Hey urbanites, "Thing 5", aka: "Doodles," is graduating from a medical school (radiology tech), she loves steak and she would like to "show off the town" to her out of town boyfriend. He is treating her to a special dinner. The place needs atmosphere, views or other perks, and excellent food. She is thinking something just south of Ruth's Chris prices.
PLEASE pour on the suggestions, and tell this Orlando girl why!
OCKLAWAHA
Orsay.
If you want top-quality food at slightly-less-than-ridiculous prices, that's your place. Never had a bad meal there, ever.
Never been myself, but it has many good reviews:
http://www.millhousesteakhouse.net/index.html [warning, annoying music plays on site load]
Reviews:
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/44/481178/restaurant/Airport/Millhouse-Steakhouse-Jacksonville
If you want a good steak, texas roadhouse in OP is always good, but they're all over the southeast (nationwide?) so it may not be anything special. It's also a peanut on the floor type place.
Mossfire has a pretty nice top sirloin topped with onions for $17. It's in a decent spot to take a stroll to the river and maybe walk to some bars in Five Points.
Orsay for sure. Taverna makes some pretty mean steak as well. But IMO, Orsay can get crowded. Taverna feels a lot more intimate to me. Either is a great choice.
Both are pricey, but no where near as bad as that hack Ruth Chris joint. But there's a lot of love that goes into their food.
If you just want a "steak" you can go to any darn steak place in town. But if you want something sublime that melts in your mouth, pick a nicer establishement.
Also, anything above "medium" is a crime. If it ain't minutes away from mooin', I ain't eatin' it!
The Capital Grille is pretty nuts... we ate there once and the waiter sent us a handwritten postcard in the mail thanking us for dining with them. :)
Delicious... but expensive...
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/menus/D2_Dinner.pdf
For steak and everything else, and a whole lot of it, there's always Espeto in Avondale. Skip lunch that day.
http://www.espetosteakhouse.com/
Yeah Capital Grille is good, I keep forgetting they just opened one up here. It's way out at Town Center though, I rarely get out there.
I know it is pricy but the view of the city and food at Ruth's Chris are hard to beat. If you have a group you can save a bit because all the side items are served family style.
3 Forks at Tapestry Park is very nice. Maybe a little under Tuth's Chris pricewise.
I am a big fan of Orsay, but if I want a steak I go to Ruth Chris. You can't beat the view at RC and I like it better than any other steak place in Jax. Based on the situation you described I think RC is the best option.
Perhaps you could buy her a RC gift card to help take the edge off the price? :)
BISTRO AIX. Three Forks is delicious, so is Morton's and Ruths' Chris, but they are all expensive. Bistro has a great atmosphere and doesn't come with the prices of the above. Taverna is a good call too
I love 'town at The Shoppes of Avondale but do not know if they have a steak. Definately worth a call over there,
I had their sirloin burger topped with bacon, white cheddar and a shmear of foie gras>>>>>>>>(plus fries)
Holy Batman it was awesome.
Charthouse has a great view. I haven't had steak there but it's on the menu. Love their crab cakes.
I would suggest 'The Tree' in Mandarin, just south of 295 on San Jose. They will bring the cart to the table and you basically get to pick your cut and tell the chef how thick you'd like it.
Seasoning - salt & pepper. Prices aren't outrageous. For steak, it's a really good place.
The tree is good. My favorite is a thick ribeye on my charcoal Weber. saute some shrooms and onion and garlic... twice baked potato and a nice crisp mixed green salad...
Dinner at beetee's... ;)
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 13, 2011, 02:21:53 PM
The tree is good. My favorite is a thick ribeye on my charcoal Weber. saute some shrooms and onion and garlic... twice baked potato and a nice crisp mixed green salad...
Dinner at beetee's... ;)
The Bativac Household enjoys the same steak and fixin's. Medium rare please. And double the garlic.
The last really good steak I had in town was at Hops, which tells you the last time I had steak in town....
My wife says 'town has a great steak. The only one she had that was better was in Berkely CA at
Chez Panisse.
Not a fan of 'Town's steak.
I do very much LOVE the steak frites at Orsay.
Tree is good. Haven't been there for awhile.
That being said, if I want a traditional steak dinner... Mortons or III Forks would be my choice.
For good prime rib, the dog track serves up a very good piece of turf for the price.
Orsay, hands down.
I would expect that if one is trying to show off Jacksonville that chain/corporate restaurants would be excluded from suggestions?
Bistro Aix does them as well, but I always get the duck, filet, or fish when I'm there...
If you want to have a conversation along with your steak, don't go to BB's or Bistro Aix. Noise levels at both are uncomfortable.
Bistro Aix changes the way they do duck based on the season it seems... I really miss when they did it with cherries. The last time I had it was very bird and potato, but delicious.
Quote from: AntigoneStarr on August 14, 2011, 09:35:34 AM
Orsay, hands down.
I would expect that if one is trying to show off Jacksonville that chain/corporate restaurants would be excluded from suggestions?
If my life depended on showing off Jacksonville,while chowing down on a very good steak,the Stage would be Ruth Chris on the River.Night Time River Blue hue. "Well Done". Rare.
There is a camp on McCoys Creek that features custom fire pit with refrigerator grill,thoughtfully projecting out over the creek (no doubt the drippings attract even more diverse edible......).
Morton's is participating in Eat Up Downtown so you can have a three course meal there for $25 this week and next.
Haven't been to III Forks, but I have been to Morton's, Capital Grille, Bistro Aix, Orsay, Corner Brasserie (wish it were still around), Plaza III (anyone remember that?), and other places and you still can't beat Ruth's Chris on the Southbank for a steak meal in Jacksonville. While expensive, Jacksonville is fortunate that Ruth's Chris is the most expensive steak in town and has a good ambience and the best view. Can't beat it. In fact, I have been to Smith & Wolinksy's, Bull and Bear, Charlie Trotter's, and plenty of other really fine steakhouses and I still prefer the filet at Ruth's Chris to what I had there, and the Souhtbank location is not a bad one (can be hit or miss).
Spend the money, you graduated school, you deserve it and you can justify it. There is a petite filet, too, and you will have leftovers which means you kind of get 2 meals in one.
I love steakhouses. Had my college graduation dinner at one, and we were 2 hours late to the reservation due to Friday traffic and the place still sat us down at the best table in the house (the place was full). A good steakhouse is really an unbeatable experience. If anyone is ever in Atlanta, pm me and I can point you to some ridiculously good places (non-chain, old style, semi-rustic restaurants with $60 steaks that are literally orgasms of taste and baked Alaska for dessert :)).
The very best steakhouse in this country is Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa. It is worth an overnight trip to Tampa just to go there. Bern was an absolute fanatic that everything, every detail was the best it could possibly be. They cut and age their own beef, sides all come from their own organic farm and the wine list is 300 pages long.
It makes Ruth Chris's look like Longhorn.
Quote from: Dog Walker on August 15, 2011, 08:19:59 AM
The very best steakhouse in this country is Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa. It is worth an overnight trip to Tampa just to go there. Bern was an absolute fanatic that everything, every detail was the best it could possibly be. They cut and age their own beef, sides all come from their own organic farm and the wine list is 300 pages long.
It makes Ruth Chris's look like Longhorn.
I am going to give them a try, when I go on my cruise near the Tampa Area.
Orsay is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but based on your criteria, I really do think Ruth's Chris is the way to go. Best view in town, incredible food, great service, and a great location. Cap off the meal with an evening walk down by the fountain and perhaps across the bridge, and you can't go wrong.
A couple comments on other responses:
1) I went to the Charthouse on Saturday night for the first time in a few years. Maybe it was just a bad night, but it seemed to me like the quality has taken a real nosedive.
2) Bern's in Tampa is fantastic, but I *think* I might put Peter Luger just a notch above it. It's a tough call.
Plaza III was pretty good.
III Forks is very good.
Ruths Chris is also very good.... here is why I prefer Mortons over Ruths Chris... the Bar Bites menu. One of the best kept secrets in town is Mortons happy hour Bar Bite menu. You can eat very inexpesively off this menu, and the food is very good.
Btw, I'll be at Mortons this Friday for Eat Up Downtown... if anyone wants a pre-Jags game steak, give me a holler and you can share the reservation(taking the river taxi over to the game afterwards).