Vegetarians Need Not Apply

Red meat, in particular the great American steak, has been battered, slandered and thoroughly demonized in recent years. Cardiologists warn us of the dangers of consuming it on a regular basis. The health-conscious tend to shun it altogether.

But to quote the main character in one of my favorite movies (“Mississippi Masala”): “This is America, Ma; no one cares.”

Certainly few people are overly concerned in Orange County, where a proliferation of steakhouses affords a wider-than-ever choice for exercising the red-meat option. The main questions overheard in our steak joints aren’t focused on nutrition. Instead, they tend to be about gin, vodka and the best cuts of prime beef, a sure sign to killjoys that civilization is in decline.

In doing this piece, I concentrated on restaurants that specialize in steak, and I didn’t have enough room to list all the fine dining establishments that serve great beef. A few places to remember are Five Crowns, the Quiet Woman, the Arches, the Cove, the swank new Savannah Chop House and the king of Orange County’s sophisticated dives, Sid’s.

First, a word or two about beef. Beef is graded either Select, Choice, Top Choice or Prime, according to the visual discretion of U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors. That distinction is a function of marbling, specifically the way in which fat is distributed in the flesh. Steak loses about 25% of its weight during the cooking process, more if one is having the steak well done. That means when a steak is listed on the menu as 12 ounces, you can expect around 9 at serving time.

According to USDA figures, 9 ounces of cooked, choice sirloin is about 500 calories. Tenderloin is slightly higher, about 550. The fattier, choicer cuts are, if we believe the naysayers, the ones most hazardous to health. I say fiddlesticks, and make my martini a double.

Here are 10 local steakhouses:

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

I’m a huge fan of Irvine’s classically handsome Ruth’s Chris for the simple reason that I like the way the beef tastes. But I realize this is a restaurant best suited to a big spender or to someone on an expense account. Dinner will cost about $50 per person before wine.

The restaurant uses only Prime beef that has been specially aged, and when the steaks are brought sizzling to the table, they also are swimming in butter, a touch not popular with everyone. The steaks are cooked on a broiler that reaches 1,800 degrees. This has the effect of sealing in natural juices, resulting in meat that is amazingly moist.

I am partial to the buttery filet mignon, simply the best steak around. I’d rate the huge T-bone a close second. Side dishes are a la carte, and they don’t come cheap. A few of the better ones are shoestring fried potatoes; rich, buttery creamed spinach; and fresh asparagus spears, properly crisp and begging for Hollandaise. For dessert, don’t miss the wonderful chocolate pecan pie.

2961-A Michelson Drive, Irvine. (949) 252-8848. $$$$.

Trabuco Oaks

If the food and the company don’t make your evening at Trabuco Oaks, the surroundings--a beautiful wooded canyon near O’Neill Regional Park--probably will. This western-style steakhouse has the most rustic location in the county. It is a dark, clubby cavern with cute denim table settings and ties cut off from customers who came too formally dressed.

The restaurant is justifiably proud of its salad dressing and barbecue sauce; both, bottled for sale, are displayed at the front register. Steaks are Choice, aged, hand-trimmed and mesquite-grilled. A voice on the telephone assured me that even though the steaks weren’t Prime, they tasted like it. My reply to that is: No, they don’t.

But they are attractive on their sizzling platters, and they do taste good. The best deal is to split a Cowboy ($34), the restaurant’s delicious 32-ounce top sirloin. I also recommend the Cowgirl ($18.50), a nicely tender 16-ounce porterhouse. Each dinner includes bland garlic toast, western-style beans and a green salad tossed with the restaurant’s vinaigrette.

20782 Trabuco Oaks Drive, Trabuco Canyon. (949) 586-0722. $$$.

Outback Steakhouse

The Outback chain, which now numbers in the hundreds, began as a single restaurant in Tampa, Fla. If you’ve guessed that they must be doing something right, give yourself a gold star. In my opinion, this is the best mid-priced steakhouse around.

I confess that I find the Aussie theme a bit silly, but they had to come up with something. There is nothing even remotely Australian about Outback, other than the names of dishes and the cheerful team of servers who greet all their customers with a friendly “G’day.” What I’m most cheerful about is a kitchen where nothing is frozen--the food is about as fresh-tasting as the law allows.

My waitress insisted that Outback’s beef was Prime, although it did not seem well-marbled enough. Still, the prime rib, rib-eye steak and the Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee, an extremely flavorful 14-ounce New York strip, were all good, and done exactly the way they were requested. The sides, such as the delectable Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie and as good a baked potato as I sampled in any Orange County steakhouse, couldn’t be faulted in any way.

1670 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa. (949) 631-8377. $$$.

Morton’s of Chicago

So much has been written about Morton’s of Chicago that I can only reiterate. Morton’s Prime steaks are presented to customers before cooking, and they look wonderfully gleaming in their shiny, clear plastic jackets. Morton’s also uses a contraption called a vertical broiler, which generates a searing 1,500 degree heat. The steaks are great, and, as expected, you’ll pay dearly for them.

I love the restaurant’s 2-pound filet mignon served with a textbook sauce Bearnaise and also the 1-pound rib-eye, which squirts steak juice when cut. What I like best about this ultra-masculine restaurant, which attracts a trendy, smartly dressed crowd, are the non-steak items, such as the discus-shaped hash browns, which have no equal, and the delicious molten Godiva chocolate cake, served hot.

Morton’s bills itself as the Great American Steak House, and that is a tall order. It is a fine restaurant but a bit too noisy for my taste, and, despite the fact that many of my friends think it is without equal, I prefer the meat at Ruth’s Chris.

1661 Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 444-4834. $$$$.

Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon

Say hello to the new kid on the block, a family steakhouse concept complete with predictably western-style decor, a fresh-faced bunch of singing servers and a mesquite grill. The chain has apparently made a huge hit in Northern California. The Tustin restaurant is its first venture into the Southland, with more planned.

Sorry, podners, but so far, I’m underwhelmed. The appetizer Texas Tumbleweed is a greasier version of Outback’s Bloomin’ Onion, and though these aged USDA Choice steaks are priced slightly lower per ounce than Outback’s, I haven’t found them to be as flavorful.

The best is a 16-ounce Texas rib-eye, with the bacon-wrapped Rosita’s filet mignon a close second. But my 20-ounce T-bone was gristly, and I haven’t been impressed with any of the sides, which on my visits included a workmanlike green salad, limpid steak fries and unspeakable bread.

1222 E. Irvine Blvd., Tustin. (714) 508-9053. $$.

Crazy Horse Steakhouse

Call before planning a meal at this Santa Ana institution, a showplace for most of America’s best country music artists. Last month I tried to dine here without a reservation, only to be derailed by busloads of Doug Kershaw fans whose primary purpose was to see their idol perform. On concert nights, ticket-holders have priority in the dining room.

Steaks and prime rib are the specialties here, and they are largely appealing. The Garth Brooks Red River dinner is a 2-pound rib-eye big enough for John Wayne and Howard Hawks, and the meat is both tender and flavorful. Steaks are certified Angus beef, and they taste quite good considering that they are cooked on a gas grill.

Kansas City T-bone is a full pound of juicy aged beef. For three extra bucks, you can get a similar cut called Delmonico, the difference being the bone left in. Another to try is the top sirloin, aged 35 days. I couldn’t resist having the petite cut teriyaki style, and I enjoyed every bite. Even if I looked over my shoulder once or twice to make sure no one was snickering.

1580 Brookhollow Drive, Santa Ana. (714) 549-1512. $$$.

Granville’s

Granville’s specializes in dry, aged Kansas City Prime. Steaks are presented on a rolling marble cart, in the style of great American steakhouses such as New York’s Peter Luger or Morton’s of Chicago. This is a handsome place catering largely to conventioneers and upscale tourists visiting Disneyland. The dining room is mostly dark wood and carved glass. Booths are plush and comfy.

The filet mignon is just plain great. I had mine charred rare, and it came out properly black, perfectly tender and juicy to a fault. The porterhouse isn’t as tender as one might like, but it is a fine piece of meat nonetheless. Pass on the restaurant’s tough Kansas City strip. It is huge but gristly. The best sides are creamed spinach and asparagus Hollandaise. The wine list is well-stocked with California reds.

1150 W. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim. (714) 778-6600. $$$$.

Pinnacle Peak

This rustic, western-style restaurant gives good bang for the buck, but don’t expect the quality of the meat to be much better than what you buy in the supermarket. The thousands of kids who come here every year couldn’t care less, and their parents save a lot of money in the process.

The 32-ounce Trail Boss is a bargain at $14.95; the 1-pound Cowgirl is $9.95. Perhaps this restaurant’s best drawing card is the real mesquite embers glowing in the huge fire pit where the steaks are cooked. The pit must be 20 feet across, and the pitmen are highly skilled in the art of grilling.

There are only a few accompaniments: smoky, peppery beans, thick slices of white bread and salads with large blobs of dressing. And don’t wear your favorite tie. If you do, someone will cut it off and hang it from the rafters.

9100 Trask Ave., Garden Grove. (714) 892-7311. $$.

The Barn

The Barn is hidden at the back of a large strip mall and has a casual, western-style motif. Waiters greet you with a friendly “Howdy, podner” and twirl bottles of A-1 Steak Sauce as if they were six-guns. Decor runs to wagon wheels, yokes and other western memorabilia.

The grub is reasonable, considering that steaks are cooked on a grill using a combination of gas and charcoal.

The Choice cuts come in two sizes: Barn, for large appetites and Shed, for more moderate ones. Portions are generous.

The Shed Barnburner is a porterhouse, reasonably tender and slightly redolent of smoke. Cloverburner, $20.95 for the 10-ounce size, is the filet mignon (the 8-ounce cut is $17.95). Both come wrapped in bacon and are extremely flavorful.

Sides, such as large, mealy baked potatoes or terrific smoky whole beans, are also huge. Still, by and large, the Barn is not one of our more impressive steakhouses or even, for that matter, a particularly good value.

2300 Harbor Blvd., Suite 31, Costa Mesa. (714) 641-9777. $$$.

Bungalow

Bungalow is a great looking new restaurant that serves beautifully marbled USDA Prime steaks. This was formerly Mezzaluna until Hatch Designs, the company responsible for renovations at Antonello’s and Fashion Island’s Chimayo Grill, performed their Art Deco miracle with the interior.

If you are like most customers here, chances are you’ll sink into your scallop-shaped booth and hunker down with a huge martini before that steak. Featuring martinis was an inspired stroke, and Bungalow serves a variety of thirst-quenchers in birdbath-sized glasses.

The steaks are all fine, and they come with hard-to-resist Gruyere potatoes imbued with as much cholesterol per ounce as the beef. The best steaks are the rib-eye and the porterhouse. Top sirloin is the least expensive, but I find it to be the equal in flavor of the other two, if not quite as melt-in-the mouth tender.

2441 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (949) 673-6585. $$$$.