What is Digg?75 Comments
- conna, on 10/11/2007, -11/+48I don't know what to think about someone spending $81 bucks for a porterhouse steak (for two). It's not that hard to grill a steak. I bought a $2 charcoal grill from home depot and I can grill steak better than the high dollar steak houses. Be a man. Learn to cook for yourself or family. Your family will eat better and you will get more for your money. If anything could be learned from the article it is that people are still wasting money. Steakhouses are just places you take your high maintenance date or your clients for lunch....
- edebolt, on 10/11/2007, -2/+33I think the reporter just wanted to expense report some fancy meals
- XenophobicAlien, on 10/11/2007, -3/+25@axiomflash Call BS all you want, he's right. I cook steaks all the time better than any steakhouse I have ever been too..
Wanna age your steaks? I use Tupperware that has had holes drilled into it.. let the cool air flow around the steak while ageing it and letting the excess moisture evaporate out. Let it sit in there for about a week...
I also use a charcoal grill with natural wood charcoal in it with a couple pieces of mesquite wood on there to add a hint of smoke..
before you cook the steak, set it out for an hour so it comes to room temp then sprinkling Kosher salt on it and fresh ground pepper. Get the grill blazing hot and throw the steak on.. cook 3-5 mins on each side (depending on thickness) and turn once. Take off when med-rare. want a little more flavor?? after you turn the steak over brush with a little olive oil and set that baby ablaze for a couple seconds each side and put a nice crust on it, just be careful not to over cook it.. - beckerist, on 10/11/2007, -1/+18A tip for you grillers out there: if you lightly spoon some vinegar on the meat about 20 minutes before cooking, it gives it a salty flavor all the way through, and is generally a LOT juicier (at least, in my experience...I've been a chef at a 4 star restaurant, working the grill for quite some time, so what do I know?!)
- repins, on 10/11/2007, -3/+17@axiomflash My butcher shop has both a wet aging and dry aging room, so i just buy them after they are aged and cook them myself. It is still way cheaper than 40 bucks per person.
- LexisNexis, on 10/11/2007, -6/+19I want a steak now.
- MrJinks, on 10/11/2007, -7/+19Steaks are not non-essential items.
- 3tcp, on 10/11/2007, -4/+15Gas grill doesn't mean gasoline it means propane or natural gas. The prices do not move the same way.
- gh0st32, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11My other job is at Morton's and I've noticed a slump in sales over the past year to year and a half. It can be blamed on a series of problems forming a sort of perfect storm.
The first problem is the price of beef, in most cases the cost of a steak (wholesale) is around $20-$25 add to that the cost of staffing both front of the house, back of the house and the cost corporate office personnel you are looking at a very small margin. We have raised our prices in the past 2 out of 3 quarters, this is out pacing inflation by 10%.
The second issue is the changing trends in American's diet (or at least I hope it is). People cannot eat at places that server 1200-1800 calorie steaks and expect to live a healthy life and people are becoming more aware of this.
The third is pharmaceutical regulation, back in 2000 it was wild. Pharmaceutical companies where throwing around money on lavish dinners like there was no tomorrow. Now these companies have restrictions on how much they can spend per guest/doctor. - ChLb, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12A good example of the impact of gas prices is on discretionary spending (ie the money left over at the end of the month) is things like steaks and similar non-essential items.
They all dip for a few weeks when gas prices peak. - lordsandwich, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9No problems, all Bush needs to do is invade a large beef-exporting country like Argentina. That should offset the lack of oil gains from Iraq.
- crashflow, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8yeah, looking at that steak made me really hungry, the sad thing is... I can't afford it.
:-(~~~~ - connerfitz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Why is no one mentioning the market distorting effects import restrictions are having on corn prices. GRRRR.
- bratpack8, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Yet more effects of government interference in the marketplace. Without the governments huge huge huge (did I say huge) subsidies of ethanol, it would not be a viable alternative (yet) to oil. Unfortunately, politicians continue to stick their noses into places they don't belong -- voluntary trading between people.
- ubuwalker31, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5@beckerist (#6952833) said: "A tip for you grillers out there: if you lightly spoon some vinegar on the meat..."
Great trick that has been working well since the middle ages. If you feel adventurous, pour vinegar and cinnamon directly on your steak for a SCA-worthy treat. - szembek, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Their purpose for existence is to be eaten by us.
- haggie, on 10/11/2007, -3/+7*****. Oil prices might have some impact on prices, but the real driver for steakhouse business, specially at the big name steak factories like Morton's or Ruth Chris, is corporate expense account spending.
My own experience is that many companies have gotten uptight about expense account spending so less and less business is getting done over big expense account dinners.
Its a sad trend. 7-8 years ago, I routinely expense dinners with clients that ran into the thousands. Now, I wouldn't drop that much on clients because I would go thru the Spanish Inquisition to get it approved. - Otto, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6You can cook a steak.
You can probably cook a steak better than the cheaper steakhouses.
But no, you cannot cook a steak better than the high end steak places.
Take Ruth's Chris for example. Great steakhouse, albeit a chain. Steak is relatively expensive there. Good too.
But their steak simply cannot be duplicated without the use of an 1800 degree grill. No "$2 charcoal grill" is going to give you that method of cooking. Thinking that it will just proves both your ignorance of cooking and of steak. - Spelvin, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Only if it can turn off the TV and get up off the couch.
- 666dorado, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4i feel sorry for all of you. i live in argentina nowadays, and can eat some of the best beef in the world for an average of $3-$5 dollars a pound. you simply cannot pay more than about $10-$12 for a 1.5 pound rib eye no matter where you go because there is so much great meat everywhere that the market value is set in stone. the average argentine eats about 300 pounds of beef a year, and that's a conservative figure.
- griffin7, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2There are so many ridiculous aspects of this article, it is hard to know where to start. Firstly, economic performance in the US is almost always geared to short term results, i.e., sales to last year, current income. Secondly, people who can afford to eat at an expensive steak house are not affected by minimal or even moderate price increases. Thirdly, if some steakhouses hold prices down to eat costs, perhaps they are doing so to avoid alienating customers, which could affect long term business prospects. In this regard, the steakhouses are using wise business planning and pricing strategy to maximize their business viability over the long term, which is the exact opposite of what purely financial analysts (not connected with steakhouses) are known for, i.e., short-term economic reporting. Although, on the other hand, these steakhouses may not fully understand the degree of loyalty their diners have for their product; otherwise, they probably would be immediately passing their costs on to their customers.
- 666dorado, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3just saw your post after i posted mine.
yes, it's a pity that americans only have access to this tasteless expensive corn-fed hormone feedlot ***** they call beef. $80 for a steak is laughable once you've had the argentine experience. no wonder everyone works their asses off. - DirtyUndies, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I'm starvin Earl we have any porterhouses back there
- Bizdorph, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2that was one of the most interesting articles i have read in a long time.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5The weakness of the US Economy? That doesn't compute. Buried as inaccurate.
btw, the US economy will kick your economies' ass. - mal1964, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Kobe Beef, 18.00 just to look at it
- kevinway, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Of course you could make the same thing for less money, that's always true. Restaurants generally spend about 1/4 of your money on ingredients, with the other 3/4 going to pay for all the other expenses, with (hopefully) a little left over for profit.
One doesn't go to a high-end steakhouse because it's economically sensible. One goes because it's a form of entertainment to sit with your friends or family, indulge in a parade of liquor, meat and seafood. And yes, you pay for the privilege, but oh is it worth it.
@notcarsondaly: Most steakhouses don't butter their steaks (I take it you have only been to Ruth's Chris), and I've never tasted garlic powder in a steakhouse. Fresh garlic, sure. Garlic powder? Never. - SWMpls, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The South American beef -fest is coming here in the US. Check it:
http://www.fogodechao.com/ - Nougat, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3@nedlog23 (#6952418)
The cuts that high-end restaurants get are generally of much higher quality than what you can get at the local butcher, not to mention aging. They're not going to sell really high-end meats retail, because no one will buy them at the prices they're able to command in the restaurant market. - Nougat, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4@mustacheo (#6952151)
A tube steak? - SWMpls, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1"We goin' to Sizzler!"
- SWMpls, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Fat and proud? Or proud to eat fat?
- jayhawk88, on 10/11/2007, -4/+5"I bought a $2 charcoal grill from home depot and I can grill steak better than the high dollar steak houses."
Lol, no, you can't. I get what you're saying here, and I agree with you; cooking a steak at home is easy, fun, and very tasty, and there are a ton of things you can do to enhance the flavor of your steaks and make them absolutely delicious.
But do yourself a favor, save up a couple hundred bucks and go treat yourself at Fogo de Chao sometime. - SWMpls, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Do we really need to import corn?
- theone3, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3No-one considered that people may just be more concerned with eating healthier nowadays? There are a lot more factors in deciding where to eat than just monetary concerns. To really figure this out, you'd probably have to look at the whole food service industry (i.e. restraunts, juice bars, fast food, pizza, etc etc).
- dgulbran, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@xenophobicalien and conna
Yeah, I can grill a great steak, too. But sometimes I want someone *else* to do the cooking for me. That's why I eat out. It's not *always* about saving money or proving I can do something. Sheesh.
That said, there are plenty of good steakhouses where you don't have to pay Morton's or Palm prices for a damn fine steak. - mal1964, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1mmmmmmmmmmmmmm hormone feedlot ***** they call beef.
Simpson's reference. - Otto, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3>>>"Take it home, throw on a little olive oil, do a cajun rub, throw it on the grill, and it in 10 minutes it's better than what you get in those $81.00 steak houses!"
No. I'm sorry, but... just... no. You cannot make an $81 steak yourself at home.
Yes, you can make a damn fine steak at home. Heck, I can make a steak at home (using nothing more than the meat and some minor spices) that you would actually kill another man over.
But you simply cannot duplicate a fine steakhouse steak. You just can't. Really. And if you think you can, then it's simply that you don't know what a really, really good steak is. Sorry. Best I can suggest is to go get one yourself. And if you still can't tell the difference, well, all I can do is to pity you. - brese1200, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1"I wish I could have read that properly, I got a couple of paragraphs in and then started daydreaming about steak. Damn my manly urges! "
Here is a little help-
http://peterluger.com/ourmeats.cfm
Ahhhhhhhh BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEF.... - Muzz27, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1I still have yet to find a better steak than the one I had at Peter Lugar's Steakhouse in Brooklyn.
- ephemerae, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1color me jealous.
- Nedlog23, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2The fact is that if you put a butcher shop steak and a "high end" steak in front of the average steak eater they wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Also, the AVERAGE steak eater isn't going to spend $70 for a steak no matter how good it is, period. Last time I checked it is the AVERAGE person that drives our economy right? I know the difference between good steaks and bad. Personally I think aged steaks are overrated, and I avoid them. It's essentially allowing the meat to spoil a bit, breaking down and supposedly becoming more tender, that's what aging amounts to. If you have a tender piece of beef to begin with you don't need to let it rot before you cook it. I don't want mushy steak anyway, kills the whole texture part of the experience for me.
- bsiviglia9, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Aren't profits actually up in the U.S. economy?
- ronaldinho, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1This article isn't talking about the weakness of the economy; the title is wrong. It's more talking about trends, which is still interesting. Alas, demand is affected by the trend going toward healthy food as much as its prices. Moving towards healthy living (wraps, salads, etc.) has really been a trend the past couple years, though I still see a lot of fat people. But what am I thinking? This is America! OF COURSE there is a lot of fat people, and the fat ones are proud of being fat!
- hotstepper, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0I love Peter Luger!!
- ronaldinho, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Apparently you are fat yourself, and I must say, fat is not flavor. There are lots of other good food out there, especially if steak is a luxury
- mizay7, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0the article says nothing of interest. the consumption of a luxury good can be used as indicator of purchasing power. brilliant.
- mal1964, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1steak houses are staples and will always be around. the growth was in the 90's ten years ago. wraps and food you can eat on the go is hot now.
- pagancollective, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1This article really reminded me of Freakanomics.
-
Show 51 - 72 of 72 discussions
Check out the new & improved 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is