“Home, home on the range” usually brings to mind images of chuckwagons, cowboys and cattle. But on my range, cattle is at the top of that list. After all, this is prairie country, the best place for beef.
I love beef and love it prepared well. The Westin’s Carvery and Hy’s were legendary steak houses in their day, but alas, they’re gone. So where does one go now? All three of the following restaurants respect the natural flavour and quality of Alberta beef and offer other delightfully prepared protein choices. Moreover, it’s a treat to know that steak is still well-done around town.
Chop
17635 Stony Plain Rd., 780-487-2467
Yes, it is attached to the new Sandman Hotel in the suburban west end. But if this two-year-old restaurant were on Sex and the City, I’m certain it would be one of Carrie Bradshaw’s favourites. In 2007, it was already named one of the country’s top 10 new restaurants.
While the lighting is low and soft and the neutral-toned decor is luxurious, the long butcher-block tables attest to this being a serious steak house. I know of no other local restaurant that puts the name of the in-house butcher on the front door.
Meat is dry-aged for a minimum of 28 days and each steak is hand-cut. The stuffed gorgonzola 6 oz. filet ($33) is wrapped in double-smoked bacon and finished with a rich red wine reduction. Paired with seasonal vegetables and scalloped potatoes, this is a substantial meal of very bold flavours: a steak and blue cheese lover’s delight. Don’t limit yourself to the beef. The wasabi-crusted Ahi tuna ($31) is a thick, sushi-grade steak that’s very lightly seared. It’s served with mashed potatoes infused with mild wasabi and sour cream. This double hit of Japanese horseradish is softened by the silky smooth, sweet finish of the Mandarin beurre blanc sauce.
Leave room for a house-made dessert. The 24-layer chocolate cake ($14) is an architectural wonder. Yes, you’ll want to share this one and I doubt you’ll leave any of it behind.
Steak Village
11 Athabascan Ave., Sherwood Park, 780-416-8566
Five years ago, Steak Village opened its new digs to continue a 25-year tradition of great steak in Sherwood Park. keeping the doors of your independent restaurant open for that long is an impressive feat worthy of pride.
Steak Village does not pretend to be anything else but a great steak house. The kitchen and grill are front and centre, showcased behind glass. This straightforward family steak house is frequented by people who know and appreciate good, consistently prepared steak. Over 90 per cent of the menu items sold are meat dishes.
Prime rib (8 oz. for $22, 12 oz. for $30) is slow-roasted with garlic and rosemary, served au jus with fresh Yorkshire pudding and seasonal vegetables. All steaks are hand-cut and charbroiled to order. The New York (8 oz. for $24, 12 oz. for $32) comes with a choice of potato or rice, and seasonal vegetables. You want a 40-oz. steak? That can be arranged, at $2 extra per ounce. A potato of the day is featured and, if you’re lucky, it will be the garlic Parmesan potatoes — wedges of baby creamer potatoes baked with garlic and Parmesan cheese. Who needs fries when you can have these?
A traditional steak restaurant wouldn’t be complete without traditional desserts, and Steak Village does not disappoint. Baked Alaska ($7), apple crumble ($6) and mud pie ($6) are just some of the old favourites they prepare on-site and deliberately serve to preserve the authenticity of a comfort-food steak house.
Vic’s Steakhouse
Mayfield Inn and Suites, 16615 109 Ave., 780-930-4062
Vic’s is an upscale flagship steak house for the hotel’s new Canadian owners, Silver Birch Hotels and Resorts. While the location will be familiar (formerly the Mayfield Grill), this year-old restaurant is drastically different from what was here before.
From the moment you walk in the door, you sense that this eatery is breaking new ground for dining spots in the complex, which for decades has been best-known for its dinner theatre’s massive buffet. Rich in deep wood and upholstered fabrics, and with a soft-spoken maitre d’ who greets you at the door, Vic’s is re-establishing the allure of an elegant, old-style venue. Its all-Canadian wine list is also a daring move for an Edmonton steak house. To ease guests into this wine experience, free wine samples are featured each week.
The warm basket of house-baked, herbed bread was a faultless match for the dipping plate of raspberry balsamic vinaigrette (infused with garlic, rosemary and maple syrup). Then the chef’s choice of amuse bouche arrives at your table. Amuse bouche literally means “mouth amused,” but I think of it as a tantalizing little taste of something. It’s a wonderful way to get your taste buds working before your first course arrives. It’s complimentary, served to all guests at the table and varies depending on the daily creativity of the chef.
To start, the Procrastinator ($14) is aptly named, just in case you can’t decide on which appetizer to have. It’s a combination platter of two crispy jumbo coconut shrimp, three crab-stuffed mushroom caps and a grilled lamb lollipop (cut from the New Zealand lamb rack) with blackberry and onion marmalade.
The braised bison ribs ($31) are fall-off-the-bone good, served with a wild mushroom and Saskatoon berry demi-glace and sea-salt roasted potatoes. For beef, try the tournedos. Chef Jonathan Spanton offers the Vic’s Tournedos 9 oz. sirloin ($31) or the Sterling Silver tenderloin cut (7 oz. for $37, 10 oz. for $48). Without question, this is simply a gorgeous dish. Thick, hand-cut meat, grilled to be tender-juicy on the inside, wrapped in boar bacon and finished with the chef’s slow-cooked, rich mushroom sauce. Just give me a bowl of that mushroom sauce — I’m convinced it could make any dish taste wonderful.
