Well like I said in my first Ray’s: The Steaks review, I’d go back to Arlington if the right time and client presented itself. I just didn’t think it would be a mire two weeks later.
So as a late afternoon thunderstorm rolled through our Nation’s Capital making the sky that dark blue that you only see in your nightmares (or as a tornado is bearing down on you) I braved the elements to hook up with Lefty, Big Red and Rainbow Warrior.
But first I had to have apps with Ivy League, Orchid, Gambling Dave and a few of our closest friends. We were having dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill, a historic dining institution in Washington DC. (Which reminds me, I owe you, the loyal readers of SteakMatters, a review of my Ribeye from there two weeks ago. But like a 28-day dry aged cut of beef, you’ll just have to wait.) Anyhow, since were doing a late dinner at Ray’s if figured I’d get my appetizer and salad at Old E.
I ordered the mixed greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The salad was fine. As my second course, I ordered the much hyped Clyde’s Chili. Several folks had recommended it to me so I figured this was as good a time as any.
[Sidebar: For the record FLOTUS makes the best Chili. BAR NONE. All others are judged by my wife’s ability to combine tomatoes, ground beef, chili powder, garlic, onions and other special ingredients into each pot of simmering heaven. You get the picture.]
This chili did not make the cut. Topped with tasteless shredded cheddar, the chili tasted as though it had been cooking for 2 days on high and the cook scrapped the burnt crud off the bottom of the pot and put in my bowl. The aftertaste was so bad, I was concerned it might ruin my yet to be ordered steak at Ray’s.
The cab dropped me off at Ray’s non-descript strip mall parking lot, allowing me to dodge a torrential storm and torrents of water in the parking lot. The three Amigo’s were already there, and with my arrival we were immediately seated. As mentioned in his post, Lefty was being challenged to take on the Cowboy steak. Rainbow Warrior was going to do a strip. I’m not sure what Big Red was going to get, seeing as how he has done the tour of menu at least once, I can tell you for sure he got the Sherried Crab Bisque, which he continuously raves about.
For me, I wanted to shake it up a bit. I like my steaks naked normally, but I figured I would experiment. I ordered the New York Strip Au Poivre – seared with a black cracked peppercorn crust, with Port wine peppercorn sauce, served medium. Even with Lefty’s big-ass cowboy cut having to be cooked as well as the chef would allow, our food came out timely, allowing us to enjoy another finely selected red served at 60 degrees, from Ray’s large glass front wine cooler (and I’m not talking Bartels and James).
With anticipation, I took the first bite of my experiment in dressed-up steak. The beef was at the perfect temperature through out and the cracked peppercorn added a nice texture to the flavorful strip. The sauce was a nice compliment, but as regular readers of SteakMatters know, if your steak has a sauce on it, they’re trying to cover something up. We may have been in the Nation’s Capital, but certainly Ray isn’t involved in any cover-up – his beef is always good – I just like mine without the sauce. But hey, one has to be willing to try something new from time to time and Ray’s is just the place to do that. [Next time, I’m going to get the strip with just the peppercorn crust. Now that’s going to be one heck of meal.]
The creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes were excellent, as was the additionally side of steamed broccoli, per Rainbow’s order. Lefty got grilled mushrooms as well, but I wasn’t having any of that.
We finished the night with coffee and dessert, a white chocolate mousse and a milk chocolate mousse. Oh to die for. Even Lefty, after his 28+ ounces for beef, was loving it.
We wrapped up the night just as we had started it – dodging rain drops. Special thanks to Big Red, not only for his continued passion for Ray’s, but for also serving as our driver – albeit Mario Andretti in a Saturn sedan.
Here’s to one experiment and the next dinner Ray’s.
- POTUS
So as a late afternoon thunderstorm rolled through our Nation’s Capital making the sky that dark blue that you only see in your nightmares (or as a tornado is bearing down on you) I braved the elements to hook up with Lefty, Big Red and Rainbow Warrior.
But first I had to have apps with Ivy League, Orchid, Gambling Dave and a few of our closest friends. We were having dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill, a historic dining institution in Washington DC. (Which reminds me, I owe you, the loyal readers of SteakMatters, a review of my Ribeye from there two weeks ago. But like a 28-day dry aged cut of beef, you’ll just have to wait.) Anyhow, since were doing a late dinner at Ray’s if figured I’d get my appetizer and salad at Old E.
I ordered the mixed greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The salad was fine. As my second course, I ordered the much hyped Clyde’s Chili. Several folks had recommended it to me so I figured this was as good a time as any.
[Sidebar: For the record FLOTUS makes the best Chili. BAR NONE. All others are judged by my wife’s ability to combine tomatoes, ground beef, chili powder, garlic, onions and other special ingredients into each pot of simmering heaven. You get the picture.]
This chili did not make the cut. Topped with tasteless shredded cheddar, the chili tasted as though it had been cooking for 2 days on high and the cook scrapped the burnt crud off the bottom of the pot and put in my bowl. The aftertaste was so bad, I was concerned it might ruin my yet to be ordered steak at Ray’s.
The cab dropped me off at Ray’s non-descript strip mall parking lot, allowing me to dodge a torrential storm and torrents of water in the parking lot. The three Amigo’s were already there, and with my arrival we were immediately seated. As mentioned in his post, Lefty was being challenged to take on the Cowboy steak. Rainbow Warrior was going to do a strip. I’m not sure what Big Red was going to get, seeing as how he has done the tour of menu at least once, I can tell you for sure he got the Sherried Crab Bisque, which he continuously raves about.
For me, I wanted to shake it up a bit. I like my steaks naked normally, but I figured I would experiment. I ordered the New York Strip Au Poivre – seared with a black cracked peppercorn crust, with Port wine peppercorn sauce, served medium. Even with Lefty’s big-ass cowboy cut having to be cooked as well as the chef would allow, our food came out timely, allowing us to enjoy another finely selected red served at 60 degrees, from Ray’s large glass front wine cooler (and I’m not talking Bartels and James).
With anticipation, I took the first bite of my experiment in dressed-up steak. The beef was at the perfect temperature through out and the cracked peppercorn added a nice texture to the flavorful strip. The sauce was a nice compliment, but as regular readers of SteakMatters know, if your steak has a sauce on it, they’re trying to cover something up. We may have been in the Nation’s Capital, but certainly Ray isn’t involved in any cover-up – his beef is always good – I just like mine without the sauce. But hey, one has to be willing to try something new from time to time and Ray’s is just the place to do that. [Next time, I’m going to get the strip with just the peppercorn crust. Now that’s going to be one heck of meal.]
The creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes were excellent, as was the additionally side of steamed broccoli, per Rainbow’s order. Lefty got grilled mushrooms as well, but I wasn’t having any of that.
We finished the night with coffee and dessert, a white chocolate mousse and a milk chocolate mousse. Oh to die for. Even Lefty, after his 28+ ounces for beef, was loving it.
We wrapped up the night just as we had started it – dodging rain drops. Special thanks to Big Red, not only for his continued passion for Ray’s, but for also serving as our driver – albeit Mario Andretti in a Saturn sedan.
Here’s to one experiment and the next dinner Ray’s.
- POTUS
Pictures:
Top: Orchid's Grilled Flank Steak (Old E)
Middle: Ivy's Ribeye (Old E)
Bottom: POTUS NYS (Ray's)
2 comments:
While I generally agree that steaks shouldn't need a marinade or dressing, you have to cut the flank steak some slack in that category. Given the toughness of the meat, you pretty much have to let it soak in a marinade at least overnight before cooking. Flanks are tender and have a ton of flavor when cooked medium-rare with the right marinade.
That said, my dinner at Ebbitts (which I believe is the first picture, not the second) was exactly that - tender and flavorful. I was actually surprised to see a flank steak on the menu, so I had to spring for it. Good food, good people, good conversations.
- O
O
Thanks for the head's up on the picture order. The captions have been updated.
POTUS
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