The chef picked a good cut to photograph. It looks delicious!

Okay EL, no pun intended, but this one is "Steak on my plate."

I do consider myself a conisseuer of fine steakhouses, and I have actually dined at Sullivan's in another city. My advice to your readers--save your money! Go to Morton's, Flemming's, Ruth's, or Prime Rib instead.

Avoid these following 3 places if you want top of the line steak: Sullivan's, Shula's, and Capital Grille. And here's why: these 3 places charge you the the "Prime" steakhouse prices, but they do NOT serve you "Prime" USDA beef. The meat served at these 3 places is all USDA CHOICE.

They hide that fact on their menus, but all you have to do is ask. They usually give you some shpeel about how their meat is aged, yadda, yadda. Or they'll try to say that their meat is "certified Angus Beef." Big deal, that's just a brand name, and it's still USDA Choice.

When diners go to spend that kind of money, they should get the best meat money can buy, which is USDA Prime. Unfortunately, that's not the case at Sullivan's, or Cap Grille, or at Shula's. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the service there is fine, the ambience is delightful, and their non-steakhouse items are nicely done. But they serve inferior beef for roughly the same price as the palces who do serve USDA Prime. And there IS a huge differrence in taste and quality.

Conversely, the beef served at Morton's, Ruth's Chris, and the Prime Rib, is all USDA Prime. The beef at Smith & Wollensky and The Palm (both in DC) is also USDA Prime.

If these places expect you to shell out top dollar for your steaks, the least they can do is give you the best in return. They should NOT be sellig you inferior quality at top dollar (which is what Sully's et. all does).

Of all the beef produced in the US, less than 2% is certified as "USDA Prime." You will rarely find USDA Prime in the supermarkets since its limited supply is reserved by the fine upscale steakhouses--at least the ones who actually serve it.

USDA Choice (and "Certified Angus Beef") on the other hand can be purchased at any supermarket in America.

Also, don't be fooled by word games. Some places might try to say they serve "prime beef" with a lower case "p", yet in reality they still serve nothing but USDA Choice. Just because it says tout "prime beef" on the menu, it still can very well be "USDA Choice".

Howi s this possible, you ask? You see, the term "prime beef" is NOT the same as saying "USDA Prime." the term "prime beef" can be used to meansubjectively superb, great, premium--all of those things. But it does not mean it is "USDA Prime." far from it.

So in these tight economic times, I highly encourage your readers to PLEASE take my advice if they intend on spending their hard earned top dollar on a night at a steakhouse.

And for the 3 places--Sullivan's, Cap grill, and Shula's--who serve UDSA Choice and charge their customers the same price as places who use USDA Prime: "SHAME ON YOU! YOU WILL NOT GET MY BUSINESS!"

Uhhh.. Juniors was in Federal Hill, not Fells Point. We had dinner there the other night when it was briefly being called Tasting Kitchen.

I know. I corrected it once when I reread it and I must have forgotten to save it. Thanks. EL

Thank you, Mr B. Useful tutorial and reminder that words matter. Think of blue crab and what we know that can mean.

I understand everything Donnie B says about USDA Prime vs. Choice. And the difference between dry-aging and wet-aging, which he doesn't go into.

I'll still eat at the Cap Grille once in a while. The ones I've been to (in three different cities) have all provided a top-notch total dining experience.

Plus they have a great tortell...no, wait...it may have been calamari... starter.

Agree with Donny B 100%. The steak at both Sullivan's (and Capitol Grille) is fair. The iceberg salad at Sullivan's was doused in supermarket-grade blue cheese. Plus, the crowd is not what you see at the others (my visit to Sullivan's (I ate in the bar) included a dancer from the Ritz walking around to the tables introducing herself and asking patrons to visit).

Highly unlikely I will go back to Sullivan's.

Bucky, good point about the aging process. And yes, fine beef realy does need to be aged. The aging proces ultimately makes the meat more tender (I'll spare everyone the scientific explination as to how but it basically breaks down thge enzymes to make it tender). As Bucky points out, there are 2 ways to age beef--wet and dry.

Witth dry aging, basically the meat is stored for about 2 weeks in a dry, humidity controlled room where the meat evaporates liquid as it ages, creating more concentrated meat with a supposed stronger "beefy" flavor. but the exaporation also causes weight loss.

Dry is the more expensive process to age. Just because it's more expensive doesn't necesarily make it better. It's more expensive because itls labor intensive. In vact it's VERY expensive to the point where Morton's, Ruth's Chris, the Palm, and Flemmings (all places which serve USDA Prime) have all gone to wet aging--which I prefer anyway.

Wet-aging involves vacuum-packing the meat in plastic bags for up to four weeks, which gives enzymes time to do their work. This process tenderizes the beef, but because there is no evaporation, it doesn't cause weight loss. Wet-aged beef is milder, even slightly sweet, which some diners (such as myself) prefer.

And this is even more reason why I don't prefer to spend my money at the Capital Grill. When they get exposed for serving USDA Choice at the same price as places who use "Prime", they will tell you that it's because they "dry age" their meat, and that it's a more expensive way to do so. That's all well and good, but they're still dry aging meat that is USDA Choice, which is far inferior (and MUCH less expensive) than USDA Prime. In fact, there are plenty of places serving USDA Prime who dry-age their steaks, and are no more expensive than Cap Grille. Smith & Wollensky is one off the top of my head.
I'm sure the service there is fine, the ambience is delightful, and their non-steakhouse items are nicely done. But they serve inferior beef for roughly the same price as the palces who do serve USDA Prime. And there IS a huge differrence in taste and quality.

Again, with Cap grill and Sullivan's, you get excellent service, great ambience, and their non-steak items are nicely done. The calimary appetizer at Cap Grill is amazing, and I have no problem going in there and ordering that, a nice ceaser salad, and a few glasses of wine for a nice meal.

But when it comes togetting a fine steak, Cap Grill and Sullivan's both serve inferior beef (USDA Choice) for roughly the same price as the palces who do serve USDA Prime, no matter how it's aged. And when you're spending that kind of money, you should know what you;re really getting.

RSO--

You couldn't have used a better analogy than the "blue" crab. We know that one here for sure.

For the high-end steakhouses, the grade of "USDA Prime beef" is the gold standard. It's THAT grade (and NOT the aging process) which gets their clientele in the door, and justifies the prices -- generally $30 to $45 per steak -- on steakhouse menus.

The "high-end" palces who serve USDA Choice at the same high price range need to be exposed.

Here's a cheat cheat for everyone.

Below are the Baltimore/DC area "high-end" steakhouses where you will pay roughly the same for a night out, broken down in who uses USDA Prime (which you SHOULD be geting at these proces), and who used USDA Choice (where you can get at the grocery store):

"USDA Prime": Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Flemming's, The Prime Rib, The Palm (DC), Smith & Wollensky (DC), Bobby Van's (DC), Sam & Harry's (DC).

"USDA Choice"(ripoff): Sullivan's, Capital Grille, Shula's, District Chophouse (DC).

Two other places using USDA Choice who like to fancy themselves as "high-end" steakhouses are oz in maple Lawn and Grreystone Grill in Hunt Valley and Ellicott City. Their spin is that they are the better value because their steaks "come with a side". Sorry, but when you're talking about that kind of money, I'd rather pay an extra $6 for a side if it means geting a steak that is truly USDA Prime. That's why I don;t bother with those places. Sure, I might cough up $25 more for a dinner for 2 at Mortons or Flemming's, but I'm getting MUCH better quality steak in return. For me it's worth it.

Too bad Donny B doesn't like steak. EL

EL--

I told you this topic was "steak on my plate!" LOL.

Donny B knows beef.

(I still have never left the Cap Grille feeling cheated or dissatisfied. But I did go in knowing I wasn't getting USDA Prime, which is Donny's point. You should know what you are getting.

That said, this makes it sound like USDA Choice beef is barely north of roadkill. I've eaten many very good steaks in places that don't serve USDA Prime.)

I've eaten roadkill. It was tasty.

That said, this makes it sound like USDA Choice beef is barely north of roadkill.

I laughed out loud at that! Thanks for the workday chuckle. Still LQTM.

There is definitely a taste difference between Choice and Prime. There's a huge difference.

But that's not to say that Cap Grill's meat is "bad" or poor quality. It's just that for the prices that you're being charged, it is way, way, way overpriced. Especially when you can get USDA Prime at the same size for roughly the same of money.

I just think with the tight economy, and money being tight, a night at a steakhouse is a real treat these days, and people need to be aware so they don;t get ripped off.

Again, Cap Grille is a fabulous experience in terms of service, ambience, and non-steak items. But for the money they're charging for their steaks, there's no excuse for serving an inferior product. They are charging "top of the line" prices, but are not serving you a "top of the line" product. Their competotors on the other hand deliver the actual quality that you're paying for.

My father grew up in an orphanage during the Great Depression. Roadkill, i.e., deer that people hit with their cars were a special treat that kept them alive in bad times.

Another one I'm going to get 'panked for.

"That said, this makes it sound like USDA Choice beef is barely north of roadkill."

Any Texas Aggies here? No?

How many Texas Aggies does it take to eat an armadillo?

Three. One to eat it and two to watch for oncoming traffic.

A Florida State student, a Kansas State student, and an Aggie had all
commited horrendous crimes and were going to be shot. The FSU guy was brought up and blindfolded. The prison warden shouted, "Ready ....... aim..." and the FSU guy yelled, "Huricane!!" Everybody ducked, and he ran away free.
Dismayed at losing their first prisioner, the guards brought up the KSU student with renewed vengence. They blindfolded him and the prison warden commanded, "Ready......aim....." and the KSU guy shouted, "Tornado!!" and fearing for their lives, everybody ducked, and he ran away free.
Well, the Aggie has been watching all this and starts thinking, "They all yelled natural disasters and they got away, so I will too." So they brought him up and blinded folded him, the prison warden shouted, "Ready ...... aim...." and the Aggie screamed, "Fire!!"

A very wealthy man had 3 children. He asked the oldest what he wanted for his birthday. The child said he wanted a car. The next day a new Corvette was in the driveway. He asked the middle child what he wanted and the child responded a boat. The next day a cabin cruiser was in the driveway. He asked the youngest what he wanted and the child said "dad you know how much I love Disney World and Mickey Mouse. I would really like to be able to dress up like Mickey. Please get me a Mickey Mouse outfit." The next morning the Texas A & M marching band was in the driveway.

Donny B, my understanding is Oregon Grille also serves USDA prime beef (dry aged). Given the fact that there is a relatively short list of such restaurants around here, I wonder if its omission is inadvertent or otherwise.

Dan D -- I believe Donny B was discussing restaurants that hold themselves out as steakhouses. People tend to see the Oregon Grille as as a fine dining establishment with a more varied menu, which is probably why Donny didn't mention it. (For similar reasons, Donny B also didn't include Cactus Willie's Steak Buffet.)

Dan D--

I was mainly rferring to acutal branded traditional "Steakhouses," specifically the high-end steakhouse "chains" in the area.

The Oregon Grill is not really a "steakhouse" like the others are. Fine dining for sure, but it;'s not really a "steakhouse" like the others.

Dan D--

I was mainly rferring to acutal branded traditional "Steakhouses," specifically the high-end steakhouse "chains" in the area.

The Oregon Grill is not really a "steakhouse" like the others are. Fine dining for sure, but it;'s not really a "steakhouse" like the others.

Oh, and I noticed that I ommitted Jordan's Steakhouse in Ellicott City. I forgot about that one, but frankly I've never been there and I know nothing about it.

Dan D--

As I thought. I just checked the Oregon Grille Website. The word "steakhouse" doesn't even appear anywhere on the site. My original post was meant specifically for the steakhouses (high-end).

I'll tell you this though, the Oregon Grill proves my point about being careful when you see the word "prime" to describe the steaks on a menu. I would wager a meal there that their steak is NOT "USDA Prime", but rather USDA Choice.

Why do I say that? Because they simply use the term "prime steak." Nowhere on the menu does it say they actually serve steak that is "USDA Prime."

Like I said earlier, diners should be aware of these types of marketing deceptions. The word "prime" can mean a lot of things (supurb, premium, fine, etc.). But a lot of fine dining places try to fool unsuspecting customers by using the word "prime" without attaching the official "USDA" label. Unless the word "prime"is accompanied by USDA label, what you are buying is probably NOT the real thing.

It's not uncommon for upscale restaurants like The Oregon Grill to employ clever "wordsmiths" to write menu copy that deceives you into thinking you are ordering a USDA Prime steak when in reality you may be being served the less costly "Choice" version.

I'm sure their spin is going to be that their beef is dry-aged. Big whoop! See my description on that in my posts above).

These places need to be exposed.

These places need to be exposed.

J'accuse! Perhaps before we expose these places we could, uh, get some facts.

Donny B, not questioning the accuracy of your statement but, if you look at the menu of The Prime Rib, there is no mentioning of USDA Prime either.

I would wager a meal there that their steak is NOT "USDA Prime", but rather USDA Choice.

But, if you won, you would have to eat that crap USDA Choice...I'm confused.

Bucky--

Of course I would......it would be FREE!

Dan D, I just looked at it and yes, it does say USDA Prime: http://www.theprimerib.com/entrees2.shtml

Donny B, hate to drag this on, but not so on the Baltimore site.
.

Interesting. I didn't notice there were differrent menus. I was recently at the one in DC a little over a month ago and their menu said USDA Prime. I may very well call the Balt location and ask.

And if they indeed serve USDA Choice instead of UDSA Prime, I will certainly call them out on it.

But like Cap Grille, their service is top notch, the ambience if great, and their non-steak items are fabulous. I had the best soft crabs ever in my life at The Prime Rib in Baltimore. They looked so good at the table next to me that I bit the bullet and ordered them. It turned out to be an excellent choice. And their Greenberg Potato Skins are simply fabulous.

It would be a shame if their Baltimore location has become so cheap that they've resorted to serving USDA Choice beef. (BTW--Their Philly location also serves USDA Prime).

EL, perhaps this could be a column idea for you. i.e. What are you really getting when you go to Baltimore area Steakhouses (Prime vs. Choice)

What I like about the website Donny B gave us the link to is this:

BLACKEND STYLE
Any of our fresh fish may be prepared with our own low-salt Cajun seasoning -

BLACKENED STYLE
Any of our fresh fish may be prepared with our own low-salt Cajun seasoning .

Now what is the difference between "BLACKEND" and "BLACKENED" (and no saying an extra "e"!)?

Now what is the difference between "BLACKEND" and "BLACKENED"

Uh ... a GED?

and no saying an extra "e"!

This is why I didn't have a 4.0 GPA. The easy answers were never correct. Hrumph.

The extra E is for edgimacation.

The first meal I made for the lovely Amanda was blackened fish of some kind. It went really bad, filling my apartment with smoke and bringing the neighbors into the hallway. After a stern lecture from Mrs. Kasprzic, we returned to my apartment and I agreed to stick to less lethal forms of romancing.

That's my pig party hat. I was over at Charm City Mom's blogiversary party. She's been dancing all night ... and doesn't even look "tired".

VDP--very cute.

A quick correction: Avery's Pearl is in the former location of the bar that was named 'The Vine', not Vin. The former wine shop was called 'The Vineyard Wine and Spirits' and is now a surf clothing store.
I have no affiliation with any of these, I just spend a lot of time in the area.

Wow, a surf clothing store! Just what Baltimore needs! Get Moon Doggy and Gidget and let's head out to the harbor! Surf's up!

On top of Sullivan's steaks being crap, they treat their employees very poorly. I have a few friends that work/worked there. They say it's quite brutal and management doesn't really care. Sullivan's should be run out of town on that fact alone.

I'm sorry to learn of this Geil, but thanks for bringing this topic back! I must say that I really enjoyed seeing my clever post that this thread died on previously.

C'mon you guys! It's f'ng hilarious! You know it is!

Joyce, I was going to comment, got interrupted and then couldn't remember which topic it was on, because there wasn't a topic about surfing.

One of the all-time great television trivia questions: what was Moon Doggy's name?

what was Moon Doggy's name?

Jeff

Jeff what? You've only gotten half-credit so far.

couldn't remember which topic it was on

I hear you on that, Bucky. I've been wanting for days to tell Owl that Santoni's in Highlandtown carries two kinds of Lebanon Bologna (regular and sweet), but I don't remember what discussion digressed into Lebanon Bologna.

Any discussion that leads to Lebanon Bologna is a good discussion.

I rarely buy Lebanon Bologna, but when I do I always think this stuff is really good and that I should buy it all the time. Yet more often than not when I'm at the supermarket deli I find myself buying some cheap FrankenTurkey or something far less edible like the Buffalo Chicken lunch meat I picked up last week.

Thanks, Bucky. I knew I could count on you for a comment! It was Jeff Stevens in some Gidget's and Jeff Matthews in others. I don't know if there was a name for Jeff in the books or not. I only saw the movies and tv show. Sally Field was the cutest Gidget IMHO.

Hal, it is my memory of Santoni's in Highlandtown, that they have a really huge variety of lunch meats. Unless something's changed since seven or eight years ago when I was last there! LOL! They have excellent prices too.

This blog needs a better search function. I would love to be able to search by poster or keyword. Hmm, what did OMG say about corn dogs?

Joyce, Santoni's does indeed have a large deli selection. Most decent supermarkets used to have service delis like that, but nowadays most of them have shrunk to the point that Santoni's really stands out.

Santoni's seems a lot cleaner since their recent remodeling, and they seem to be having more checkers working at a time. I now find myself going there more often than I used to.

Dahlink -- Owl Meat's first known comment about corn dogs was at this link. He made additional comments about corn dogs or related products under this topic and this topic.

hmpstd - Have you figured out a way to keyword-search the comments? You da man, hmpstd, you da man.

I never saw any of the Gidget movies so "Jeff" has to have been in the book(s).

When I worked in Highlandtown, we used to run to Santonis at lunchtime for groceries. (The Canton Safeway was a Field Trip. Whole Foods was a Field Trip reserved for when The People With Windows were not in.) Back then, Santonis was sorta creepy-dirty but the deli was excellent.