Going Clubbing

We did a lot of dining out this weekend. J had mentioned several days ago that she was hungry for Steak 'N' Shake, so I tracked one down. Friday night, after snacking on popcorn at Pan's Labyrinth, I took her to Steak 'N' Shake for dinner. She got a Frisco Melt, which is what she almost always gets, and I got a Chili 5-Way, which is what I almost always get. It was just right for the chilly night and we went home happy.

Saturday's lunch was really just an excuse to play trivia: wings at BW-3. I got boneless wings with medium sauce & decided that next time, I'm going for mild. J got a combo platter of tenders with spicy garlic sauce & ribs. Their ribs are truly disgusting. I didn't like the sauce at all and the ribs were nearly all fat & gristle. Thinking about the bite I took now just makes me shudder. But I won at trivia 3 times in a row.

Since I am going to be away at school for Valentine's Day, we celebrated that early with dinner at the Cabin Club Saturday night. I had heard from Jon Vitale at church that their steaks were terrible, but they have gotten such good reviews that I decided to risk it. I had considered Hyde Park, but hesitated because the service and food at Blake's Seafood, owned by the same company, weren't that hot when we went. I also considered Morton's and John Q's, but thought J might not want to travel as far as those on a cold Saturday night. We arrived at the Cabin Club and were seated promptly. The atmosphere wasn't particularly romantic, but J had specified that she wanted to go for a great steak for our Valentine dinner. Our table was out in the middle of the room, placed very close to the one next to us. There was a bar t.v. visible from where we sat, as well as loud contemporary music that didn't match with the decor. The restaurant is located in a log cabin. The website says it's an authentic log cabin, which I think is meant to make us think it's old. I have my doubts on that score. But, they have attempted a vintage feel in terms of decoration with placement of shelves of old books over some booths (and book-pattern fabric awnings over windows inside), pulp novel posters and old black and white photos. They would have done much better, in terms of evoking the feel they seemed to be going for, had they had big band music or old jazz playing softly in the background. Oh, well. My other complaint was the obvious skewing toward male clientele in the forms of alarmingly short black skirts on all the waitresses. I was afraid for them should they accidentally drop something. They would have to squat to retrieve it, unless they wanted their ass flashed to the world. From the waist up, they looked perfectly professional, with white button-down shirts and black ties. From the waist to the ankles, they looked like Hooters girls. From the ankles down, they looked like servers in an all-night diner, feet shod in thick white gym shoes. Jarring. Our service was very good, though.

The food was good, too, just what J had in mind. Therefore, I consider my planning a success. J loved her lobster bisque, although I found it a tad bland and prefer the bisque at the Tree House. It was velvety smooth, though, I'll give it that. My French onion soup was worse. I was very pleased that the cheese was nicely melted and not all rubbery and impossible to swallow. The broth was not terribly robust, however, and left behind a slightly bitter taste in my mouth. Once we got to the main course, things improved considerably. J got a filet mignon Oscar-style, with delicate crab meat on top, asparagus on the side, the whole shebang drizzled in bearnaise. On the side, garlic mashed potatoes with a great deal of flavor and huge lumps of unmashed potato. The same potatoes came with my blackened bleu Delmonico, which was also very good. J says it's the best steak she's had in a long time. I thought the steak was very good, but would have liked a bit more Point Reyes on top of mine. That's just because I am a fiend for blue cheese. The crème brûlée we split was wonderfully silky and thick, with a good touch of vanilla and a perfect caramelized crust on top. J was very pleased with the meal. I liked it, too, although for $100, I would rather go to The Winds. I think I am just bitter that we will be missing their Valentine's Day dinner.