Is It Prime Time? This Cut of Steak Is Hard to Beat

Can you remember the very best steak you ever had? I can. It was a tender filet mignon served sizzling in butter and sprinkled with a little chopped parsley.

No steak I have eaten since has come close to those served at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a nationwide chain that originated in New Orleans.

And though the restaurant concept comes from Louisiana, the beef comes from corn-fed cattle raised in the Midwest. Ruth’s serves only U.S.D.A. prime--the top 2% of beef produced nationwide. The thick cuts are seared in a special 1,800-degree broiler to lock in the juices and flavor.

The potatoes and vegetables are served fried, creamed or au gratin just the way they would be in New Orleans, a.k.a. Fat City. Ruth’s also serves chicken and fish, but if I ordered one of these lighter entrees I’d end up indulging in one of the luscious desserts, most likely the creme brulee or the bread pudding with whiskey sauce.

* Prime-grade filet mignon steak with one tablespoon butter--370 calories/29 grams of fat. $26.95 a la carte at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 2961-A Michelson Drive, Irvine. (949) 252-8848.

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