Jeff Ruby's - An Electric Kool Aid Acid Test

Milwaukee has better steak than Peter Luger! Really? I Dunno.

After several people told me that Jeff Ruby's had a great bar and the best steak in town, Donna and I headed there last night. The initial shock hit as we entered the bar area. Perched above the bar was an enormous piano with an enormous man playing, singing with an enormous voice at an enormous volume. We literally could not hear ourselves think, let alone carry on a decent conversation. The bartenders were rather attractive and certainly their low cut outfits accentuated their finest features. However, they knew very little about liquor and I was compelled to give them a lesson in the types of rum they had stocked behind the bar. Soon, we were escorted to our banquette. Both Donna and I were speechless for several minutes. Looking at the decor of the room reminded me of my screening of the movie "Fantasia" in 1969 at Cornell University. An array of stimulation motorized my senses, and I flashed back to either a scene from "Scarface" or was I actually looking at Monte Carlo in Moscow. Chris, our server, came over to explain the menu to us, but we were somewhat catatonic as we eyed a "kind of" art deco explosion of plastic, mirrors, and orange velvet. Were we in an accident and arrived in Hell? What is this? For a minute I thought I had landed in a house of ill repute in Bucharest. We shook ourselves out of our numbness and concentrated on Chris as he explained the classic steak house menu. I asked him what I thought were some subtle questions about the decor, but as must of you know from my posts, subtlety is not my strong point. He explained that the design of the room was Jeff' Ruby's showcase for the expansion of the restaurant chain to Las Vegas and places beyond. I nodded like Mr. Ed and stared at the menu. While the steaks were okay, and the sides plentiful, I could not get over the design of the place to enjoy myself. Chris was a great server and the wine list was quite interesting.

Speaking of steaks, I seem not to be able to get as good of a steak as I can get in Milwaukee anywhere else in the world. Friends of mine from New York City, when told that the best steak I have eaten is in Milwaukee, laugh at me with derision. However, when they visit me in Wisconsin, and I take them to either Coerper's or the Jackson Grill, they exclaim that this is the best ------ steak I have ever eaten, in their best New Yorkese. Donna thinks the steaks taste better in Milwaukee because they marinate them. I don't know.................

The steaks in Wisconsin are prime and I always thought the best steak I ever had was at Lugers or Sparks. However, for what it's worth, even my most jaded New York buddies have claimed that Coerper's - Five O'Clock Club, in Milwaukee, was the best steak they ever had. It's expensive, around $38 bucks a pop for New York Strip, but great.

By the way, those ratings for steak are compiled by people who wouldn't dare venture into the restaurant world of Milwaukee. It is the same theory behind why Louisville's culinary scene is not publicized in a manner worth its excellence. There is a certain "snobbery" in this country over which cities could truly have world class restaurants. Milwaukee's steaks and often its veal, (Strauss and Provimi veal are from Wisconsin) are better then what I have eaten in New York, Chicago, (including Mortons, Gibsons, and the Chicago Chop House)Miami Beach, etc.

Phil, hysterical description! Perfect! I have always avioded going there because 1. I heard about a guy who applied to be a server. When they couldn't find a jacket big enough for his rather expansive frame, he was told he was too fat to work there! (This was when they first opened) Also, 2. numerous young ladies that I have talked to who worked there at some point have mentioned how demeaning their uniforms are and they are treated much the same (by management). Don't know if any of it is true, but there is sure a lot of talk like that going around. I will give Jeff Ruby credit for kicking out OJ and refusing to serve him a couple of Derbys ago. All in all, for the price, no one I have talked to thinks its all that great.

Doctor, my eyes!

Jeff Ruby's has Culinary Entertainment in its name, and that makes it a wee bit suspect in my book. So there's that...

I respect the folks who appreciate this kind of experience, but for me the decor shouldn't overshadow the food or service.

And for steaks? As a son of a butcher I've eaten some good beef in my life, and that includes the unintentionally "aged" beef that my pop would bring home. I can't say any of it was ever marinated, though.

One of my favorite steakhouses is the independent Tom's Steak House in Melrose Park Illinois, where the decor is early Italian-American but the eating is sublime. At a different spot on the spectrum is Ruth's Chris (we ate at the one in D.C.), which serves up a fine hunk of red meat, and oh those garlic mashed potatoes.

Is it just my warped mind, or does anybody else look at Jeff Ruby's and just for a second reads it as Jack Ruby's

Phil,
i always enjoy reading your posts. Your writing is lucid and full of intelligent and entertaining metaphors and similes.
But i did want to clear up what seems to be a misunderstanding regarding Jeff Ruby's being a chain restaurant. They are actually not a chain. Jeff Ruby is an independent restauranteur from Cincinnati who owns and operates 7 restaurants in the area (4 in Cincinnati, 1 in Louisville, 1 in Newport and one at the Belterra Casino). He has many different concepts besides the Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse (Bootsy's, Carlo & Johnny, The Precinct, The Waterfront) but the Steakhouse is the only concept that he has been duplicated (Louisville & Belterra Casino). Granted this is a bit unknown to Louisville since we do not have an abundance of 'independent restaurant groups' like Atlanta (Buckhead Life), Chicago (Lettuce Entertain You), etc. But we also have more independent Louisville based/originated groups than many might realize. For example: The Bristol Group (4 in Louisville & 1 in Southern Indiana), The Z's Group (the steakhouse is in both Louisville and Indianapolis along with Z Fusion downtown), The owners of Basa just opened their 2nd concept with 732 Social, The owners of Asiatique have 2 concepts (Asiatique & August Moon) and so on and so forth.
My point here is that an independent restaurant group is not a chain and it is not uncommon for a successful restauranteur to open additional concepts or to take a successful concept to a nearby city.
For those who have a love of the independent restauranteur, chain is commonly an unsavory word or term and it is important to understand the distinction between what is defined as a chain and an independent restaurant group.

By the way, those ratings for steak are compiled by people who wouldn't dare venture into the restaurant world of Milwaukee. It is the same theory behind why Louisville's culinary scene is not publicized in a manner worth its excellence. There is a certain "snobbery" in this country over which cities could truly have world class restaurants. Milwaukee's steaks and often its veal, (Strauss and Provimi veal are from Wisconsin) are better then what I have eaten in New York, Chicago, (including Mortons, Gibsons, and the Chicago Chop House)Miami Beach, etc.

Having never visited Milwaukee, I'm hardly in a position to dispute the virtues of steaks prepared in that fine city, except to say that steak (like many foods) is often subject to personal interpretation as to what is good and what is not...I've had the opportunity to dine in what are considered some of the finer steakhouses in America (The Palm, Smith & Wollensky's, Bern's, etc.), but there's a "Ponderosa" here in Oldham County that is packed almost every evening, so go figure....

By the way, those ratings for steak are compiled by people who wouldn't dare venture into the restaurant world of Milwaukee. It is the same theory behind why Louisville's culinary scene is not publicized in a manner worth its excellence. There is a certain "snobbery" in this country over which cities could truly have world class restaurants. Milwaukee's steaks and often its veal, (Strauss and Provimi veal are from Wisconsin) are better then what I have eaten in New York, Chicago, (including Mortons, Gibsons, and the Chicago Chop House)Miami Beach, etc.

Conspiracy theory? Two of the top 10 are in Kansas City - The Plaza III and Herford House

For whatever it's worth, to the best of my knowledge Ruby's is the only steakhouse in Louisville that dry ages its beef. All the others (including Ruth's Criss's, Morton's, et al) wet age.

This is a different flavor and consistency than wet aged or non-aged. People who grew up with it will love it; others may find it too strong, or even complain that it tastes funny!

If I remember, Peter Luger's dry ages, as do around a third of "name" steakhouses. Most prefer to wet age, since there is less shinkage, and one can charge less (or charge the same and make more!)

We love the meat at Ruby's, but prefer to have it at the Waterfront (in Covington) or the Precinct as in Louisville we usually prefer to talk to others at the table rather than sign to them.

The Travel Channel is airing an episode at 9PM tonight called Steak Paradise where someone visits the top steakhouses in America. I don't know how they rank the steak houses but I am looking forward to see where they visit.

I happen to like the decor at Jeff Ruby's. I enjoy spectacle and splendor. I agree that the piano player is a bit too loud though. I've only had apps and drinks there, but they've always been first rate and reasonably priced.

I've never had a Wisconsin steak but I have eaten one at Peter Lugar's and I can't believe any cut o' beef could be better. There are plenty of places to get a good steak in Louisville, I hear. Guess Louisville just doesn't meet your high falutin' expectations, Phil.

Perhaps my taste isn't "high falutin" but different. If one differs with a Louisville perception, that doesn't automatically make someone a snob. A decent psychiatrist would say that reaction is somewhat defensive. If someone says I hate Wisconsin cheese, I hardly would call them "high falutin." I would probably ask what kind of cheese has he/she tried and chalked it up to a different opinion.

[Robin Garr]

If someone says I hate Wisconsin cheese

Phil! Forget the fedora! You MUST wear a Cheesehead hat to the offline!

Eventually you'll discover that Louisvillians do not all speak with one voice. We were happily debating food here long before you moved to town ...

From Phil's thread on Le Relais: "We had dinner at Le Relais last night and had a simply wonderful experience. Wednesday is duck confit night, and I am rather critical of poorly prepared duck confit. Le Relais created a wonderfully crispy version of confit that reminded me of the best bistros of France. The rhubarb tart was so excellent, that we picked up two to go after eating dessert!"

Sorry I could not get the quote function to work. Sounds pretty high falutin' to me. I rest my case.

Hey, if enjoying duck confit makes you "high-falutin'" - well, where do I sign?