Steiner Ranch Steakhouse,
Austin, TX
http://www.steinersteakhouse.com/
I'm a big fan of the cow. I've had steaks at almost every "fine dining" steak establishment in Austin. III Forks, Perry's, and Eddie V's are among my personal favorites. However, for our anniversary I wanted to try something different. Steiner Ranch Steakhouse was recommended by friends who live in the Steiner area as well as a decent following of online patrons. The establishment is in a beautiful building with amazing views of 360 and the lake (or what's left of it right now). I should have known that looks can be deceiving.
We arrived 15 minutes early and were told to have a seat in the lounge or visit the outside bar. We chose to sit outside as the sun was beginning to set and the view was beautiful. The drinks were decently priced considering we were in Steiner: $10.50 for a Shiner and a glass of Chardonnay (never mind the fact that I paid $10 for that same glass of wine while sitting at our table inside). However, it was very obvious that this was the place to find a date for the evening. It was actually quite comical to watch.
We were seated on the second floor in the corner with a great view.
That was one of the few things I liked about the restaurant. On the way to our table, I passed a mother nursing her child at the dinner table and a 3 year old screaming at another table. Not exactly what I had in mind for a romantic dinner.
The waiter was dressed very casually (not what I am used too for fine dining) but very pleasant to talk too. He seemed to be very knowledgeable about the menu and the variety of steaks offered. He was quick to offer suggestions and to get our drinks.
My disappointment was mainly with the food. We started our meal with a bowl of the 'She Crab Soup' which is a cream based seafood soup with potatoes and vegetables. This was a very rustic interpretation of the Lobster bisque that is more commonly found in other steakhouses. I did not care for the texture of the soup as it was more chowder-like than a smooth creamy based soup, but the flavor was good. It was very mild compared to a lot of peppery cognac infused soup blends. I would recommend it as a starter course.
We chose to pass on a salad and instead ordered a steak. I ordered the 7 oz. Midwestern Heirloom beef filet mignon "oscar style" and my boyfriend had the 22 oz. Midwestern Ribeye.
Both were served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The presentation and plating of the food was very nice and colorful. However, when our waiter brought our food he failed to bring steak knives. We had to ask for them. This is a serious flaw in a steakhouse in my opinion. All utensils should be on the table before the food arrives.
My steak was cooked correctly and at an amiable temperature, but the béarnaise sauce that accompanied the steak "oscar style" was cool and lumpy (which happens when it sits too long or isn't cooked correctly). My boyfriend's steak was cooked correctly, but everything else on the plate was just luke warm. I'm not sure what happened there.
Now, I'm not the type to normally over season my food. If I order a $40 steak , I expect it to be seasoned well and cooked correctly. For the first time in an upscale steakhouse, I had to salt my food. And I really hated to do that, but everything was so bland. The béarnaise sauce was also too eggy for my taste. Not enough tarragon. We ordered the vanilla bean crème Brule for dessert and were very pleased with it!
We spoke with the manager when he came around about our experience. He seemed surprised, but not dismissive. We just let him know what we didn't like, which is our job as customers, and he seemed very responsive to our feedback. I appreciated that he took the time to listen.
All in all, I would go back to have a drink on the patio and enjoy the view, but I will probably not visit the restaurant again.
I have to honestly say, Rome is crazy and wonderful at the same time. It is a city of cultural intricacies (you don't see a lot of women hanging out with the men at the corner bar). There are certain things you can observe being a foreigner and it is interesting and strange at the same time. For example, this morning Rico and I went to the corner bar to have our breakfast. Breakfast is a pastry and a coffee usually served at the bar and consumed in about 3 minutes and usually by men. I order a cappuccino and a pastry and am the only female in the bar in about an hour. Interesting bonding time for Italian men.
Day 2 we went to the Vatican museum and St. Peter's Basilica. Navigating with Carlyn was a challenge as handicapped entrances and exits were not clearly marked, but no problemo. We had a taxi pick us up at the hotel and drop us off at St. Peter's. We asked the guards where to go for handicapped entrance and they directed us around the corner to the Vatican. We received amazing service with Carlyn. They let us right in at the ramp at the entrance (no lines) and let us up the elevator to the ticket lines. I had already purchased tickets and we went through with no problem. However, we had to see the Vatican museum backwards and we had to miss the Egyptian exhibit because there were no elevators to that side of the museum. We went straight to the "Long March", the Raphael rooms, and then the Sistine Chapel. We then had to double back to the Hall of Maps to get out and walk all the way around to St. Peter's. They did let us into the Basilica where they had ramps without questions. I have to say the service we have received here has been outstanding! The Trevi fountain was next on our list after an afternoon stroll and we had dinner in the Trevi neighborhood. Lovely!
Today, Day 3, it was pouring rain. Rico and I went out for breakfast and had to purchase umbrellas only to find that the weather cleared 30 min later. No need to spend the 20e that we did, but oh well. We all decided to go see St. Peter in Chains since the Borghese Gallery was all booked up. St. Peter in Chains was very cool and modest compared to St. Peter's Basilica. I felt a little more at home at St. Peter's in Chains. It was a church for the people.
After St. Peter in Chains we walked down to the Via de Campo to shop (and boy did we shop!) and then on to the Spanish steps. I was only interested in seeing the Keats/Shelley museum at the Spanish steps. Very cool. I love John Keats and Percy Shelley so that was a highlight of my trip to the Spanish steps area. Very crowded otherwise. However, Mary Lou and I stumbled upon a seamstresse's shop where she made all of the clothing. Beautiful work. We bought several handmade pieces there.
(Painting of John Keats)
From there we walked all the way back to the hotel. Interestingly though, we saw a protest in front of one of the piazzas and decided to check it out. We ended up getting caught in the middle of a gay pride parade. That was really neat. Mary Lou and I support that cause so we were cheering and supporting with them.
Exhausted as we were, we decided to call a cab and go to Cafe di Marzio so that we could see a fellow (and I'm sure) distant relative of Rico's. It was pretty cool. The waiter did not like my mix of Spanish/Italian and told me to speak English, but that was comical. We always try to speak Italian, but in that neighborhood you need to know your stuff! It was a fun night! The Piazza Santa Maria was a hub for the locals at 
night. We got right into it and loved it!
Fall Creek Winery and Vineyards Grape Stomp-August 22nd 
Then we were on to the grape stomping! It was.....different. Two barrels set up with left over grapes from the harvest. 
