OT: Best steakhouse in Michigan
I took my father out to a nice dinner at Bowdie’s Chophouse in downtown Lansing. I’ve known about this place for awhile now. My family knew the owners of the former establishment The Night Cap. The food here was phenomenal. I have to be honest and say I’ve never had a steak that good in my life. I ordered the filet mignon, and I understand that amongst foodie types they would probably prefer a tomahawk ribeye or a porterhouse or something of the like but filet is my preference. Anyways, this was the best steak I’ve ever had and the waitstaff was excellent. It’s a very small setting but that doesn’t bother me. This had me wondering where else in Michigan can I try and get a meal like this? Particularly the steak. Also have any of my fellow Mgo patrons ever been here? It’s a bit pricey and the menu is fully A la carte, which is kind of nice to not be forced to have a specific side with your meal.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:03 PM ^
ARBYS
January 20th, 2022 at 11:11 PM ^
MAAR-BYS*
January 20th, 2022 at 11:12 PM ^
Taco Bell
January 21st, 2022 at 8:10 AM ^
Clearly, you've never been to Ponderosa.
January 21st, 2022 at 9:14 AM ^
Sizzler
January 21st, 2022 at 9:22 AM ^
Sizzler is top 3.
My #1 is Jim Bob Cooters Gitchigoomie Prime Chop.
January 21st, 2022 at 8:19 AM ^
I really think this would work:
https://www.theonion.com/arbys-now-charging-2-99-to-let-customers-go-behind-cou-1819573207
January 21st, 2022 at 9:09 AM ^
Well, they do have the meats!!!
January 20th, 2022 at 11:05 PM ^
You want the best steak??? Travel out of Michigan.
January 21st, 2022 at 3:35 AM ^
Yeah sure dude everyone knows the cows here in Michigan suck
January 21st, 2022 at 12:00 PM ^
I saw plenty of cows at Michigan Tech.
January 21st, 2022 at 6:31 AM ^
I hear you like Pony Porterhouse Steaks.
January 21st, 2022 at 12:19 PM ^
I could be wrong **checks the OP** never mind; it does say IN MICHIGAN.
January 21st, 2022 at 10:52 PM ^
Best steak I've ever had was at Nibi, which is at Firekeepers Casino and Hotel. Everything is a la carte, and the filet is around $70, but was amazing.
January 22nd, 2022 at 1:44 PM ^
The sticker shock would have incapacitated me.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:11 PM ^
Moved to CO (from SW OH) recently and have been trying the ones they have to offer out here. Been to Guard and Grace thus far, with a reservation at Urban Farmer this weekend. A5 is also on the list.
Ohio is a tossup between Jeff Ruby’s and The Precinct (also owned by the Jeff Ruby Restaurant Group). Both are in Cincinnati. The Pine Club in Dayton is also very good.
Also, who can go wrong at St Elmo’s in Indy? I’ll hang up and listen
January 20th, 2022 at 11:18 PM ^
I’ve wanted to hit St. Elmo’s for awhile. I don’t know what to think of A5. I know it’s supposed to be amazing but to be honest when I see pictures of it I can’t help but think where’s the meat? I still would like to try the real deal sometime.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:34 PM ^
I'm not a fan of A5. It is just too much. I can handle one little strip (1/3") but that is all.
However, the waygu crossbreds from the US are great.
A tip on St. Elmos is if you can't get in or don't want to get too fancy go to Harry and Izzy's. Same exact food (the downtown location shares a kitchen). And make sure you get the shrimp cocktail.
January 21st, 2022 at 8:36 AM ^
With apologies to Indy Pete who seems like a nice guy, and any other Indianapolis resident here... St. Elmos is (I'm trying to be nice here) old school.
In the past I've had stronger words to say about it. And my bigger "beef" is that the entire city's culinary identity is built around a shrimp cocktail, which is a very nice shrimp cocktail, but come on.
Here's the deal with St Elmos. It's an old school steakhouse. They exist all over, in every city. It looks exactly like somewhere you'd expect Frank and Dean and the boys to have run up a $1000 tab in 1961. They've been around for 100 years and they're proud of it. Awesome. The problem with that is, the food and the menu has been around for 100 years too.
Now don't get me wrong, an old school steakhouse has its place in the culinary landscape. But honestly, most of it is for nostalgia. The fact that people talk about St Elmos so much in Indy has more to do with the fact that the true food "revolution" has been a bit slow to land in the city (some new good places), combined with so many big sporting events there, that require sports journalists to do stories about "local fare." But in the end, that's what St Elmos is. It's the same old school steakhouse you can have in most every major city in America, you can order the "tomahawk" cut, and eat like they did "when things were good in this place." Or whatever.
But our culinary sensibilities have changed in the past 70 years. Shit, they've changed in the past 10 years leaps and bounds.
Here's the deal about steakhouses in general. It's not about the steaks. Chefs that work here are masters of cooking and preparing meat. If you can't do that, then GTFO. So, every good steakhouse that is actually good can cook. The meat... well that comes from the same handful of purveyors. Yeah you can shop a little more local "from a small farm in the Hudson Valley" or whatever. But that's just narrative. A high end cut of beef from Jeff Ruby's, tastes like a high end cut of beef from Cote, tastes like the same high end cut of beef from Maple & Ash.
It's the sides...
That's where they separate themselves. What are you doing with your compound butter or demi-glace? How are you serving the potatoes? Creamed spinach to die for? And so on... and so on...
So, find yourself the steakhouse that does the sides well. The 20oz porterhouse rare+ or whatever you treat yourself to, meat-wise, is basically going to be the same great cut of meat. But everything else.... that's what separates men from the boys.
That's also why a place like St. Elmos isn't really anything more than eating a Nathans on Coney Island. Do it if you're there. It's cool to say you did. But there's nothing special about it.
January 21st, 2022 at 8:40 AM ^
St. Elmo's may be old school but if that's your thing there is only one place for you...Peter Luger's in New York. Teddy Roosevelt ate there. It's that old school.
January 21st, 2022 at 9:04 AM ^
I love the old school New York steak houses. I always get them mixed up but one has all the clay pipes hanging from the ceiling, another had a mob shoot out by the front door (Sparks I think). They all have great stories.
January 21st, 2022 at 10:03 AM ^
The one with the pipes is Keen's.
January 21st, 2022 at 10:57 AM ^
You beat me to it, of course Keens. Life long NYC are resident. Very good. Sparks on E 46 th also very good and back in the day (haven’t been there since I retired) was an experience because it was a favorite of “the boy”. Think Goodfellas. You could easily spot them when you were there.
January 21st, 2022 at 10:08 AM ^
10000% Peter Luger is an institution. Keen's also in the City. Two classics that should be done once.
January 21st, 2022 at 9:44 AM ^
Found the local food snob account...
January 21st, 2022 at 10:23 AM ^
LOL. I didn't think mgoblog was exactly the place for "cultivated opinion" shaming. But sure, happy to dumb things down for you...
St Elmos... thems okay eats, but you can do better.
Or maybe, having an opinion at all offended you.
St. Elmos... uhmm, i dunno?
All better now? :)
January 21st, 2022 at 11:25 AM ^
Found the local 'I'm a sensitive guy' account...
Settle down, insert some steel into your spine, and accept the normal slate of 'found <some> account' one line replies as the sarcasm they are. Not everything is a personal attack - I expected a guy with a 50-gal hat to have some sense of humor. Jeez...
January 21st, 2022 at 12:42 PM ^
Well, it appears leading with the "LOL", the finishing with the ":)", and basically the general tenor of my response seems to have alluded you. Maybe it was all hiding behind my hat? But as a great poster once said to me "not everything is a personal attack" and "jeez" :)
January 21st, 2022 at 3:37 PM ^
I clicked on this thread just to see where people have enjoyed a steak dinner. But damn if I didn't also get some seriously witty banter. Bonus!
January 21st, 2022 at 1:11 PM ^
MGoBlog. One of the few sports related web sites where people will get into pissing matches over food preparation, or classical military history. I've found my tribe!
January 21st, 2022 at 11:09 AM ^
You are so, so, so, so right about St. Elmo's.
I'll add, in small print at the bottom of the menu if says the cut may be Choice or Prime but the price doesn't change.
January 21st, 2022 at 2:47 PM ^
My god. How could I forget about this? "The meat will either be good or great. Ya know, whatever. You're here for the horseradish in the cocktail sauce anyways, right??" lol
January 21st, 2022 at 12:20 PM ^
While I agree with most of your post, I must say that some steakhouses char better than others. Also, some steakhouses have fantastic seasoning rubs that make a world of difference.
To say that the piece of meat is the only variable is not quite correct.
January 21st, 2022 at 2:53 PM ^
Oh sure. I may not have done a good job delineating my point, I'm only really talking about those places that are considered to be "the best."
Some will use a woodfire grill, different rubs, or few different cooking techniques, that are unique to them. I guess my point is, all of that is playing in the margins when you're talking about the "elite" steakhouses. They're all going to go out of their way to ensure that the beef is the star on the plate. And they are are serving the same exceptionally high quality beef.
January 21st, 2022 at 3:28 PM ^
Indy resident here. I love St. Elmo's and really don't know dick about the culinary world. What other steakhouses around do you suggest? Are they 'better'? Other restaurants in general?
January 21st, 2022 at 3:56 PM ^
I'm a red meat snob. I've been to St. Elmo's a few times and each time it was really good. One of the best prime ribs I've ever had. They tout their horseradish shrimp there more than anything, but if you buy your steaks prime (and medium-rare to rare) St Elmos is fantastic.
January 21st, 2022 at 11:07 PM ^
Speaking of sides, no one goes to Peter Luger for their sides, which are are total embarrassment. But there are two things on their menu to die for, dry aged steak and bacon, and their house ale to wash down.
January 21st, 2022 at 5:22 AM ^
Props for The Pine Club love! Just make sure you have plenty of cash (no cards accepted)!
January 21st, 2022 at 8:11 AM ^
St. Elmo’s is definitely iconic. A beautiful restaurant with a famous shrimp cocktail with a bite that you will remember. The steaks are excellent of course, and the service is also outstanding. In my opinion, the steak at Ruth’s Chris is even more special given the seasoning and the scalding hot plate. It is not quite as special of an experience as Saint Elmo’s as it is a chain, but in terms of steak quality, I would give RC first place.
January 22nd, 2022 at 8:35 PM ^
I like the Pine Club for it's 1970s ambience and it's Soup Nazi-esque wait staff. But the steaks are very good.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:25 PM ^
I developed IBS a year ago. Now I only eat steak at my house.
January 21st, 2022 at 12:40 PM ^
I'm sorry for your troubles, but, uhh...
January 20th, 2022 at 11:39 PM ^
Well, Bowdie's original location is in Saugatuck. I haven't been, but Vernales between Petoskey and Harbor Springs gets good reviews as one of the top steakhouses in the state.
January 21st, 2022 at 6:41 AM ^
Oh now you tell me. We rented a cabin in Harbor Springs last fall and I did not know about Vernales. Time for another road trip...
January 21st, 2022 at 9:45 AM ^
Ate at the one in Saugatuck and was really disappointed. Ruth's Chris in GR is probably the best steak I've had in Michigan.
January 21st, 2022 at 3:08 PM ^
Totally agree with Vernales. We have a cottage across the street and spend quite a bit of time there. They have three restaurants in one ranging in degrees of "fanciness". The same menu is served at all three so you can watch TV in the sports bar while eating your prime tomahaw.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:40 PM ^
I’m not a big meat eater anymore, but occasionally indulge for special occasions. Last time I was in Detroit, my brother took me to a place called Marrow. It was excellent.
January 21st, 2022 at 9:25 AM ^
Marrow is great, Prime + Proper in Detroit is as well.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:40 PM ^
I'm not sure Michigan has a great steakhouse or at least one that is a destination.
A2's Chop House might be the best.
Roast (RIP) was very good when it opened. Rochester Chop House is always quality.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:49 PM ^
I’m no expert I’ll tell you that now. I will say I have a hard time believing a steak could be better than the one I had. Equal for sure. This place does have a large amount of reviews on all of the relevant sites with many claiming they’ve never had better fwiw.