Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. What do you recommend?

[StllH8L8ner]

I go bone-in ribeye if possible and my back-up is filet. Malbec is a great recommendation also. Calores del Sol is my favorite but most are pretty good.

 

[8893]

A good high altitude Malbec is a delight with leaner cuts like filet. But I did check the Ruth's menu here in Pgh to see what Malbecs they offered to make a specific recommendation, and the two from Argentina are not particularly great specimens.

I am not a Malbec fan at all, but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that so much it is crap. A bartender heard me saying that I didn’t like Malbec last year and he set about proving me wrong by pouring me a very nice one. It was definitely a much different animal than the ones I had tried previously, and very good. Perhaps I need to look for high altitude ones?

As for your filet rec, I think the same would probably be true about a Merlot (or a Right Bank Bordeaux), but I’d probably go Burgundy or southern Rhone because I don’t drink that much Cab or Merlot-based wines these days.

 

[HuskyFich]

I recommend going to del Frisco’s

 

[HuskyHawk]

I am not a Malbec fan at all, but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that so much it is crap. A bartender heard me saying that I didn’t like Malbec last year and he set about proving me wrong by pouring me a very nice one. It was definitely a much different animal than the ones I had tried previously, and very good. Perhaps I need to look for high altitude ones?

As for your filet rec, I think the same would probably be true about a Merlot (or a Right Bank Bordeaux), but I’d probably go Burgundy or southern Rhone because I don’t drink that much Cab or Merlot-based wines these days.

I think too many of the Argentinian Malbec we get are crap. Like the Chilean cab we get. And far too much of what Australia sends us. Good is good. Any good dry, tannic, extracted Bordeaux grape based red is going to be good with a steak. Odd you mention Burgundy, I would not get a Pinot or any of the lighter red styles with a big steak. Or at least any Burgundy/Pinot I’d be willing to pay for. Agree with you, most good Rhones work fine too (especially if more Syrah than Grenache), and a Cab Franc from Loire can be tremendous.

Do we have a wine thread? Do we need a wine thread?

 

[Chin Diesel]

Their Salisbury steak is to die for.

Handle/Post.

 

[8893]

Odd you mention Burgundy, I would not get a Pinot or any of the lighter red styles with a big steak. Or at least any Burgundy/Pinot I’d be willing to pay for.

I was following up on the discussion about pairing with filet specifically, which I treat differently than sirloin or ribeye. I like lighter reds with leaner cuts; which is why I also said southern Rhône, which tends to be more Grenache-based than the north, which is more Syrah-heavy. I love them both but again go with less tannin for a leaner cut.

 

[Greg]

Best steak I have had in my life was at Salt and Char in Saratoga. Wagyu Ribeye Cap. You will never look at steak the same way again. Pricey, but everyone deserves to self indulge occasionally.

 

[8893]

I think too many of the Argentinian Malbec we get are crap. Like the Chilean cab we get. And far too much of what Australia sends us. Good is good.

I think the problem is the price point. People are used to seeing and drinking cheap Malbec, Chilean and Australian wines and, with the exception of some Penfolds, I don’t think there is enough of a market to move much of the high end wines from these places; whereas there is a always a big market for high end French and Italian wines.

But the real beauty of the Rhônes and the dry Italian reds is that even their low end wines are totally quaffable. By far the wines I drink most frequently. Great food wines, too.

 

[gtcam]

Best steak I have had in my life was at Salt and Char in Saratoga. Wagyu Ribeye Cap. You will never look at steak the same way again. Pricey, but everyone deserves to self indulge occasionally.

Great restaurant
Believe it or not I ate there with a friend before a Phil and Friends concert a few years back (2017?)
I heard that the Adelphi folks closed it down for a while for renovations and won't open until mid summer
The strip steak was priced in the high $30s and was awesome - my friend had salmon and said it was great
It's a treat for sure

 

[Umami Zen]

I think the problem is the price point. People are used to seeing and drinking cheap Malbec, Chilean and Australian wines and, with the exception of some Penfolds, I don’t think there is enough of a market to move much of the high end wines from these places; whereas there is a always a big market for high end French and Italian wines.

But the real beauty of the Rhônes and the dry Italian reds is that even their low end wines are totally quaffable. By far the wines I drink most frequently. Great food wines, too.

Not at all Cab-biased.. Price points do not always reflect their value. All of your suggestions above are valid. Just threw Cab out in my original post as a no-brainer.

Have moved away from Napa/Sonoma Cabs and look at Paso Robles for Cabs/Rhones-red blends for better pricing. All recommendations from @8893 are on-the-money.. No Shiraz from Australia/New Zealand?

It's what you're pairing the wine with that's on the plate that matters.

BTW. Mentioned asparagus because someone else did.. Not my choice for a wine-friendly veggie.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

It's true. Probably the only red wine thing asparagus goes with is vinegar.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Not at all Cab-biased.. Price points do not always reflect their value. All of your suggestions above are valid. Just threw Cab out in my original post as a no-brainer.

Have moved away from Napa/Sonoma Cabs and look at Paso Robles for Cabs/Rhones-red blends for better pricing. All recommendations from @8893 are on-the-money.. No Shiraz from Australia/New Zealand?

It's what you're pairing the wine with that's on the plate that matters.

BTW. Mentioned asparagus because someone else did.. Not my choice for a wine-friendly veggie.

My very knowledgeable local shopkeeper informed me some about what has happened in Australia. Some good stuff is produced, but I had noticed a major decline from what it was in the 90s. It became a massive industrial operation. Most of it is now grown in very hot conditions more like the CA Central Valley where we get our “Two Buck Chuck”, and it shows.

That’s not to say that nothing good is produced, But it’s harder to find them and they aren’t a bargain anymore. I avoid anything from the South Eastern Australian GI. In the US I like Washington State and Lake County reds. Eastern Europe has some fantastic bargains.

In 2016 Rabobank's senior analyst Marc Soccio said China's position as Australia's largest wine export market had ushered in a 'red dawn' for winemakers.

"Overall this has led to a marked shift in demand for red varietals from premium temperate climate regions such as the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra, and premium cool climate regions such as the Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania, over fruit from the more commercial warm inland regions," Mr Soccio said.

In 1981, 8 million litres were exported, in 2020 Australia was the world's fifth largest wine exporter with more than 60 per cent of the country's wine exported.

Over the past year, more than 770 million litres have been sent to 117 destinations world wide.

The Chinese market is worth almost four times as much to Australian winemakers as the second most valuable market, the United States.

 

[temery]

They know beef. Go with your favorite cut with a nice Cab and you'll be happy.

If you enjoy filets because of the sauces/mushrooms, etc you can put on it. Killer.

Think Capital Grille/Grill 23/Abe and Louie's good.

Cab?

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Cab?

You're such a rube sometimes.

 

[Umami Zen]

Confident @CL82 will enjoy his dining experience at RC. Enjoy the night without your mask ..

 

[Umami Zen]

Cab?

My bad. Uber

 

[August_West]

Had Japanese A5 Miyazaki Wagyu for 50th birthday recently. Cooked it at home with the wife. All other streaks bow down. Very rich, but the best steak in the world. Had US and Australian wagyu many times but the Japanese A5 is on another level. Pricey but worth it for a special occasion if you have some disposable income available.

Yup got a14 oz A5 Ribeye from Crowd cow for my bday last month. It was like eating a stick of butter (in the good way) . I didnt cook it whole. I cut it into slices and flashed each slice in hot cast iron, went right in the mouth, rinse, repeat.

 

[J187Money]

I love a beefy cab with a great steak. I'm partial to Caymus / Stag's Leap - cabs of that ilk.

Ruth's doesn't have a deep menu - but they know how to handle the steak. Enjoy!

(I've always been a Palm guy myself - because I don't always want steak and they have a wider variety of options)

 

[Adesmar123]

I will be going this weekend for the first time. Anyone have any recommendations?

Anything with bacon and cheese! And don't forget lots of ketchup!

 

[temery]

You're such a rube sometimes.

Sometimes?