Atmosphere: Peter Luger has been in existence for over a century and has been rated as one of the top steakhouses in New York for the past 3 decades. The steakhouse has been awarded one Michelin star and is a Brooklyn institution drawing regulars and tourists alike. Our reservation was for the first seating of the day at lunch. We took the train to Brooklyn and recognized a few couples later in the dining room. The restaurant simply oozed charm from bowtied waiters to tudor style dining rooms lit with gold chandeliers. I loved the bare wood tables, which soaked up grease like a sponge and the menus with handwritten prices. Dress code ranged from casual to Sunday brunch.

Service: When we visited, reservations were only taken via phone and organized by hand on a giant schedule. Today, reservations can be made through their website up to 6 weeks in advance. Taking a look, there was plenty of availability for parties of 2 at lunch, even the day of but very limited dinner spots within the 6 week window. A portion of the dining room is still held for phone reservations and walk-ins.

Our server was friendly and happy to let us snap a few photos before he served the steak on to our plates. He chatted with us briefly and checked in on us throughout the meal. There was always a server present in the dining room keeping an eye on diners without being obtrusive.

Note that Peter Luger does not accept credit cards or Canadian debit cards. Cash would be the way to go.

Food: As Stephen and I read through the menu, our server brought over a bread basket with soft buns, two pats of butter and a gravy boat of steak sauce. One of the main reasons I wanted to secure a lunch reservation was to try the Luger Burger. We debated between ordering the Steak for Two or Rib Steak and settled on the smaller option. I’m glad we chose the single steak as it was still more than enough to share.

Cooked to a beautiful medium rare, the rib steak was simply mouth watering. I loved the heavy char and the fat cap was exquisite. The taste of the aged beef was meaty and complemented by the house steak sauce. My burger was hefty, served on a sesame seed bun with thick cut fries. Following orders from the Eater article praising the Luger burger, I skipped the bacon and cheese options and stuck to the basics. It was a good burger, meaty, so juicy, well seasoned and perfectly charred. This was the kind of burger that I want to sink my teeth into when I’m craving a burger.

Overall, lunch at Peter Luger was delicious and incredibly satisfying. We don’t go out for steak much anymore as Stephen’s technique gets better and better, but this meal was well worth the trip.

On our never-ending quest to find hidden gems near home, The Hubby and I headed to T Bones for a steak dinner under $20. Found through RFD, I was curious about the no-frills Scarborough restaurant that’s open 24/7 and had great reviews online. I wasn’t disappointed, but I also wasn’t wowed. There’s no question that T Bones’ prices were a great value compared to other steakhouses (although it seems their prices have increased from $14.99 for 16 oz ribeye to $17.99), but The Hubby cooks up a pretty delicious steak at home that ends being around the same cost.

Atmosphere: T Bones was a stand alone restaurant and looked right out of an episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. The quick service restaurant had an old school interior including metal frame chairs and artificial greenery. Many of the table were filled with families of four. After placing our order at the counter, we sat down at an empty table (with plenty of natural light) and waited for our number to be called.

Service: Being a quick service restaurant, we didn’t interact much with the staff. Orders were served up on cafeteria trays, including utensils, for customers to pick up when ready. Our steaks were cooked quickly and there wasn’t a long wait.

Food: In addition to steak, T Bones’ menu has burgers, souvlaki and fish and chips. Although I was tempted by the homemade burger combo, both The Hubby and I did stick to ordering steak. For him, a 16oz ribeye with mashed potatoes and gravy. For me, an 8oz sirloin topped with grilled onions with roast potatoes and salad. Each plate came with little paper cups of steak sauce and butter. For sides, the mashed potato and gravy was excellent, smooth potatoes and a rich, savoury gravy. The roasted potatoes were more stewed with a light tomato sauce. I was not thrilled with the grilled onions, which had some burnt parts, but then others that were quite soggy.

As for the steaks themselves, not bad for the price. The ribeye could have been more marbled and the sirloin more rare, but overall, decent. Both The Hubby and I would have preferred a heavier hand with the salt, but a dip in the steak sauce fixed that for me. My sirloin was tender and the portions were large.

Overall, I’m not sure if I’d be back, but only because it seems like prices have gone up. If the ribeye special continues to creep up and gets to over $20 including tax and tip, I’d rather buy a steak and cook it at home.

Carman’s Club was a popular steakhouse opened in the 60’s, often frequented by visiting celebrities and a neighbourhood gem. The restaurant changed hands in 2010 after the original Mr. Carman passed away and reopened at the end of 2014 with a slight change in spelling as Carmen’s Steakhouse. What piqued my interest in the restaurant was the new young , Asian chef heading the kitchen. I was lucky enough to win a $60 gift card from Goatroti, who posted a great interview with Chef Forrest Liu, which propelled Carmen’s to the top of my restaurant queue.

Atmosphere: Carmen’s was located in an old Tudor style house, smack dab in the centre of Toronto. The main dining room was full of heavy, tall backed leather chairs, colourful stained glass windows and a chandelier straight out of gothic romance novel. A real wood fire was set and stoked periodically by our server. I felt like I had stepped back in time. Most of our fellow diners were older and celebrating a special occasion. We were celebrating Friday. Dinner was intimate, romantic and felt super classy.

Service: Our server was attentive and professional. Crumbs were cleared from the crisp white linen tablecloths before entrees were served and our wine glasses were always filled. He was also friendly and joked with a dry sense of humour with an air of efficiency. When we quickly ate our garlic bread, he tempted us with a basket refill.

Food: In general, the steak at Carmen’s was one of the best I’ve had this year. We started the meal with a caesar salad, split for two. I found my half portion plentiful and loved the whole anchovy that was included. The leaves were well-dressed and the croutons crunchy. There was an uneven distribution of croutons between the two servings (pictured below was The Hubby’s with croutons a-plenty, mine was sparse). Still, a good start.

I chose the entree size of the Seared Scallops because The Hubby ordered the bone-in Ribeye that I would be stealing from sharing. My scallops were interesting. Four large scallops were lightly seared, served on a bed of quinoa and sweet peas and covered in a creamy sauce. The menu described a jasmine sea salt emulsion, but I hadn’t expected this to be so creamy and plentiful. I really enjoyed the scallops, but did find the sauce heavy.

We ordered our ribeye medium and cutting into the steak, the colour was beautiful. Outside, the steak had a dark char, a great crust and the inside was a perfect even pink. Compared to other steakhouses I’ve eaten at recently, Carmen’s steak stood out. For our side, we ordered the truffle fries. This was a good portion, lightly doused with truffle oil without being overpowering.

Dinner ended with a Coconut Creme Brulee the The Hubby and I shared. I liked the texture and flavour of the creme brulee itself, which was creamy and light, under all the superfluous toppings. Overall, while some components of dinner were ordinary, I would be back to Carmen’s in a heartbeat for their steak, which is the most important element of a steakhouse.

As per tradition, for his birthday I took The Hubby out for steak. This year I picked Hy’s Steakhouse for their downtown location and aged steaks. The exquisite dining room and attentive service helped make dinner feel special and worth the splurge.

Atmosphere: To start, I was awed by the size of Hy’s in Toronto and loved the vaulted ceilings. All of the booths had been booked already but tables were placed at an angle from each other and provide an air of intimacy while dining next to strangers. The decor was masculine with dark, warm colours and walls filled with wine. All of the servers wore crisp white chef coats and moved quietly through the restaurant. The majority of diners I noticed leaned towards an older demographic and most of the men had suit jackets. I wouldn’t deem a jacket 100% necessary, but a shirt and tie probably.

Service: From the moment we walked into the lobby where complimentary coat check was offered, to when we collected our jackets, service was lovely. I requested a well-lit table (photos and what not) and we were shown to one next to large windows with natural light streaming in. We ordered the Caesar salad, which was prepared tableside and I was again amazed by how many ingredients go into the dressing. Our server checked in on us subtlely without hovering and I felt like he was always close by if needed. With my reservation, I had submitted a special request for dessert to have a birthday message written on it. However, after our meal, both The Hubby and I were Full. I fretted about what to do. Should I order something just so the kitchen could fulfill my request or try to discreetly cancel it. We decided against dessert and Hy’s still managed to wow me with a simple plate decorated with whipped cream, strawberries and a chocolate birthday message.

Food: Our meal started with an order of cheese toast instead of the complimentary garlic bread, Caesar salad, split between the two of us and escargot. The cheese toast was warm, cheesy and crunchy. My plate of salad had a heavy sprinkle of parmesan and each leaf was coated in dressing. I would’ve loved a few more croutons and some bacon. The plump, tender escargot arrived under a thick blanket of butter and garlic with two toasted chunks of baguette, perfect for soaking up any leftover butter.

My entree was the Steak Neptune, a 10 oz New York stip, cooked medium rare topped with Dungeness crabmeat, asparagus and hollandaise sauce. For my side I chose mashed potatoes, which turned out to be the best mashed potatoes ever. Fluffy clouds of potato heaven. This was why we didn’t have room for dessert, we polished off 26 oz of steak (in total) and 5 potatoes worth of mash. I’m not sure how this was seasoned but the potatoes were savoury, rich and buttery smooth. Just perfect.

Onto the steak. The vegetables served with mine were fresh and crunchy. I didn’t find the crabmeat added much to the dish and the hollandaise sauce was thicker than what I prefer. I would skip the “Neptune” and order just the New York Strip alone. My steak was lean, pink and juicy on the inside. There was lots of beefy flavour but I would’ve liked a bit more char on the outside. The Hubby’s ribeye was delicious and the tastier steak.

Cooked medium, the 16oz ribeye fell apart under the knife and was well-marbled, which meant loads of flavour. The fat cap was rendered well and the outside of the steak had a heavy char marks sealing in all the fatty flavour.

Looking back, my dream order would’ve been the ribeye with a side of mashed potatoes (double serving of potatoes if possible).

Normally, I reserve meals at expensive steakhouses for a special occasion. However, we were able to score a great deal for Ruth’s Chris Steak House during their Gift Card promo which made a visit for regular date night, more reasonable. With over 140 Ruth’s Chris Steak Houses worldwide, mainly in the US, and 5 in Canada, their sizzling plates are well known. While service was lovely and the steaks were good, I wasn’t convinced they were as good as the price tags were high.

Atmosphere: The Toronto location of Ruth’s Chris was in the basement of the Hilton hotel. There was no natural light but plenty of overhead lamps provided a warm, cozy glow to the dining room. Each table was rotated offset from those around it, creating a private space even in the middle of the room. Perhaps a touch outdated, the decor still felt elegant and timeless, reminiscent of an old boy’s club or university alumni room. Plenty of masculinity. Many tables around us were from out of town or celebrating special events.

Service: All of the waitstaff who took care of us that night were professional and efficient. As soon as a drink was empty, someone was there asking if we needed another. Our steaks arrived sizzling (as promised) and sides were all served together. When we ordered only one salad, our server asked if we were splitting the dish and made sure it would be served as such. With each course we were offered fresh ground pepper and all together had a lovely experience.

Food: When ordering at Ruth’s Chris, potato ($12 each) and vegetable ($12 – $15 each) dishes are separate items. No sides were included with any entrees. Each side is a very generous portion and more than enough to share with two people.

As is our tradition, The Hubby and I ordered too much food. We started with one order of the Caesar salad, the dish was split into two portions and served individually. I found the leaves evenly dressed and my plate was covered with shaved parmesan. For sides, we ignored the vegetable selection and ordered both Shoestring Fries and Onion Rings. We managed to eat half of each, but wasn’t even close to finishing. The shoestring fries were fantastic, thin, crispy and well seasoned. I was eating these by the mouthful. The onion rings (not pictured) were massive, wider than my fist, crunchy and not oily.

For our mains, The Hubby ordered The Cowboy Ribeye steak and I had the regular Ribeye steak, both cooked to medium. My ribeye was a beautiful pink throughout. With the bone-in Cowboy, the steak was rarer closer to the bone as expected. Both had a delicious rendered fat cap and a charred exterior sealing in all the juices. The steaks were mildly seasoned and relied heavily on butter. This was a good quality steak, soft, tender with lots of meaty flavour. However, we’ve gotten pretty good at cooking steaks at home, which sets the bar higher when we’re eating out. I wasn’t blown away by Ruth’s Chris.

We ended the night with a slice of Cheesecake and Blueberry sauce, a sweet final note for an already indulgent meal.

Last Friday, the Fiance and I had our first dance class in preparation for our First Dance. On our way out the door, we began to review options for dinner. Neither of us wanted to cook, the weekend ahead was full of Chinese food and I wasn’t craving anything after a big Japanese lunch. When he asked “What about steak?” I knew I was marrying the right man.

Atmosphere: For a standalone steakhouse in Scarborough, I expected Smith Bros to be more of homey, hole in the wall type restaurant. Instead, the restaurant was more Jack Astors, The Keg, located next to a Boston Pizza. The interior was dark with lots of wood and leather. A lounge, bar, waiting area was open for diners to grab a drink before while waiting for their table. We didn’t have a reservation and was seated within 10 minutes. Diners ranged from families celebrating birthdays to couples on dates, and the dress code varied as much. Originally, I was wearing leggings and a sweatshirt (ready for dance class), and I was glad I changed into a dress.

Service: From the host to our server, service at Smith Bros was friendly and efficient. Nothing remarkable happened during our meal but we felt welcomed and taken care of. The host walked around the dining area and personally checked in on all of the tables. I may have confused our server. Initially I ordered my steak medium, then changed it to medium rare and the steak arrived medium. The meat was still tender and delicious, so I had no issues.

Food: Starting with drinks, I choose the beer sampler, 4 mini glasses for $7. This was a great value and I had a different beer for each course. Between the two of us, The Fiance and I tried all 3 of the Premium Smith Bros Draughts. All three beers were crisp and refreshing with the red being our favourite.

The Fiance ordered a bowl of Mussels and the 14 oz Ribeye cooked to medium. I went with a 10 oz Striploin set meal, a “Complete”, that came with a choice of appetizer and dessert. For the appetizer, I went with the classic Caesar Salad and the Orange Chocolate Mousse for dessert. I was so tempted by the All You Can Eat Mussels and Fries for only $19, a deal I will come back for. I settled for sharing a single bowl of the PEI mussels, steamed with Smith Bros Lager, shallots and parsley. The mussels were fresh, flavourful and the broth simple but rich. Most of our bread was used to soak up the broth. My caesar salad arrived dressed with a smattering of cheese and croutons. I would’ve liked a few more croutons but the dressing was creamy and the the lettuce crisp.

Each steak order came with a choice of steak sauce and side. I chose the Peppercorn Cream sauce with a Baked Potato while The Fiance chose the Crumbled Bacon & Bourbon with Matchstick Fries. Between the two sauces, we both preferred the peppercorn, that was rich and had lots of peppery flavour. The crumbled bacon and bourbon was basically just gravy and it was hard to taste the bacon. For the sides, while I did enjoy my baked potato with chives and sour cream, the matchstick fries were perfect.

Now the steaks. All bells and whistles aside, Smith Bros plates a decent steak. While I expected my striploin to be lean, The Fiance’s ribeye was also lean with little marbling. This was a little disappointing but, the meat was very tender and juicy. The char on the outside was well-done and seared in the meaty flavour. Our bill came to just over $100 before tip and for the quality and quantity of food, it was a good value compared to similar steakhouses. My dessert of orange-chocolate mousse tasted exactly like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, therefore perfect.

When The Fiance and I graduated from university, a group of mutual friends planned to celebrated with dinner at Harbour Sixty. Then we looked at the menu and realized that as new grads, the steak was a little out of our budget. Now, being employed, one of the best perks is being able to splurge on a meal. Since steak is one The Fiance’s favourite foods, I made reservations at Harbour Sixty for his birthday this year.

Atmosphere: Harbour Sixty’s decor was classy and traditional. There was a lot of big armchairs, heavy tables, wall sconces, brocade and leather. It’s the kind of restaurant that makes me worry I’ve used the wrong fork. Luckily, their friendly service offsets the intimidation. Our dinner was before a leafs game so diners were more relaxed and there were as many people in Leaf’s Jerseys as suits. Many of the diners were regulars and greeted with familiarity. Overall, Harbour Sixty felt fancy, but comfortable. One day, I’ll be a regular, one day.

Service: First off, valet parking was default. That night, we were driving my 10 year old Honda Civic that has a few dents, a perpetual engine light and likes to hum when the headlights are off. Needless to say, next to the Benzs, Lamborghinis and Jaguars, I felt a little out of place. However, service was impeccable and the valet attendants were efficient and professional.

Once seated, our server was friendly and checked in on us throughout the meal. I had a hard time choosing a wine and our server offered lots of suggestions and picked one to my preferences. When our sides and steaks arrived, the mashed potatoes were served onto the plate for us. At the end of our meal, the busboys were efficient, quickly cleared dishes and packed away our food in a heavy paper shopping bag.

Food: As usual, we ordered too much food. This time though, I learned and took half my steak home rather than stuff myself. The meal started with bread, a whipped herb butter and three side dishes. There were olives, pickled peppers with feta and a parmesan couscous. Of the three, I liked the couscous best followed by the olives, the peppers were too sour for me.

For our sides, we chose the lobster mashed potatoes and truffle oil fries. The thin fries were good, garnished with a sprig of fresh rosemary, two slices of parmesan cheese and a light touch of truffle oil. My heart was won over by the mashed potatoes. That little tin of heaven was buttery, creamy with lots of lobster and topped with baked brie. Who needs roasted vegetables? If you’re ordering a side, get the mashed potatoes.

The Fiance ordered the bone in rib steak while I stuck with the traditional ribeye. We both chose medium and between the two steaks, mine was the fattier cut. I really enjoyed the spice rub, which we’re guessing contained paprika and the fat was rendered beautifully. The steak of juicy, well spiced and expertly prepared.

While The Fiance does make a great steak at home, I do still enjoy eating out at steakhouses for special occasions. Harbour Sixty was an intimate restaurant with excellent service whose spice rub inspired our next home-cooked steak. I would stick to ribeye and one steak with two sides would be plenty to feed two people.

For Valentine’s Day this year the BF and I decided to forgo gifts and instead splurge on a meal. He still got me macarons and I found him ravioli pans, but we kept ourselves in check. This was good because dinner at Jacobs & Co Steakhouse more than fit the definition of a splurge meal, or two. Located on Brant St, Jacobs & Co serves up various cuts of steak from all over the world ranging from farms across North America to authentic Japanese Wagyu. There are reasonably priced options, we chose to go for broke.

Atmosphere: While dinner wasn’t a black tie event the dress code in the restaurant did include a jacket and dress for most diners. We were seated in a secluded room with tables only for two so the noise level was hushed and the lighting dim, perfect for an intimate dinner. The outside dining area was more lively with larger groups and more open space. I appreciate that Jacobs offers both settings to chose from. The decor was elegant, featuring contemporary lines with traditional textures like rich leathers and dark woods. Dinner at Jacobs is a perfect excuse to get dressed up and try out a new dress or pair of shoes.

Service: Complimentary coat check is offered before the friendly hostess guides you to your table. Our server was friendly and stuck up a conversation with the BF with regards to his camera. After a small bit of dialogue he apologized for interrupting our dinner, which was sweet and unnecessary. The wine book at Jacobs was a little overwhelming for us so we asked our server to recommend something based on our price range and taste preferences. He took it away and returned with a bottle of Malbec from Argentina that the BF and I both liked. I felt well taken care of the entire dinner, without the servers feeling overbearing and loved the table side preparation of the caesar salad (I never knew so many ingredients went into the dressing).

Food: I need to preface this with the disclaimer that our eyes were far larger than our stomachs and my dress was uncomfortably tight as we left. It was a great meal, the best steaks I’ve had in Toronto but I’m still on the fence about whether or not the price tag was justified. I do believe it’s worth the cost by the excellent service and whole dining experience, but based on the food alone, I’m unsure.

Once we had placed our order with the helpful guidance of our knowledgeable server, he dropped off two popovers with a garlic chive butter. The bread was perfectly hollow and had buttery, flakey layers. I had to keep reminding myself about the ounces of steak to come so as not to fill up on carbs, a difficult task.

For sides we ordered the Jacobs Caesar Salad and the daily special of hash browns fried in duck fat topped with a soft boiled egg. It was fun to watch the preparation and care that went into the dish on top of it tasting great. I liked that the dressing was tangy and not too creamy. We ordered one portion size and it was a good amount split for two people. Before the hot dishes arrived, our server delivered a plate of salts and sauces to accompany the steak. Of these, my favourite was the chimichurri. We didn’t get through much of the hash browns, they were good. I would’ve liked the egg to be a bit more runny.

The BF had his heart set on the 36 oz bone-in ribeye, 26 oz without the bone, also named the “Swinging Steak” on the menu. So I ordered something smaller, the 10 oz Californian Cut Striploin from Snake River Farms Wagyu. Between the two US Wagyu farms we were told the Snake River had a gamier taste, while the Oakleigh was more buttery. Since the BF was getting a super marbled, fatty ribeye, I chose the Snake River in contrast. His ribeye was ordered medium and my striploin was medium rare. Both steaks came out at the right shade of pink and I added 2 oz of foie gras to mine. As I’ve mentioned before, this was the best steak I’ve had in Toronto. The steaks were well cooked with a beautiful caramelized crust and tender, flavourful middle. My personal preference leans towards fattier steaks so I liked the ribeye more but both were mouth watering. The BF likened the meal to steakhouse he had visited in Houston.

I was enticed by other tables and ordered the 12 layer chocolate cake for dessert. We didn’t need it and it was a dense cake. Beautiful presentation but I was hoping for a more airy texture. There was a mix up in the kitchen and the hash browns we had asked to be packed up were sent home with another table. Our server was so apologetic and he offered to have the dish re-made for us. He also sent us home with extra complimentary muffins.

Overall, Jacobs delivered an excellent experience with welcoming service in a polished environment and great food. It wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had, in the top 10, but it was the one with the highest price tag.