Yes,
After we ate that amazing meal at Daikaya, we headed to RAY's the STEAKS the next night, DESPITE the diets (raysthesteaks.com).
A
while ago, Ray's moved from its humble first abode on Wilson Blvd. into
a classy new pad about a 1/2 mile up the street actually on Calrendon
Blvd,
but the address is 2300 Wilson Blvd. It's now classy with tall backed
white leather chairs and excellent service. They even take reservations,
although
they could not find mine (it seems the guy who took it spelled my name
so awfully, nobody could make it out). It wasn't a problem, as people
are
no longer lining up and trying to get in. There is still a more casual
walk-in spot next door with a smaller, but impressive menu called Retro
Rays.
We headed here as we were meeting a friend who chose the spot, and it was not a bad choice as long as we watched ourselves.
Spiced
cashews arrive with bread (we did not touch it at all), and we munched
the cashews as we ordered a bottle of very tasty BALL BUSTER
SHIRAZ/CAB/MERLOT 2010 from Tait Wines
in Australia's Barossa
Valley. I was looking at wines in the $50 range and our server Eric
said that both he and many guests liked this $30-something wine, and he
was on the spot.
Our friend raved about the CRAB BISQUE, but I
refused a taste--THE DIET! Will and I instead SPLIT an appetizer of
what was called DEVILISHLY GOOD EGGS and boy were they.
They
actually had less mayo and fat than regular deviled eggs as these were
stuffed with STEAK TARTARE and drizzled with Béarnaise Sauce....need I
say more? The tartare was
superb and the fact that we split the order made us both feel better.
When
one goes out for steaks the options are huge, bigger and monstrous.
Will downsized with the 6 ounce (the regular is 9 ounces) FILET which he
chose to have BLACKENED
with Cajun Spices, Spicy Diablo
(Chipotle) Glaze, Garlic and a light weight, but spicy PIRANA Sauce. Our
friend had the Classic NY STRIP which comes in 16 or 20 ounce sizes.
I
decided to be adventurous and go for the 45 day DRY AGED T-BONE which
gives me both the filet and strip for comparison, and plenty to take
home after for a big steak salad tonight!
It was very tasty
and I used only a smidgen of the pink peppercorn herbed butter that so
make steaks come swimming in. Just right.
Here all main
courses come served with CREAMED SPINACH & MASHED POTATOES Family
Style. The potatoes were okay and the spinach was less rich than in many
other steak joints we have been
to, which was truly appreciated. Sometimes it is smothered in cream cheese, which I find oh so overindulgent and excessive.
When we asked for our doggie bags, the bus boy even filled up the sides so we had more to take home for later! How nice.
Our
friend insisted on ordering the DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE for dessert and
we said we would have no more than a teeny spoonful. We kept our promise
as it was so rich and smothered
with whipped cream, which
nobody really needed. As we headed out the door with our doggie bags,
our server Eric came running up the street as I had left my credit card
behind; now that's good service.
