Just go with your gut, gutt22...

NYC

PETER LUGARS #1

PALM on 2nd ave #1 a

PIETROS ON 43RD SLEEPER

BA ARGENTINA

las lilas # 1


all the rest are next

thought buenos aires 2 nd tier are better than NYC or anywhere else for/ that matters

Was it Johnny's? Next to the stockyards? You can hear them mooing

Could it have been The Drover? The Whiskey Filet there is exceptional, as is everything, and the prices are very good for what you get.

In addition to The Drover (Omaha) here are some other favorites, in no particular order:

Market Inn - Washington, DC
Elks Lodge - Dickinson, ND - an absolutely incredible value
Morton's - various - still the best of the chains in my view
Capital Grille - various
E.B. Green's - Buffalo, NY (in the Hyatt)
Schimmels - Jackson, MS
Old Hickory Steakhouse - Nashville, TN (in the Opryland Resort Hotel)
Sparks - New York, NY
The Char - Beckley, WV
Manny's - Minneapolis (atmosphere not as nice as most others above and more expensive than Morton's, but food and service are exceptional)

And I agree with everything Canarsie posted about Gallagher's in NYC....you described it to a 'T'. No way I would ever go back there.

I've just got no precise memory of the Omaha steakhouse I was at. I'm pretty sure I got a New York strip there, and it was $14.99. Other than that ... it was a fairly large place, maybe a bit dark. Not fancy or formal or anything like that. The sign out front was pretty large. I know that's helping none. But I'll never forget the steak itself. Damn.

Good steak in DC can go for ridiculous prices, but for anyone who doesn't mind driving or taking a cab over the Potomac River from DC, or who has a reason to be in Arlington, VA (which borders DC to the south, for those who aren't sure), one of the best values is at a place called Ray's the Steaks on Wilson Blvd. in North Arlington. It's not just me who says so... ask the Washington Post and all the people who make reservations pretty much a necessity on Fri/Sat/Sun... and not a bad idea on other nights. The place has been such a hit that the owner is now opening a second place -- I think he's calling it Ray's Classic -- in suburban MD on the northern side of DC.

Capitol Grille is excellent. It is one of my favorite places. My favorite places are these.

HY Winnipeg
Capitol Grille D.C.
Lawerys Chicago
Mike Ditka's Chicago
When I am in Tampa next I will have to try Charleys and Bern's

Las Nazarenas in BA is pretty good.

Would appreciate any current or recent suggestions in Kansas City or Missouri.

Anywhere more specific in Missouri other than Kansas City?

TWA,

Thank you for response. Will be spending few day in STL then driving via Columbia to KC, then to Jefferson City and back to STL. I was told by friends in KC, that greater KC used to be the steak capitol of US and even named after in KC Strip.

Gibson's (especially in the private rooms upstairs) remains a "standard" for US comparison. The Old Chicago Chophouse is another, and on behalf of this Texan, Chicago's steaks are the "measure", especially in those places, nosing out the best of KC or home.

Morton's has always struck me as "overwhelming" a la "The Palm", too much sizzle and not enough steak, while Ruth's Chris has declined far from its early excellent years, and, worse, varies greatly by location. S&W, now spread, was never more than decent lower Manhattan steakhouse, while Peter Luger's Holy Temple #1 puts a premium on pretentious folderol, while the steaks are fine, simply not extraordinary. Tampa's Bern's always strikes me as over-rated in relation to expectations and product. Shula's (in both of the locations in which I've been entertained) reminded me of the Dolphins, only excuseable on the grounds that somebody had to be from Miami, but why were we forced to visit?

Churrasco in Houston does a good job with a European style "bleu" (and with some other dishes. Argentine (and other SAmerican) beef can be quite enjoyable for those of us who grew up around ranches and grass-fed beef.

As for the silly twaddle re: dry aged v. wet aged, I'll always try a dry aged steak, just as I will always lunge at "dry smoked" barbecue, but in my 6.5 decades of eating steak all over the Western world, I've had too many dry-cured steaks that had lost the flavor edge and were easing into abject mustiness.

When it comes to seasoning steak, there are only two, salt and freshly coarse ground or cracked black pepper, added after the steak leaves the fire and is rested for a few moments to concentrate the moisture. A dollop of good butter never hurts a TBone, PH or Shell (strip), and adds to the thinly sliced, quickly grilled European style loins. Skirt, flank and rump steaks can be doused in marinade, or simply rubbed with garlic smashed in good olive oil.

TMO

TMO

i lived in Argentina for two years and nwo i'm spoiled. never had better steak anywhere else, period. a $5 steak from a humble neighborhood place there beats the pants off of anything i've ever had anywhere else, including all the best chains, and all the best famous places, in the US. and it only gets better from there!! by far, cabana las lilas is the cream of the crop in Buenos Aires, but neighborhood places that are just as good are el Primo, La Catedra, Rio Alba, and many others... if anybody is ever on their way to BA and needs advice, please ask, i'm happy to help!!

Jesse and Jim's in a southern suburb. Don't let the plain exterior and decor fool you - the focus is on the quaility of the steaks. I discovered this place when a Marriott hotel clerk recommended it as someplace where the locals go:

http://www.jessandjims.com

[QUOTE=jasondc]i lived in Argentina for two years and nwo i'm spoiled. never had better steak anywhere else, period. QUOTE]

Yummm...the best steak I've ever had was in an Argentinian joint in Amsterdam. Damn was that good.

On the topic, if you're ever in the CWA area, Hereford and Hops is an EXCELLENT grill-your-own place.