Frank Passalacqua has kept this Thirties beef house beloved in red-meat Motown. A delicious relish tray, soup and salad are included in the price of your steak.

Chops: 70 W. Paces Ferry Rd. NW, Atlanta, 404-262-2675. Very masculine, glamorous, shadowy and swank, Chops is the place to impress a woman who shares your passion for beef and red wine.

Club Gene and Georgetti: 500 N. Franklin, Chicago, 312-527-3718. Forget the Italian food, be prepared for a wait, don't be insulted if they stick you upstairs and don't expect any amusing banter from the waiters. You come here for the broiled T-bone, the shrimp de Jonghe and the garbage salad. You'll leave happy.

The Forge: 432 Arthur Godfrey Rd., Miami Beach, 305-538-8533. Kitschy in the most outrageous Miami Beach style, with acres of stained glass and nude sculpture, the Forge has a lot more on its menu than steaks. But if you don't have one here, it will be a mistake. Our recommendation: the one-pound "supersteak" accompanied by a red from one of the world's greatest wine lists.

Harris': 2100 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, 415-673-1888. San Francisco is not a steak lover's town, but Ann Harris guarantees the corn-fed steaks will be among the finest you'll ever taste. There's nothing wrong with the creamed spinach, either.

Hy's Steakhouse: Waikiki Park Heights, 2440 Kuhio Ave., Honolulu, 808-922-5555. No tiki artifacts here. Hy's looks and feels like a classic steakhouse and delivers on the plate. The special is the Only—a 13-ounce New York strip basted in Hy's special steak sauce. Good rack of lamb, too.

Michael Jordan's the Steakhouse Nyc: Grand Central Terminal, 23 Vanderbilt Ave., NYC, 212-655-2300. Michael Jordan may not drop by much, but that's his loss. A fabulous setting overlooks Grand Central's Great Hall. It's matched by first-rate New York strip steaks, garlic bread with gorgonzola fondue, and Michael's delicious macaroni and cheese.

Prime Rib: 2020 K St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-466-8811. A brass-trimmed backdrop gives the dining room a somber cast, but the prime rib and steaks make this the best beef restaurant in the capital.

Strip House: 13 E. 12th, NYC, 212-328-0000. The red walls and vintage photos of strippers from the Thirties and Forties enhance the excellence of a steakhouse menu that includes potato cakes cooked in goose fat and terrific desserts.

Vallone's: 2811 Kirby Dr., Houston, 713-526-2811. Anybody who is anybody in Houston makes sure to be seen at Vallone's on a regular basis, both to maintain his social status and to keep his blood red. The beef is exceptional, and the seafood is just as excellent.

WHERE AND HOW TO BUY ON PAGE 162.