Are you ready to take your steak dinner to the next level? While your wedge salad might
not be the best match for your steak dinner, the right seafood may be the perfect catch
Steak Diane is a meaty offering that's often thought of as a remnant of a bygone era. It
may feature old-school ingredients, but it can still be considered relevant, especially at steak restaurants. It may not be the prettiest dish on the menu
but if you like to smother your meat and sauce, this is the most wonderful pairing you can go for
Steak Diane incorporates a juicy steak doused in a silky smooth butter-based sauce
It's sautéed with shallots and boosted with a splash of Worcestershire sauce
some Dijon mustard, and a touch of brawny cognac. A hefty dose of freshly ground pepper is the
essential touch to the sauce that nicely counterbalances all the sweet, rich, and earthy
flavors. The sauce derives from a French culinary tradition, and though it was originally served
with venison, it eventually found its ideal pairing in beef. You'll usually find it on top
of tender filet mignon, but it pairs nicely with any steak cut
A wedge of iceberg salad doused in blue cheese and garnished with bits of fried bacon is
certainly an old-school classic. Alas, it has many downsides, including that big chunk of
iceberg lettuce itself. Simply put, this isn't exactly the best variety of lettuce around
It may be satisfyingly crispy, but when it comes to nutrition, this salad doesn't offer much
and with a rather neutral flavor profile, you get a pretty bland and tasteless veggie
You might think the blue cheese would help, but it somehow only makes it even worse
It tends to ruin all the crispiness, resulting in a chunk of flavorless, wilted greens
Furthermore, the intense aroma and flavor completely takes over the whole thing
The crisp bacon bits may be the best part of this classic, but they don't really get the chance to shine through
Iceberg right ahead! Thank you. Oyster's Rockefeller consists of a meaty oyster topped with a mix of butter
breadcrumbs, and herbs, all served on a half shell. It's all baked until the breadcrumbs crisp up, allowing those buttery and herbal flavors
to mingle with briny oyster juices. Invented at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans, this dish has a venerable history, dating back
to 1899. Though the original recipe has never been disclosed, it has been recreated by numerous
establishments nationwide. If executed properly, Oysters Rockefeller makes for quite the exquisite meal
The buttery and herbaceous breading is the perfect complement to the juicy tartness of
the oysters. All the flavors come through effortlessly, but none sticks out too much
Plus, the dish is also difficult to mess up, as most restaurants usually have reliable
long-standing recipes, so you can expect a well-executed dish without any unpleasant surprises
You may have heard that spinach is packed with wonderful vitamins and nutrients but when it comes smothered in cream butter flour and sometimes a hefty amount of cheese the end result is the opposite of wholesome Creamed spinach is packed with fat and calories
so if you want a slightly lighter option at a steakhouse, we're sorry to say this ain't
it. On top of all that, creamed spinach doesn't take long to cook, but you can never be sure
if it was made fresh. And there's nothing worse than reheated greens. In 2021, Mashed
conducted a survey to discover which side order at Outback Steakhouse ranks as the least favorite
among guests. Unsurprisingly, creamed spinach topped the list, with 38% naming it as the worst
option. We have to assume that the feelings are similar at other steakhouses
Steaks go well with various sides, but most of us can probably agree that nothing beats baked or
mashed potatoes. But those options are also too predictable and just plain uninspiring
Steak should obviously be the star of the main course, but you should pair it with something
stimulating, and flavorful. That's where twice-baked potatoes come in. Twice-baked potatoes combine the best of both worlds. On the bottom, you have a nice crispy
shell topped with a heap of creamy mash, usually loaded with cheese, green onions, and bacon
This retro classic will never go out of style, as it can easily be adapted with any topping
You can keep it as simple as possible, or turn it into an extravaganza by adding trendy or
deluxe ingredients. Twice-baked potatoes are sturdy and reheat well, so you can be sure that you'll never get a sad, cold spud
"...Po-tatoes. Foil em, mash em, stick em in a stew." If you thought that shrimp cocktails had disappeared from the culinary landscape
then you'll sadly be surprised to find out that steakhouses still proudly offer
this questionable pairing of cold shrimps and tomato-based sauce. The history of the shrimp cocktail is shrouded in mystery, but it likely evolved from similar
seafood specialties that were served as snacks and sometimes even drinks, which explains the
cocktail moniker. In the U.S., you'll often see the sauces served inside a goblet or a cocktail
glass with shrimps hanging loosely on the side. But we can't think of any good reason why anyone
would want to smother delicate shrimp meat with a spicy ketchup-like sauce
Classic Cocktail Sauce combines ketchup, horseradish, chili, Worcestershire sauce, and various spices and seasonings. That results in something salty, spicy, and very aromatic that
might be an excellent option in other contexts, but it's usually too powerful for buttery
delicate shrimp meat. The sauce could also be a red flag at seafood restaurants, as it can easily
disguise poor quality and lack of flavor. The same thing can be said for steakhouses
which generally sell less seafood than steak, but if you do insist on ordering something fishy
definitely reel in another catch. French onion soup is a comforting classic that uses only a
handful of ingredients to create an outstanding dish It all starts with a heap of sliced onions saut in butter until they thoroughly caramelized They then doused in a rich beef broth that gives this soup a firm backbone
that can support all the sweet and caramel flavors. It's portioned and topped with toasted bread slices
and finally sealed with grated cheese and broiled until the cheese melts and creates a gooey layer on top
Just by hearing this description, it should already be clear that French onion soup
should be your regular order at a steakhouse. In addition to being incredibly delicious
it's a restaurant staple, as the preparation usually takes too much time and effort to make
at home. But in a restaurant setting, it can be prepared well in advance. It's quickly finished
in the oven, so it always comes to your table with a warm, cheesy crust that easily breaks
into all that flavorful broth hidden underneath. Here, have some French onion soup
Despite its enduring popularity, filet mignon is one of those gourmet cuts that's actually a bit
overrated. It's usually one of the most expensive options on a steakhouse menu
but that high price generally doesn't reflect the amount of flavor packed inside
Filet mignon is a small cut that comes from just one part of the tenderloin
As such, it's relatively rare. Though it's generally soft and tender, the flavor isn't so great, as it's too lean and doesn't have much juicy fat tissue
Filet mignon can make an excellent pairing with sauces or some added ingredients that
will boost the flavor. But if you want to munch down on a delicious piece of beef without any
additional components, this isn't your best option. Instead, go for steaks that have more
marbling, such as a ribeye or the classic T-bone. Well, I am just a T-bone kind of guy. Love that T-bone
Oscar-style steak is one of those lavish, over-the-top options that are too beautiful to pass up
This gourmet order will get you a thick slab of steak, usually tenderloin
topped with crab meat and served with a generous drizzle of butter-based sauce
That juicy crab meat is occasionally replaced with lobster in the more luxe version
And when it comes to sauces, traditional options include thick and velvety hollandaise or classic
bernays that's packed with shallots and tarragon. You can say that this dish is fit for royalty
and appropriately enough, it was named after a king. That inspiration was Oscar II, who ruled
Sweden during the 19th century and was reportedly a fan of quirky and luxurious combos such as this
one. Considering steakhouses are a bit decadent as is, Oscar-style steak perfectly understands
the assignment. If you want some gastronomic decadence, then this is the ultimate order
So go all out and treat yourself with this surf and turf combo that screams extravagance
Surf and turf is a culinary concept that proves how unconventional land and sea pairings can work
in perfect harmony. However, when it comes to surf and turf, Clam's Casino simply does not hit the
jackpot This dish most likely originated at the turn of the 20th century at the Narragansett Pier Casino in Rhode Island with Julius Keller usually credited as the creator But nowadays Clams Casino is a
rare sight on menus, though it remains popular at some seafood joints and Italian-American
restaurants. You'll occasionally find it at classic steakhouses, but you should still skip
it, despite the venerable history. Clams Casino isn't a very complicated dish. It consists of
little neck clams served on a half shelf topped with a mix of breadcrumbs, butter, peppers
and bacon. Variations include different seasonings, grated cheese, or even a slice of bacon perched
on each clam. The assembled shell is broiled until the breadcrumb topping sets and the bacon crisps
up. Individually, each of these elements sounds appetizing, but the combination is ultimately a
bit off. The flavor of the clams certainly can't come through the bready pepper topping and the
smoky bacon. So the idea of pairing these overpowering elements with the juicy sweetness
of the shellfish is just plain wrong. Baked Alaska has everything you want in a dessert
cake, ice cream, and airy meringue to top it all off. The soft sponge base is sturdy enough to
support the generous amount of ice cream mounted on top, while the thick layer of caramelized
meringue provides a creamy, feather-light element as a great finishing touch. The best thing about
Baked Alaska is the array of flavor combinations, ranging from fruity and light to all-chocolate
heavyweights. In addition to the flavor profile, Baked Alaska always steals the show as a visually
attractive dessert that can easily be the centerpiece conclusion to any meal
And I say, I don't know, Alaska! The only problem is that Baked Alaska is usually challenging to prepare
especially if you choose to make it from scratch. But this is precisely why you should order it when
dining out. As it's already partially frozen, you don't have to worry that the cake will be stale
or underwhelming. For our money, there's no better way to finish a steakhouse dinner than
with ice cream coated in warm, caramelized meringue. Calamari is a lovely Italian term for squid, but in the United States, it's mainly used
to describe an appetizer of breaded, deep-fried squid rings. This classic dish is one of the
most common seafood options at traditional steakhouses. If prepared correctly, it results
in a wonderful combination of soft squid meat and crispy golden crust. Add a creamy sauce
on the side and a squeeze of lemon juice, and you've got yourself a fantastic seafood dish
But the problem at most steakhouses is that calamari is offered as a starter
meaning that you'll munch down on a heap of fried seafood before you even get to the main event
Squid is theoretically pretty nutritious, but that's not exactly the case anymore when you
cover it in flour and drown it in copious amounts of oil. It may be delicious, but it's certainly
not an order you want to make before digging into some protein-packed steak
not to mention all the sides and desserts on the docket